We didn’t plan to have a third child. But one night in 1979, Dr. Lobo and I got “friendly.” “Shall I get up and put in my diaphragm?” I asked. Dr. Lobo paused, shrugged, and said, “What the hell?” The result of that night of unprotected playfulness came to be known as our “What the Hell Child.”
Obviously, if we’d felt strongly about limiting our family size, we would have made a different choice. But I come from a family of three children, and Dr. Lobo had four siblings, so two kids didn’t seem quite enough. We rather liked the idea of having another child, but couldn’t quite justify it, considering our limited time, energy, and money. Besides, as my mother-in-law frequently pointed out, we already had both a girl and a boy.
Our “accident” arrived on June 9, 1980, nine days past due date. My sister, who had planned to be there for the birth, had been visiting for two weeks, but returned to California less than 24 hours before his appearance. (Our other babies came before their due dates.) My best friend, who had been present for Wild Child’s birth, missed the big day, too. Sigh. From the beginning, Little Guy had his own agenda.
I fell totally in love with that beautiful ten pound, one ounce baby. (Yeah. Over ten pounds. Yet another unexpected aspect of Little Guy. Our other babies were a respectable weight. This kid couldn’t even fit into the newborn size clothes.)
What is so endearing about this young man? First, as I’ve often said, he is the kindest person I know. His sensitivity and his compassionate heart often bring him pain. He fights for justice, searches for truth, and cannot tolerate hypocrisy. He’s smart, funny and affectionate, and he’s always seen the world a bit differently from other folks. Little Guy, all 6’4” of him, is a jewel, and I love him with all my heart.
Sometimes the best things in our lives are the things we didn’t exactly plan.
Happy Birthday, Little Guy.
7 comments:
Worked out pretty well I guess.
Great post, Jeanie. Happy Birthday from one accidental third child to another. :-)
I enjoyed reading about Little Guy. Although I don't know him well, I know him better now.
Happy Birthday to him and wishing his Momma a happy day too!
Thanks, you all. Helen, Dr. Lobo is a pseudonym for my husband. You've probably heard me refer to him by his real name. I try to give all my family members a bit of anonymity in my blog by using pseudonyms for them.
You can see Dr. Lobo's post about Little Guy by clicking on drlobojo on the first comment, and it will give you an idea as to the difference in our personalities!
Or, just go to lobojosden.blogspot.com for a direct link. I forgot that it went to his profile first.
Great post! You wrote beautifully about this accidental blessing. =)
It was meant to be..
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