Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Write it Down


When I started having children.....actually before that, when I got married, my friend Shelley used to tell me, “Amy, write that down.  You’ll forget.”  
This week was my oldest son’s 18th birthday.  My youngest daughter, age 10 asked me, “Mom, what time was Aidan born?”  I said, “I don’t know. I think some time at night.”  Then the questions kept coming, what about this sibling, and this sibling, and what about me?  I said, “Well, I remember when you were born because I know they were joking around that I was going to be able to eat lunch.  You were born right after lunch.” 

Then I see on Facebook, everyone posting their kids birthdays, with the TIME they were born and I start to say to myself, “when were they born?  I can’t remember.”   

I was never one for writing stuff down, I mean, especially if it was something you didn’t want someone ELSE to know when you die or something.  I tried journaling and I have written down some significant things over the years that I really wanted to remember, but rarely.  And, I actually started blogging for two reasons, so that I could remember things and so that I didn’t have to give the same advice a gazillion times.  But I wasn’t blogging when I first started having children. Were there blogs back then?

I did take my friend’s advice for my children.  I kept little journals during my pregnancy for each one of them.  Some of them have more detail than others.  

This morning I rummaged through my book shelf and produced 4 little journals.  Elise was still in bed and I said, “Okay, Elise, Aidan was born at 2:28PM. I was way off on that one.  Tyler was born at 9:39PM. Look, Daddy wrote that down.  That’s his handwriting.  Avanell was born at 11:21PM. And, you were born at 12:20PM. See, just after lunch.”  

Then I read an excerpt to her, “Elise is the sweetest baby.  We all enjoy her so much.  All her characteristics just make you want to hug her and play with her.”

To which she replied with a teary smile, “Thank you for writing that down.” 

3 comments:

  1. Oh Amy that is so sweet at the end! I should take my own advice and write some things down.... : ) sjl

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  2. To which I reply, Awwwwww. And agree wholeheartedly on the writing it down. Good word!

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  3. Well, I'm a fail at the documentation, but I could see that unfold as it went by. However, there is a bin somewhere with the actual record from the hospital. Hmm.
    I think it's super sweet that Steve wrote it down. I'm filled with admiration for your beautiful family, my friend. God bless you.

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