HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I’m dedicating this post to my favorite daughter, Erica Lindsay Beaver—who made me a mom on this fabulous day, August 11.

It’s one of those things you remember—the breathing, the walking, the going to the hospital, being sent home to walk and breathe some more. My obstetrician was a hoot. He told us I could have this baby in one of two ways—the Cadillac or the Pinto way. I chose the Pinto, no meds. What’s life without a few rough rides? Little Beav was not ready to enter the lodge as quickly as our doctor would have liked. He suggested an epidermal after 15-18 hours of labor. I finally agreed under duress. I had never had a workout session that equaled the magnitude of pain and exhaustion. I consented to the meds, and our little kit entered the world within thirty minutes. We didn’t even have a name picked out.

Back in the day, you waited for the doctor’s,” It’s a…” We had one boy’s and ten girl’s names on the list. I had my favorite, and Mr. Beaver had his. He said she came into the world screaming  “errrrrrrrrr,” so it had to be Erica. Okay? I liked Lindsay, so that became her middle name.

Don’t make fun of someone’s name. They can’t help it—their parents named them. So why shouldn’t they get to choose an AKA? Erica has always been a lover of cats and everything cats. Her friends fondly call her Kitty. She’s Aunt Kitty to her niece and nephew. That’s all well and good. It may be better than “Hey girl, hey!”

I am proud of this little girl of mine. Erica has the perseverance to do what she loves and be self-sufficient. Her work ethic and tenacity to be a lifelong learner are contagious. She exemplifies the “I don’t know it yet” mindset. She is compassionate and cares deeply for her friends, family, and cats. I know God has a plan for her, and His timing is always perfect—just saying.

Do you have a name story, birth story, or someone you would like to brag about today? Let me hear about it in the comments.

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