Essay/Short Story: The Best Belated Birthday Present

Here's a little piece I wrote this morning after almost no sleep this morning. I'm not sure why it came out the way it did or why I like it, except that it seems to capture the memories just right. Maybe I just need to write on 3 hours of sleep! I did submit this to an edition of Chicken Soup for the Soul (for sisters). This story has been in my mind for a while and I finally typed it out today. I am also thinking of adapting this to a children's story (either just as a story or as a picture book manuscript). Any thoughts or comments are greatly appreciated! Thanks! ************************* The Best Belated Birthday Present “I’m going to have a baby sister! I’m going to have a baby sister!” my three-year-old daughter, Cailyn, screeched as she jumped around the room. I looked at my husband, Jon, who was uncertain about telling our only child that she was about to become an “oldest”. After a few moments more of practically flying through the house, Cailyn stopped short right in front of me. She reached her hand out and touched my stomach. “Is she in there?” I put my hand on top of hers and smiled. “The baby is growing inside of Mommy, yes. But, Cailyn, we don’t know if we’re having a boy or girl, yet. It’s too early.” With the certainty that only a three year old can have, she shook her head. “No,” she insisted. “My baby sister is growing in there, and she is coming on my birthday, because that’s what I want for my birthday present.” “Honey, the baby may be coming in February, but it’s not due until the end of the month,” explained Jon. “Your birthday is the 7th, so the baby will miss your birthday.” The small pair of grey eyes looked up at him, unfazed by his words. “She WILL be here on my birthday.” She folded her arms and went back to her paper and crayons. Jon and I shrugged our shoulders. Arguing with a child is pointless. Cailyn was convinced that she was getting a baby sister for her birthday. As the months went by, and the time for our ultrasound got closer, I secretly prayed for a girl: not because I really cared what kind of baby we’d have (other than healthy, of course), but I knew that Cailyn would be heartbroken if I wasn’t carrying her little sister. Sure, she would get over it, eventually; but going from an only child to a big sister is an enormous transition all on its own. If we had another girl, maybe our adjustment would be at least a little easier. I never told anyone of my wish, mostly because I thought it was selfish. On the day of the ultrasound, Cailyn was in preschool. Jon and I watched as the technician waved her wand over my goopy belly. The essentials were checked out first: heart, lungs, spine—all the good stuff. After what seemed like forever, she asked. “Do you want to know what you’re having?” I smiled up at Jon. We didn’t find out with Cailyn; we wanted it to be a surprise. “Yes,” we both answered immediately. Cailyn was right. A little sister was on the way. When picked her up from preschool early to tell her the news, Jon and I thought that we’d have another round of cheers and banging around the house. Instead, Cailyn raised an eyebrow at us and said in a serious voice. “See, I told you.” And here I thought that parents were the only ones to say “I told you so” to their kids. The pregnancy flew by, and with each week, Cailyn was our official countdown person. “Only two months until my birthday and my sister comes! Only one month now!” she’d announce. Paul Revere had nothing on this kid. Jon and I would both try to gently remind her that the baby would probably be a little late for her birthday, but her mind was made up. By the time early February 2002 came along, I started to hope that maybe Cailyn would be right. This baby was growing fast, my blood pressure was elevated and I had to leave work early to go on modified bed rest. I felt lousy. On one of my last visits to the doctor, I was informed I was already progressed to 3 centimeters. “But, it’s only the first week of February!” I replied. “I know,” Jen said, “But I wouldn’t worry too much. It could still be weeks. It is your second baby after all.” “Weeks?” I grumbled. Jen checked my blood pressure and wasn’t thrilled with what she was looking at. “Well, maybe not weeks. You could go as soon as this weekend. But, either way, I think we’re going to induce you. Your blood pressure isn’t going down.” She grabbed a calendar. “How does February 7th sound?” “NO!” I yelped, just about coming off the table. “That’s Cailyn’s birthday! They can’t have the same birthday.” Jen laughed—and I think it was at me, not with me. “All right, Marie. How about the 12th?” I sighed with relief and thanked her. I scooted off the table and waddled out of the office. Jon, who hadn’t said much during our visit, waited until we got into the elevator to speak up. “Maybe we should call your mom and tell her to come up.” At first, I was going to protest. I wasn’t going to be induced for a little over a week, and we had gone through two “false alarms” already up to this point. But, Mom lives in Vermont and it’s a 5 hour drive to Maine. I called as soon as I got home. “Can you come up a little early?’ “Sure. I’ll get there in time for Cailyn’s birthday. We can take her out to eat or something and then we’ll have a few days to get ready for this baby!” Nothing beats a grandmother’s excitement. On February 7th, all of us made a big deal out of Cailyn’s special day. We knew it would be her last hurrah as the only kid in the house. Cailyn decided that she wanted to go to the mall to her favorite restaurant for the big birthday dinner. Off we went and enjoyed some cheese sticks and pizza. Less than 30 minutes later, the contractions started. I shrugged them off at first, thinking they were just Braxton-Hicks again. It wasn’t until another 15 minutes went by that my mom noticed I wasn’t talking much, only breathing pretty funny. “Are you ok?” she asked. I nodded. “Sure.” Jon glanced sideways at me. “Are you having contractions?” “A couple,” I lied. They were about every five to seven minutes. Suddenly, everyone around me was packing up pizza, drinks, etc. “Where are we going?” I asked like an idiot. “Home, so you can call your doctor and get to the hospital,” Mom said in her classic ‘I’m a mother’ exasperated tone. Guess it doesn’t matter how old the child gets, the mom is still in charge. To pacify my husband and mother, I dialed the doctor on call, knowing for sure he’d tell me to just stay home and rest because this would pass like all the others. “Why don’t you come on in?” he instructed. Jon grabbed our packed bag and after Cailyn emerged from her room after changing for bed, we told her we were going to the hospital. “Is my sister coming?” she asked, her eyes sparkling. “I’m not sure, honey,” I answered. “But, we need to go.” “My birthday present is coming! I knew it! I knew it!” The zooming through the hallway started once again. We left our little rocket for grandma to deal with and went to the hospital. My labor was a lot longer than it was with Cailyn and I chuckled at the fact that for a baby who wanted to make her first appearance almost three weeks early, she sure was taking a long time about it. It wasn’t until Cailyn visited the next afternoon that things started to really happen. I had been plodding along slowly through labor, but from the moment Cailyn walked into the room, the baby started to rock and roll. The contractions came harder and faster, almost as if little sister was already trying to keep up with big sister. When the pain became too much, Mom brought Cailyn home, expecting to return the next morning since the baby probably wasn’t going to make an appearance before bedtime. Not 15 minutes after they left, everything changed. Did this baby know that her sister had left and was this her way to bring her back? Within an hour of Cailyn’s departure, I was pushing her sister into the world. Less than 5 minutes and only 3 pushes after we started, baby sister Erin was born at 6:51 pm on February 8, 2002. It didn’t take long for Cailyn to come back to the hospital. With flowers for me in one hand, and a stuffed ladybug in the other, she hurried into the room. Baby Erin lay in the hospital bassinet and Cailyn looked down upon her. She proudly wore a pink shirt that exclaimed “I’m the Big Sister!” She climbed up in the rocking chair that sat in the corner of the room and begged to hold her sister. Jon lifted Erin out of her bed and placed her in the small, waiting arms. “What’s her name?” she asked as she held the baby close to her chest. “Erin Alexis” I told her. Cailyn kissed the top of Erin’s pink, wrinkled forehead and spoke in hushed tones to her little sister. “Hi Erin. Happy Birthday to you. I think you’re still the best birthday present, even if you are a day late!”