The Sweet Seasons: Happy Birthday Darbey Rhea!

Thursday, May 12th was my little baby's 17th birthday! Boy that really just shocks me! She has always been the "little" one of the family both in size and in birth order. We sometimes forget that she is growing up and she tends to have to remind us of that. I am accused quite often of "babying" her but I make no apologies...she IS my baby and Mommas can do what they want!

She has always had a sweet and personable personality. Now there were a few years we all lived through in which she had "phases" that about made us pull our hair out. When she was just a toddler/preschooler, she had these weeks where she HAD to wear headbands, or she HAD to wear pastel colored tights with dresses. (I bought out Walmart of tights during that phase!), or she had to wear a pony tail with no "bumps or ridges" in her hair. ARGHHHHHH! Her siblings were very patient and tolerated it. Her 2 older sisters always included her in their plans...dance recitals on the porch, slumber parties in the bedroom, makeup/hair night.

She was due on Friday the 13th and my doctor asked me if I was superstitious....I said "No", all my other babies have come a day early so she'll probably come on the 12th". And she did! I had worked all day teaching on the 11th and by evening did not feel well. So I thought we'd head off to hospital to just check it out. Grandma came to stay with the other 3 and so when we got there, I was dialated some but my doctor was not going to be back until the next day so I just wanted to wait through the night. He had not delivered any of my other babies and he promised me that he would deliver this baby unless he ended up in Tazmania or something like that! So the next day, the nurse said he was in meetings until afternoon and orders were to "break your water" and he would be here soon. Sounds good to me! My little blond hair, blue eyed beauty decided to come quite fast then and although they had a Doctor standing outside the room ready to come in, I REFUSED HIS SERVICES. I wanted my doctor! They were on the phone with him that whole time as he was stuck in traffic on an interstate trying to make it. When nature/child birth/no stopping a baby coming out was imminent, I succumbed and had the "hall" doctor come in. Poor guy...I'm sure he thought I was a crazy lady! He was wonderful and just as he delivered the head..........who came BURSTING through the door but my DOCTOR! Hallelujah!!!!!!! And they literally switched places and my doctor delivered the ...... body!!
I was a happy camper! And Darbey Rhea was a doll! I named her after Kim Darby who played Mattie in True Grit and Darby Shaw, played by Julia Roberts in The Pelican Brief. I added an "e" since Lacey and Haley had one in their name. Her Daddy like the name Rhea.
She was such a cute precious little petite thing with always a smile on her face. And even today, she is the same. She has such a loving heart and is such a good Christian girl. She is the last one home to be with Momma and Daddy and we appreciate her so much. I'm so proud of her and I just want to wish her a very happy birthday. Here are a few pics of my baby....