That evening Daddy said goodbye to Mother and went home. At the time my parents were living with my grandparents in their big old rambling farm house. When Daddy got home Grandma was full of questions. She wanted to know all about the birth and her first grandchild. "Who does she look like?" "Does she have lots of hair?" "What color is it?"
Daddy was sitting at Grandma's kitchen table when he broke down and started to cry. He could hardly get it out. "Mom," he whimpered, "she is the ugliest baby I have ever seen." He had never seen a newborn before especially not one that had just entered the world moments earlier and was all ruddy and wrinkly and full of goop. Only a mother could love a baby in those early moments after birth.
With soothing tones, Grandma assured Daddy that I would look much better the next time he saw me. And I did. After that shocking introduction and once I was all prettied up in the nursery, he fell in love with me.
This is me - six months old
This is me - 19 years old
This is my daughter and me taken more recentlyHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
Hey happy Birthday SusieQ a.k.a. teacher's pet!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTake the day off, treat yourself and don't worry about anything.
Glad you are back in action!
Have a great day-you deserve it.
Happy Birthday Susie, you were a stunning young lady. You're still very beautiful as is your daughter. I wish you many more Happy Bithdays to come.
ReplyDeleteI've been doing quite a bit of gardening myself and haven't had much time for blogging but something said to come over here tonight before I go to work. Glad I did.
Oh Happy Birthday to you SusieQ!!! What a wonderful post and how beautiful you were as a child and still are. Lovely picture of you with your daughter.
ReplyDeleteI came across you blog from a comment you left on Sue's a/k/a Susie Q blog.
Stop by and visit me sometime.
SuzieQ, I think you turned out just fine! You are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteAhem- in my purely objective opinion. Ahem.
SusieQ, Happy Birthday, and you are certainly the ugliest baby ever born. Ha! You are very beautiful. I'll bet your Dad figured that our eventually.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely picture of you with your daughter.
Cheers,
Josie
I meant to say certainly "not". But you knew that. It came out okay, anyway.
ReplyDeleteJosie
Happy Birthday, SQ!
ReplyDeleteIt's true that babies look a bit out of shape from the journey in those first moments but "clean up" pretty good in no time. I know it sounds cliche, but the old saying "Beauty is as beauty does" is true, and I'm sure your dad shed a few tears of joy through the years as he saw you grow into a caring person and loving wife and mother. Sorry I missed the actual day you posted this. Hope you got to enjoy some of beauty of your labors and "the bridge" with your husband.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUSIE!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat sweet pictures, and, I feel lucky to have known the heart
of that "ugly baby" long enough to
know that the beauty is more than skin deep.
Hope your day was special.
WRECKLESS: Thanks for the birthday wishes. I should have taken the day off like you encouraged me to, but as it turned out I treated it like any other day in my life.
ReplyDeleteJG: Thanks for the compliments and best wishes. I hope I have many more birthdays, because I love this existence. I love being alive.
ANDI: Welcome! I'll be by in the next day or so to visit your blog.
NURSEWILLIAM: Thanks for your kind words here...and for that riveting story you told at your blog about the young girl who your team in ER saved from certain death with swift action.
JOSIE: Once I was all cleaned up after my birth, indeed my dad fell in love with me. This humorous story about my dad's initial impression of me as a newborn has been told over and over again.
PATTERNS (TOM): Thanks for your kind words. I know I have told you before about how sentimental my dad was and how he would cry when things touched him. He was also able to laugh at himself.
Sometimes he would tell this story and then laugh at himself over it.
SHARON: Thanks for the birthday wishes. Next post is going to be about your battle with the ants. Stay tuned folks!
Hi Susie Q
ReplyDeleteSorry I am so late to your birthday celebration. Lately, I'm forever playing "CatchUp"
My best (belated wishes)!! What a beautiful picture of you with your daughter.
Happy Birthday dear Susie Q!! What a stunning lady you are! Truly! As is your daughter...
ReplyDeleteI wish you many, many more happy days and years full of joy and laughter.
Gee...now I know I am not the *ONLY* Susie Q in the blog world!!
Have a very sweet BIRTHDAY week!
I will return often!
Hugs,
Sue
Wonderful story and great photos, as usual. As to the second one, may I preceed "Happy Birthday" with "hubba-hubba?"
ReplyDeleteSUSIE: Thanks for the best wishes. I know what you mean about playing "catch-up." Seems like I am usually in that mode of operation.
ReplyDeleteSUSIE Q: I was surprised to find out there was another Susie Q in the blogs besides me. With all the Susies leaving messages at the same blogs, it is bound to get a little confusing to other readers. Thanks for dropping in here and leaving your best wishes. You have a delightful blog.
PAUL: No matter how old a woman gets, she still likes to receive compliments such as "hubba-hubba." Thanks. :-)
Happy Birthday; I couldn't resist:
ReplyDeleteSusie- Q
Oh, susie q, oh, susie q,
Oh, susie q, baby i love you, susie q.
I like the way you walk, i like the way you talk;
I like the way you walk, i like the way you talk, susie q.
Well, say that you'll be true, well, say that you'll be true,
Well, say that you'll be true, and never leave me blue, susie q.
Well, say that you'll be mine, well, say that you'll be mine,
Well, say that you'll be mine, baby all the time, susie q.
Who do true two you blue who (*)
Oh susie q, oh susie q,
Oh susie q, baby i love you, susie q.
I like the way you walk, i like the way you talk,
I like the way you walk, i like the way you talk, susie q.
Oh susie q, oh susie q,
Oh susie q, baby i love you, susie q.
by Credence Clearwater Revival circa 1968
(It has a nice bass sound)
Oh, yes, Goatman, I remember that song. And you sing it so well! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by with your best wishes and song.
This is a bit late, but a very happy birthday to you!!!
ReplyDeleteI loved this story...it brought a smile to my face to think of your young daddy first crying- then falling in love with his baby girl!
And the pictures are wonderful...the one at 19, you truly look like a movie star...and what a beautiful mother of the bride you made, too! :D