A New Addition

This is the first known picture of "me" before I came into existence.  This is a picture of my family at my mom's baby shower for me.  My mom, Marge, is 38 years old and pregnant with her 6th child.  To her left are my 13 year old sister, Carol, my 13 year old cousin, Sheila, my 11 year old sister, Suzanne (Sue) and my 8 1/2 year old sister, Marlene (Molly).

This picture captures a lot for me since I've heard the stories about my impending arrival at this time in history.

For starters, Carol has told me that she prayed for me (which has always made me feel particularly loved) and also that the dress she's wearing made her feel "grown up" and ready to assume the role of the big sister for the 3rd time.  She also LOVED the matching yellow shoes.  This truly was a special occasion!

Molly has shared her feelings about no longer being the baby in the family and although, that emotion doesn't exactly show in this picture, I do wonder if it's at least part of what she's feeling.

Then there's my mom.  She does look particularly happy in this picture and that makes me smile. I have often wondered what it would have been like to be her OR my dad after raising 5 children ranging in age from 8-16 when this picture was taken to prepare for a 6th.  It had to have been overwhelming but from all accounts it was a joyful time.

This picture, for me sets the stage for my upcoming birth in other ways than just the obvious showering of gifts. It depicts for me a small preview into the life I was to begin as the baby of this large, loving family 💜