The Best Christmas Present EVER

Seven years ago today the best Christmas present I ever got was delivered at 6:30 AM. Kind of early for a present you might think. And you would be right because this package came exactly a week earlier than expected. Well, earlier than my OB expected. But I have to admit that when I heard I was due with our second baby on Dec. 31, my first thought was, oh no, I'm going to be in the hospital on Christmas. I don't know why I thought that, but I joked all during my pregnancy that I was the only pregnant mother hoping to be late. Maybe it was because our oldest son was only 3 and just beginning to 'get' Christmas and I really, really wanted to be as present as possible. Perhaps it was because I knew I would really miss celebrating the real meaning of Christmas with the songs our musical family always sings. Or maybe it was because I really, really love food and what Italian family doesn't know how to celebrate the second most important part of Christmas, which is food. Lots and lots of food.

When I went to bed on December 23, quite ready for the holidays, presents bought and wrapped a month ago, tree up and decorated, wreaths hung on all our windows, garland hanging on our almost finished new front porch, I thought I'd made it. I couldn't wait for Christmas Eve and for all of the festivities to begin. And then I woke up. 1 AM. Crap. That felt like 'something'. Now normally I would have waited a while to see what was going on, but this was 1AM on Christmas Eve and I just knew. I. Just. Knew. This was IT. Even though the contractions were not too close together or too painful, I knew my prophesy of 8 months earlier was coming true. So I called the OB who felt that I should come in because he was just about to deliver another Christmas angel and he would be at the hospital for a while anyway. So away we went. When I arrived it was obvious our little guy was coming soon.

Despite the dread I had felt earlier, it turned out to be the most peaceful night I'd ever experienced. It had started snowing and the hospital was earily quiet, perhaps because all of the inductions and scheduled C-sections that NJ hospitals are so famous for were not scheduled on such a holy day. As I held my newborn son for those hours after his birth with my husband by my side, I experienced a small taste of what our Blessed Mother must have felt. I had received the best Christmas present I would ever get, all wrapped up in small white blanket with little ducks all over it. OK - maybe a bit cozier than swaddling clothes, and I bet Joseph wasn't busy by Mary's side trying to assemble a Playmobile airplane with a hundred pieces, but you get the point.

When people find out when Damian's birthday is, I almost always get 'that look', like were you crazy? I've been asked 'What were you thinking?' by total strangers. They've even made comments about the lousy timing of his big day, right in front of him. These are the same people who tell their horrible birth stories to the expectant mom in line in front of them at the grocery store. Would I be mean to say that sometimes I think there is a special place in Purgatory for people like that? OK, I won't say it, but I might think it next time someone gives me 'that look'. What I think is so interesting is that only adults seem to think this. Damian thinks it is so cool that he shares a birthday with Jesus. He loves that he gets more gifts that everyone else. And he loves that because he sees ALL of his extended family on Christmas, he gets the biggest birthday party, besides the one with his friends in January. And because his mother feels just a bit bad for reasons that he is clueless to, she overcompensates just a wee bit to make his special day not get lost in the busyness of the day.

So, 7th Happy Birthday Damian! I love you so much. Thanks for making Christmas extra special with your big smile. And never let people convince you that you were born a week early. You came just on time.