Three Years Ago

As I sit here at the keyboard tonight, exhausted from a day of birthday-party preparations, I find myself thinking back to August, 2005.

On this night in 2005, the last night of my pregnancy, I packed my bags for the hospital, and I went to bed. I felt my baby moving and kicking, and I dreamed about the new little son or daughter that I would meet in the morning. I awoke to stifling, humid air...the remnants of hurricane Katrina.

The morning of August 31st was a blur of doctors, nurses, IV's and medications. I heard Erin's first cries, and the doctor's announcement of "It's a girl!" I held my new daughter for the very first time, and gave her the first of many kisses on her soft cheeks. Dan and I were thrilled to call Beth and Amy and tell them about their new little sister.

But besides the overwhelming joy that accompanied Erin's birth, I can't help remembering something else about the days following her arrival. The levees in New Orleans had just burst, and the city was under water. I sat in my hospital bed, eyes glued to the television screen. Erin awoke every few hours for feedings, in typical newborn fashion, so the TV was on at all hours of the day and night. In particular, I remember focusing on the disconcerting news about hospitals that were being forced to evacuate. Newscasters told stories of mothers that were forced to leave without their infants. Desperately ill babies remained in the ICU while their mothers were evacuated, with plans to reunite moms and their newborns as soon as possible. I held tightly to my new baby, and tried to imagine what a terrible ordeal that would be. I spent those few postpartum days refusing to let Erin leave my side, and praying frequently for those mothers and babies in New Orleans.

And tonight, while we make preparations for Erin's third birthday party tomorrow, I wonder about all of those families that I heard about in the aftermath of the storm. They must also be readying their homes for their children's third birthday parties. Has any sense of normalcy returned to their lives? Are they celebrating these third birthdays in their own homes, or does chaos still remain in their lives? I hope that August 31st, 2008 finds them safe and happy, and that these 3-year-olds have not suffered too much in their first few years of life, because of that storm. Unfortunately, it appears that some of them may once again be preparing for an evacuation, as yet another storm heads their way.

And so, tonight, I hope that all of you can join me in saying some prayers for all of those babies that were born during the same week as my little Erin. I pray that tonight, those little boys and girls are safely tucked into their own beds, dreaming about cake, ice cream, presents and parties. I pray that this new storm spares the homes of those that were so affected by Katrina three years ago.

Someday, as Erin grows older, I'll tell her more about what happened in our country on the day she was born. And hopefully, as she celebrates each year of her life, she'll remember to take a brief moment to think about all of those other babies, who began their lives in the midst of such a chaotic time...and hopefully she'll say a quick prayer for their safety and happiness, too.