Happy Birthday to My Baby Girl

It's my younger daughter's Jennifer's birthday and, as always, these important days fill me with love for my two girls and gratitude for the wonderful changes they've brought to my life. (Jennifer has also brought me three pretty special grandchildren, but that's a story for another day.)

Here's one of my favorite stories about the day Niffer, as she came to be known, was born. (My daughters have heard this story hundreds of times but they don't read this blog anyway, so they can't tell me to stop.)

Niffer was born about 1:30 am and, since I was anxious to get home to my other daughter Kelly and to get back into our routine, we decided that I would come home later that morning, with my less-than-12-hour old baby girl.

Of course, by the time we actually got home, I was rethinking that decision. All I could think about was putting Niff in her bassinet and me into bed for a little nap. As we opened the apartment door, our cat Honky (don't ask!) took one look at another new creature in her house, and tore out into the hallway in disgust. Down the stairs, into the parking area, and gone!

Two-year-old Kelly was distraught to see her pet disappear, and probably not too happy to see that new creature either, if truth be told, and she began to wail. Jennifer soon took up the cry, and pretty soon all three of us were in tears. Honky was an inside cat and had never been outdoors and I was frantic that she'd be hit by a car.

I packed up both girls, one in my arms and the other in her stroller, and off we went, walking the apartment complex calling the cat's name. An hour later, we returned to the apartment, sans cat, everyone sniffling except Jennifer who had fallen asleep peacefully as we walked. The day had definitely not worked out the way I had planned, but we finally got our naps--all three of us.

For the record, Honky returned about a week later, her beautiful white fur dirty and bedraggled. And, of course, she came home pregnant herself. My first lesson (and the last time I had to learn it!) of the benefits of a spay/neuter program.