Third of Eight

Happy Happy Birthday Leslie, dear

Happy days will come to you all year

If I had a wish then it would be...

A Happy Happy Birthday to you from me;)

Just thought you might like to know...

Twenty-six years ago today Leslie was born at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center at 0110 in the morning. I went into labor around 2100 on January 11th. I called for Grandma W to come and sit with Michelle, Danny, David, and Kimberley. You see, Leslie was due on January 1st and it was the night of January 11th. There was no doubt in my mind that she was on her way. Of course, in those days, we didn't have the luxury of knowing weather this baby was going to be a girl or a boy. I knew that she was going to be a girl, however, from the time Kimmie was just a couple of weeks old. I also knew what her name would be.

I left for the hospital around 2130, arriving there at 2200.

After the hospital staff got me settled the called for the Anesthesiologist. He came in and gave me my epidural and left, letting me know that he would be back in about thirty minutes to check on me. Well, the thirty minutes passed and when he returned, and asked how things were going and if I was still feeling the contractions, I told him that I was feeling the contractions, but that I was numb from the knees down. After checking with Dr. Pillsbury they decided that I was too far along to give me any more medication and have it do me any good, so of to the delivery room we went. By now it was about 0030. Just forty minutes later I had my fifth child...a healthy baby girl with tons of dark hair and a short little forehead. She reminded me a lot of Danny when he was born.

Leslie Ann Wurtz was 8# 3oz, like her brothers, but was only 19" long.

Through it all, Dan was trying to video tape the whole event and I remember him making the comment that it was a good thing that what he was seeing, from behind the camera, was black and white, not color. The doctor asked him why...well, had he been seeing color, he probably would have passed out...doesn't do well in those situations.

When it came time to name this new little girl, Dan came up with the name Susan. I asked him where he got that name and he said that Michelle had been playing with one of her dolls the night before and he heard her call the doll Susan. As I mentioned before, I already knew what her name was going to be and had known for close to 2 years, and besides, Susan was never even a consideration for me.

As for the spelling of her name...I wanted to spell Leslie with an e-y at the end, but Dan didn't want to and so because her name was going to be Leslie Ann, no matter how her first name was spelled, I gave into him. The reason I wanted e-y was because it was a little different that the usual spelling.

We came home from the hospital on Thursday morning, again staying an extra day. Knowing that I had 4 other very young children at home, I figured I deserved an extra day of rest. Well, that extra day in the hospital just about drove me nuts. There was nothing to do there except lay on the bed and watch TV. I was ready to go home and be with my other children, whom I was starting to miss, a lot;)

When we got home, Michelle was so happy to see her new little baby sister. She got to stay home from school that day, because it was a special day. She wanted to hold Leslie and so I told her that she had to sit on the couch. Before I knew it, all four of my other children were sitting on the couch waiting for a turn to hold the newest member of our family.

Leslie was a very easy baby to take care of and just as happy as can be.

I was grateful that she had come to live with us and be a very important part of our family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LESLIE

I hope that you have had a wonderful birthday. I love you;)