I will take a slice of Parent.....(Slice)

I was born in 1964; older sister to one brother, one sister, but my family did not stop there. On my mothers side I had my grandparents and twelve Aunts and Uncles. Being part of such a large family, family size pizza was always on the menu, usually with a variety of toppings. I often thought I would order the same, but would find that each person certainly perfers a personal pan with individual toppings. So here is my slice..

By the age of eight I had been taking care of my younger sister, four years my younger, for my mother was a two job working parent and my hands were always a support. I was a weekend warrior for my younger brother; my fathers child from his second marriage, my status as the big sister was with him as well, even diaper duty:)

This experience came in handy when I began to babysit for a family in the summer of 75; to earn extra money for the things most teenagers wanted at that time, school cloths, makeup, an Atari game system, yes Atari :). I would pass most the time away; babysitting, listening to Donna Summers records and dancing with hair brush on the coffee table. The money was a great reward but have to honestly say I found myself enjoying the fact that I was taking care of the children and gaining the experiences.

June of 84 I graduated high school and went on to attend a course school; Training Development Corporation, were I first met the father of my first child and fell in LOVE. Did I think at that time this would begin the journey of being a parent? I would have to say yes, my maternal instinct or that internal clock was ticking to loud it made a resounding noise to be heard by most that knew me.

May 8, 1985; I gave birth to my first child, a son, 12lbs 11 oz and yes that is not a typo :). The conditions surrounding this experience were rough and not what one would expect as a first time parent. I had a condition called eclampsia and found myself in the hospital two weeks before delivery on bed rest. I started labor early that morning and labored for 27 hours, at which point I had enough and told my mother to get the doctor to help me. She had gone to the door to seek the doctor, only to turn and find that I had gone into a ceasure.  I do not remember anything from that point until they woke me and informed me that I had given birth to my son.

As a parent of one young man; I did hope that someday I could give him the opportunity to have a sister or brother to share experiences in life as I did being a big sister. December 8, 1989; the day of my birth, I gave birth to my second child. Most would find better ways to spend their birthday then being in labor or having a C-section, but I found it to be the best present anyone could ever receive.  A boy, 10lbs 131/2 oz and healthy.  I did not have any complications, I did not have any difficulty other than having to recovery from C-section. Due to the fact that I had a C-section with my first, they stated a C-section was more advisable. He was also 22 inches long and today is over 6 feet tall.

I had decided after the birth of my second child, a single parent for the second time and loving the parental way of life, I was worried about finances, housing, diapers, food and spreading my self too thing that I would not be able to be a great parent. After great discussion with my physician I decided to take measures to be happy with the two children.

Well four years later I found that I was having my third child. September 1,1993; I gave birth to a daughter, 8lbs 11oz and full of life. This delivery, also by C-section, was planned and well monitored.  I spoke with the doctor to ask how I was able to have a full term pregnancy and give birth to a child after a sterilization procedure.  He explained to my that some how I had become that 1 percent of women that after such a procedure is able to conceive.  This amazing situation only supported my thoughts; even from such a young age as eight, that I was destined to be a mother, a parent.

Today; February 25, 2011, continues my life as a parent of three.  The oldest is now in TX selling Kirby's for a living. My middle child is working hard, as a freight supervisor, unloading freight trucks in pre-sort for UPS. My youngest has amazed me every day; now a Senior at BHS, she also is a second year culinary student at UTC and has joined the Army Nation Guard. Does this end the parent trip, of course not, it just opens the door, now I just wait for the future days of my life and the continued progression of life and birth into grandparenthood :)