Christmas
Miracle
Dear Emily Rose,
You gave me a two week grace period before “morning sickness” really
kicked in. I should have made the most out of those early weeks while they
lasted. Pregnancy, week 7, started the Monday before
Christmas. Presents were still unwrapped, house cleaning had not yet
begun, and on top of that, there were sixteen people coming to our house for
dinner on Christmas Eve.
The 23rd of December arrived with bells on. Most other mommies out
there were probably putting on their red and green war paint and chugging
strong coffee, whereas I had trouble motivating myself to get off the
couch. And I remember thinking, “I don’t think I can do this...”
Your father’s Christmas pep talk finally got me on my feet. Like a
good little soldier, I schlepped to the kitchen, downed a teaspoon of sugar (my
fastest and most effective home remedy for nausea), and started rolling
meatballs. By ten o’clock, I closed down the kitchen for the night. I knew
going to bed meant that I’d have to do all of the gift wrapping the following
night after a long evening of entertaining. But I went to bed anyway and
had no regrets.
At three in the morning, I woke up hungry. I had about two minutes
to do one of three things: go back to sleep, get something to eat, or face dire
consequences. I chose option two because if option one didn’t pan out then
option three would be unavoidable. I ended up munching on saltines while
wrapping those daunting presents. I stumbled back to bed around dawn and
slept more soundly knowing my nausea and insomnia proved themselves useful for
once–Santa’s to-do list had a big fat checkmark next to “wrapping.”
Christmas Eve was a blur of activity. Everyone in the family pitched in
to help ready the house for the big event. Even you, Emily Rose, were with
us in spirit and did not seem to detract from my wellbeing too much that day
and for that I thank you. Somehow we managed to pull off a decent Italian
meal in a charmingly tidy house. I call that a CHRISTMAS
MIRACLE!
Love,
Mom
It was a nice Christmas indeed.
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