Bri

My fourth child, a beautiful strawberry-blonde girl with rose-bud lips who was supposed to be a boy, was born smiling 20 years ago today.

The day before her birth, we had bought our second vehicle, a big, screaming-maroon Dodge Ram Van with no plushness, pretty much a cargo van with seats and a few windows.  But we were happy.  It was having some work done on it and all day long my husband kept asking me to find a ride and go pick it up.  My response, "I think I'm in labor."  His response, "You always think you're in labor.  The baby's not due for another month.

So as my mother-in-law was driving me to the hospital because suddenly my contractions were very close together, we passed my husband on the way to the freeway.  This was way before cell phones.  We frantically pointed to the hospital, only he thought we were pointing to the garage.  He learned differently when he got home and my neighbor who was watching my 3 children, ages 4, 3 and 1 told him that we were NOT picking up the van.

Yes, he made it to the hospital in plenty of time to see the arrival of our daughter whose birth was a breeze and who smiled upon arrival and has smiled ever since.  Really.  This child was born smiling and has never stopped and that is one of the things I love about her most.

Happy Birthday Bri.  Keep smiling.