Tuesday, May 17, 2016

A Mother's Sacrifice (Elizabeth)

A few weeks ago, I began my story with my parents and how they met. Today, I’m continuing with my story.

My dad had decided several years before that I would be named Elizabeth, after Queen Elizabeth I. My mom decided to go the natural route, so she had me without any pain medication. Mom said logically, she knew she wouldn’t die, but she didn’t know that in her heart. Afterwards, she was exhausted. When the nurse said she could hold the baby after I’d come out, Mom told Dad, “Get it, David.” When Mom first held me, she thought I was a boy because of my belly button.
The nurse patted her on the shoulder. “No, honey. It’s a girl.”


According to my parents, I was outgoing, determined, and noisy as a baby.
If I met someone new at the park, I would call them “friend.” My dad said that once I saw a group of 7 year-old boys and said, “Hi, friends!” They were making fun of me, since I was in diapers, but apparently I couldn’t tell and kept waving.
And determined is my mom’s nice way of saying short-tempered and stubborn. She said I hated to be “thwarted.” Whenever my parents told me “no,” instead of crying, I’d become very, very angry.
Both of my parents mentioned how frequently I used my strong voice. At the time, Dad worked at a flight line, so he would use flight line hearing protectors when he held me. On trips, they would take a swing with them, since I’d keep quiet when I was swinging. They said I had colic, and when I wasn’t crying, I was a very happy baby (see picture above).

A few months later, my mom began losing weight. At first, she was thrilled, but then she grew so weak, she had to put me on a blanket and drag the blanket around instead of carrying me. Eventually, Mom and Dad realized she had Graves’ Disease. The hormones during my mom’s pregnancy had altered her thyroid function. Her thyroid was producing too many hormones, so it was removed, and now my Mom takes pills to replace what her thyroid does. She shouldn’t have been able to have any more kids after that, but managed to have all four of my younger siblings.

Since Mothers’ Day was a little over a week ago, I’d like to give a shout out to my mom, who’s given up a lot to raise five kids!

What were you like as a baby/toddler? Do you have any stories your parents told you? Why did your parents give you your particular name? What sacrifices has your mom made for you?

Thank you for reading!


10 comments:

  1. These are fun stories, Elizabeth, and help us get to know you better! My middle name is Elizabeth : ) I am the oldest of 5 as well, and was quite a handful. First-born girls may be determined, but we get things done!

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    1. Laurie's name is Elizabeth too! Lol! I guess you can relate to some things I've been through then ;) And yes, we do!

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  2. My middle name is Elizabeth, too! It's a good name :) I'm also the oldest, but I only have one younger sibling. Thanks for sharing this story, Liz! I'm so sorry about your mom's thyroid issues, but she's such an inspiration for getting through it and going on to have four more kids! And your baby picture is adorable :)

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    1. Yes, it's a fabulous name ;)
      I'm sorry too, though she deals with it pretty well, and I'm sure she'll be excited to hear that :)
      Thank you! :)

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  3. Elizabeth is an important name in my family too, and it is my sister's middle name. She happens to be the oldest (of three instead of five). Funny connections! I am named after my mom's godmother, Aunt Laurie, who was believed to be dying of breast cancer when my mom was pregnant with me. Aunt Laurie beat it though, and lived fourteen more years! Sweet story about your mom, Liz, and very cute picture!

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    1. That IS interesting. Wow, congrats to your Aunt!
      And thank you :)

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  4. Sounds like you were friendly and driven even as a baby, Liz! When I was an infant, I was *very* sleepy and content. You know how most babies wake their parents up in the night when they want to eat? Well, I started sleeping through the night right away, and the doctor made my parents wake me up every few hours to feed me. It really didn't work that well. :) I grew out of not eating just in time, but my mom says I did not say "I'm hungry" until I was five years old.
    Great post! Moms really do make so many sacrifices.

    Brenna

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    1. Lol, yes! I guess some components of your personality always stick. Wow. That's unusual, but I bet your parents were glad for it.

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  5. That is an amazing story! Your mom really persevered.

    When I was a baby, I had intense stomach issues, but no one knew it. I just screamed constantly, all day every day, for weeks. My mom would hold me all day, and sometimes I would quiet down, but not often. My dad would come home from work and he would take me from Mommy so she could do everything she couldn't do with one hand. They just traded me back and forth, holding me and comforting me, but I still screamed. Finally, someone discovered what was wrong with me, and I started taking gripe water consistently. After that, I didn't scream anywhere near as much. :)

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    1. Thank you! Yes, she's quite the trouper ;)

      Wow, we sound similar as babies ;) I'm glad they figured out what was wrong.

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