My heart dropped. Could it be that I hadn't written one for him? Of all my children, had I really forgotten to write about him? These posts are important to me because they account the day of their birth, a day that is still fairly clear in my mind by the time they turn five, but less so as time goes on (and I have more births to sort through). I write them so that, years from now, I will be able to read what may no longer be so readily accessible to my mind. The thought of having to remember everything from his day almost eight years ago made me sad, as I know I am certain to forget some of it (that I would not have a few years ago.
Desperate, I did a search of my Facebook notes to be safe and, miracle of miracles, it was there! I knew I had written something. I probably didn't publish it to my blog because in the early days I was really concerned with security, and tried not to give too many details of my children's lives in this public forum. I likely posted it only to Facebook so that it would only be for close family and friends. While I still think this is important, I have calmed down a little bit. More importantly, this blog gives me an easily-accessible link to my memoirs, and since it is now important to me to have all of that stuff in one place, I am re-posting Timothy's Five-Year post here. Enjoy!
Five years ago today was a Monday evening - the first Monday of my maternity leave for my second child. My due date was still ten days away, and I was finishing up a final project for a course I was taking to work. As my due date approached, I prayed that the baby would hold off long enough for me to hand in my assignment, because I didn't know how I would ever be able to complete it if he arrived before. I finished everything up, emailed it to my professor at 11:00 pm, and went to bed. And five hours later, I woke up in labor.
Not much after 5:00 am, we dropped Joseph off at our good friend and babysitter's house, and headed for town. Living on the Kingston Peninsula means travelling by cable ferry, and when we arrived one was on the other side, and the other was not running. We noticed a worker walking from his car, lunch box in hand, towards the other ferry, presumably to start his shift. Jeff rolled down the window and said, "how long does it take to start that thing?" The operator said, "probably fifteen minutes. Why?" Jeff replied, "my wife's in labor." His eyes went as wide as saucers, as he repeated (with panic) "Your wife's in labor??" He hurried onto the ferry and had it up and running in minutes. It was the fastest crossing I've ever made on that ferry, and we found his reaction quite funny (since a typical crossing is usually no more than five minutes anyway). He still works on the ferry, and every time I see him I smile and remember him on that day.
After checking in to the hospital and being assessed by the doctors, we had a bit of time to ourselves. We didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl, and were still undecided on the name for a boy. We had been bouncing names off each other throughout the entire pregnancy, but could not find something we both liked. I told Jeff, "if this is a boy, we have to have a name for him!" Pope Benedict had recently been appointed, and he said, "I really like Benedict". I said, "I really like Timothy". Jeff said, "Timothy Benedict - I like it!" And finally, the decision was made.
Things progressed quickly. I asked for an epidural, which I had for Joseph, but did not have time to get it. After the doctor broke my water, I went from 4 cm to 10 cm within twenty minutes, and was ready to push. Having never experienced the urge to push with Joseph (because of the epidural), it took me by surprise. I told the doctors, and they told me to wait while they got ready. They seemed to be taking their time, until I let out a scream that came with a contraction that sent my limbs flying in all directions! It was all business after that, and two pushes later we were thrilled to welcome our second son, Timothy Benedict, into the world.
All I could say was, "wow!" following the delivery. From start to finish, the whole thing was five hours, and I couldn't believe how quickly everything went. Not having the epidural meant that I was much more alert following the delivery, and I found the recovery to be much easier. There was very little trauma, and I got to enjoy my little boy almost as soon as he arrived - much different than Joseph's delivery (which still had been pretty easy, all things considered). He came out crying, and one of the first things we noticed was a deep-set dimple on just one cheek. While he was being cleaned up, he peed on the doctors three times! (He always laughs when I tell him this!) My mother said he's going to be the kind of kid who does everything with gusto, because that's how he came into the world. And you know what? He really is!
Today, Timothy is a bright, vibrant, charming little boy. People are drawn to him, and he has a way of really connecting with them. He is loving, caring, and constantly telling the people he loves just how much he loves them. Of our five children he is the most like Jeff. While the other kids quickly lose interest, you can always find Timothy by Dad's side, helping out anytime he is doing a project around the house. He loves to be helpful, and relishes in the few tasks he can be responsible (especially if it's something none of his other siblings can do). Being special is important to him, and spending one-on-one time together is the surest way to let him know that you love him. From the very beginning his sensitive, tender heart was apparent and endearing. He wears his heart on his sleeve, which can be frustrating at times, but only when I'm not taking the time to be patient and affirming, like a good mother should. Whenever I think of my little Timothy, all I can see are his big saucer eyes that are so full of innocence and wonder, and that little face that I have such a hard time saying "no" to. All of the goodness that's inside of him just pours out, and you just can't help but adore this precious little boy.
When I was pregnant for Timothy, I remember thinking "I hope this baby is just like Joseph, because he's perfect!" From the moment Timothy arrived, he was completely different than his big brother, and I quickly came to realize that two children could be equally perfect despite being so different. I am so very grateful for the amazing gift God gave to our family five years ago today, and as we celebrate our precious little boy, I can't help but think of how truly blessed I am to be along for the journey that is his life.
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You can find five-year posts for Joseph, Stephen and Catherine in the blog archives.
Not much after 5:00 am, we dropped Joseph off at our good friend and babysitter's house, and headed for town. Living on the Kingston Peninsula means travelling by cable ferry, and when we arrived one was on the other side, and the other was not running. We noticed a worker walking from his car, lunch box in hand, towards the other ferry, presumably to start his shift. Jeff rolled down the window and said, "how long does it take to start that thing?" The operator said, "probably fifteen minutes. Why?" Jeff replied, "my wife's in labor." His eyes went as wide as saucers, as he repeated (with panic) "Your wife's in labor??" He hurried onto the ferry and had it up and running in minutes. It was the fastest crossing I've ever made on that ferry, and we found his reaction quite funny (since a typical crossing is usually no more than five minutes anyway). He still works on the ferry, and every time I see him I smile and remember him on that day.
After checking in to the hospital and being assessed by the doctors, we had a bit of time to ourselves. We didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl, and were still undecided on the name for a boy. We had been bouncing names off each other throughout the entire pregnancy, but could not find something we both liked. I told Jeff, "if this is a boy, we have to have a name for him!" Pope Benedict had recently been appointed, and he said, "I really like Benedict". I said, "I really like Timothy". Jeff said, "Timothy Benedict - I like it!" And finally, the decision was made.
Things progressed quickly. I asked for an epidural, which I had for Joseph, but did not have time to get it. After the doctor broke my water, I went from 4 cm to 10 cm within twenty minutes, and was ready to push. Having never experienced the urge to push with Joseph (because of the epidural), it took me by surprise. I told the doctors, and they told me to wait while they got ready. They seemed to be taking their time, until I let out a scream that came with a contraction that sent my limbs flying in all directions! It was all business after that, and two pushes later we were thrilled to welcome our second son, Timothy Benedict, into the world.
All I could say was, "wow!" following the delivery. From start to finish, the whole thing was five hours, and I couldn't believe how quickly everything went. Not having the epidural meant that I was much more alert following the delivery, and I found the recovery to be much easier. There was very little trauma, and I got to enjoy my little boy almost as soon as he arrived - much different than Joseph's delivery (which still had been pretty easy, all things considered). He came out crying, and one of the first things we noticed was a deep-set dimple on just one cheek. While he was being cleaned up, he peed on the doctors three times! (He always laughs when I tell him this!) My mother said he's going to be the kind of kid who does everything with gusto, because that's how he came into the world. And you know what? He really is!
Today, Timothy is a bright, vibrant, charming little boy. People are drawn to him, and he has a way of really connecting with them. He is loving, caring, and constantly telling the people he loves just how much he loves them. Of our five children he is the most like Jeff. While the other kids quickly lose interest, you can always find Timothy by Dad's side, helping out anytime he is doing a project around the house. He loves to be helpful, and relishes in the few tasks he can be responsible (especially if it's something none of his other siblings can do). Being special is important to him, and spending one-on-one time together is the surest way to let him know that you love him. From the very beginning his sensitive, tender heart was apparent and endearing. He wears his heart on his sleeve, which can be frustrating at times, but only when I'm not taking the time to be patient and affirming, like a good mother should. Whenever I think of my little Timothy, all I can see are his big saucer eyes that are so full of innocence and wonder, and that little face that I have such a hard time saying "no" to. All of the goodness that's inside of him just pours out, and you just can't help but adore this precious little boy.
When I was pregnant for Timothy, I remember thinking "I hope this baby is just like Joseph, because he's perfect!" From the moment Timothy arrived, he was completely different than his big brother, and I quickly came to realize that two children could be equally perfect despite being so different. I am so very grateful for the amazing gift God gave to our family five years ago today, and as we celebrate our precious little boy, I can't help but think of how truly blessed I am to be along for the journey that is his life.
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| Timothy as a newborn |
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| Timothy at Five |
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| Timothy today |
You can find five-year posts for Joseph, Stephen and Catherine in the blog archives.
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