It was 8:00 a.m. this morning when the phone in our living room rang. I didn’t hear it since I was busy feeding my daughter in her room. My daughter, Alex, is g-tube by a stomach tube. That usually means being tethered to a feeding pump, and somewhat confined to one place for the hour-long duration of each feed, five times per day. That is rather tough for any child to handle since kids are usually active and on the go. To keep her occupied, I played computer games with her this morning so that we can finish the feed without too much chaos, which resulted in my missing the call.
As I listened to that message left on the answering machine ten minutes later, I could hear Granny’s voice saying: “I know it’s little bit’s birthday today and I was wondering if I can stop by to give her a hug and her card”. “Little Bit”, in this case, refers to my special needs daughter Alex, and “Granny”, in this case refers to my very dear, 90-year old special friend whom I met ten years ago.
I can’t remember the exact date or time when Granny started using this term. She seem to have been using it as far back as I can remember when referring to Alex. She is the first one who has correctly bestowed this title upon Alex, “Little Bit”. You see, my daughter was born very premature eleven years ago this date. She came into this world weighing a mere 12 ounces and measuring only 8 inches in length. At 27 weeks gestation, she should have weighed three or more times what she did. In spite of her meager stature, she made her entrance into this world by kicking her legs and arms very rapidly. She didn’t get the opportunity to exercise her lungs with a scream since the Neonatal team were quick in trying to find an oxygen tube small enough to in-tubate her with. She probably would have though, being the feisty kid that she is.
Granny’s words brought a smile to my face. It truly is “Little Bit’s” birthday today. She turns eleven today. At 7:25 p.m. to be precise. When I first laid eyes on her, eleven years ago, I had never imagined the little girl she would grow to be. I took things one day at a time and left her mainly in God’s hands. It was a long road until she came home but she finally did come, eight months later.
Today, we celebrate a birth that came way too early. We celebrate Alex and her special needs. In spite of it all, things could have turned out a lot worse that they did. Alex can see when she was given the sentence of being blind, she can walk when she was given the sentence of being in a wheel chair and she can understand and comprehend all that is said to her. She doesn’t always choose to do what we ask though and that is part of her being the feisty kid that she is.
As she smiles at me, her face shines. She tries desperately, with her very limited verbal skills to say “b’’’da” for she truly knows that it is her special day today.
Happy birthday Little bit ...
©Copyright 2009.Najwa S. Hirn. All rights reserved.
1 comment:
I hope she enjoyed her special day!
Post a Comment