July 16, 2009
seven years ago today
Tomorrow is Charlie’s birthday; he’ll be seven. He’s very excited to be seven, and also very excited about his last day of being six. This week we’ve been asking him if there’s anything he needs to do while he’s still six. Last night he said, “Yes! I need to go get Krispy Kreme donuts!”
I think we can do that.
Seven years ago today I was thinking about the things I needed to do before the baby came, things that I needed to take care of while I still just had one baby and not two. Mostly, though, I was trying to have as much time with Henry as I could, because bringing home a new sibling would mean the end of an era for both of us.
Oklahoma City Zoo, August 2002
Henry was two when Charlie was born; he was a late talker, and on the day before I went off to the hospital to have the baby, he was just starting to put words together to make sentences. Most of those sentences were about lawn mowers, because he was obsessed with mowing. He would sit in his baby swing on the back porch and point seriously at our gigantic yard and say, “Daddy come home. Daddy mow grass. You help Daddy mow grass.” He didn’t mean that I would help with the mowing; he meant that he would help with the mowing. Everyone knows that I don’t mow. Even two-year-old Henry knew that.
Henry was determined that we were going to bring him a baby brother. We opted for the surprise with both kids, although I just knew, from the very beginning, that Henry was a boy. With Charlie, I wasn’t sure, so we tried to get Henry ready for a brother or sister. But he would say, “No baby sister. Baby brother.” And he was right.
He suggested names for the baby: Baby No-No and Baby Uh-Oh were our favorites. We told him that if he had a brother, his name would be Charlie. Fortunately, he pronounced it car-key, so when people would ask him what the Super Secret Baby Name was and he would happily tell them, they had no idea what the hell he was saying. Later, he called Charlie Chewy for a long time, which we also found hilarious.
Seven years ago today, my parents were here and we were getting organized to go to the hospital in the morning and have a baby. I’m sure I was excited to meet the new baby; I know I was excited to be done with the pregnancy. But what I remember the most clearly about this day is pushing Henry in the swing and watching him point at the lawn and jabber about the grass. I remember wanting to hold on to that last day with just Henry for as long as I could.
Posted by Susan @ 8:35 am • Henry&Charlie
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July 16th, 2009 at 9:04 am, Kelly Says:
My sweet 4yo nephew decided a few weeks before our newest baby was born that his name would be “Monster Bum.” (Ok, originally Monster Butt, until my sister reminded him we don’t use that word). He’s STILL calling him that. And I love it.
Happy Birthday, Chewy!
July 16th, 2009 at 9:17 am, Ani Says:
My older son named his unborn brother “Octopus”…the nickname has stuck to this day, 4 yrs later. Your post made me tear up, my firstborn turns nine tomorrow and I too wanted those last few precious days with just him alone to last forever.
Happy Birthday Charlie.
July 16th, 2009 at 9:58 am, Kirida Says:
My 6yo niece Brianna suggested that I name my son (who is now three!) “Brianno.” I’m glad we stuck with the name Nathan.
And happy birthday Charlie!
July 16th, 2009 at 10:13 am, Rebecca (Bearca) Says:
My daughter is Delaney and Evan always said “Dewaney.” We still call her that now.
Happy birthday Charlie! Enjoy those doughnuts.
July 16th, 2009 at 10:57 am, Lucinda Says:
What a sweet post.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:26 am, Kristie Says:
The day before my second was born I remember sitting on the floor, hugging my first born and crying.
Hormonal, much??
July 16th, 2009 at 11:36 am, Sue @ My Party of 6 Says:
I’m wiping my tears here! My second baby’s birthday is today (she’s 9) and I remember thinking similar thoughts about my last days with just one child. It was the hardest thing to do to him, and yet it’s been the best gift I will ever give him. (He wanted to name her Chuck E. Cheese.)
And we had cinnamon rolls for our sugar-fest this morning.
Happy birthday to Charlie!
July 16th, 2009 at 11:59 am, liv Says:
happy birthday, charlie.
July 16th, 2009 at 2:34 pm, The Coffee Lady Says:
I remember just wanting to be with Eldest too. I even took the weirdest and ugliest of her stuffed animals into the labour ward with me. If I look at it now it freaks me out a bit.
July 16th, 2009 at 2:46 pm, Kim Yamaguchi Says:
Happy Birthday Charlie!
Even though Ian wasn’t my only child, when Connor was born, I felt the same thing. I wanted that one last moment with just him. And Ian called Connor “baby” for about a year and insisted that that was really his name.
July 16th, 2009 at 3:51 pm, daysgoby Says:
I love Henry. Really. What a great kid!
July 16th, 2009 at 3:57 pm, Catherine Says:
I have pictures of my son the morning I was headed to the hospital to have his baby sister. He was a month shy of 2 years old and looked like a baby. Yet, the pictures of him holding his new sister taken only days later, he looks like a kid. A BIG kid. I cherish those last baby photos of my son. As an only child I am surprised how much events that should only be about one kid (like a birthday) are inextricably wrapped up with the other kid. In good ways, of course! Now I’m all verklempt about the bonds that siblings share.
July 17th, 2009 at 7:21 am, Shannon Says:
Ah! I’m crying! Happy Birthday to Charlie, who I can’t believe is actually 7. I was thinking he was, like, 5. MAYBE 6. Time flies.
July 17th, 2009 at 9:29 am, the planet of janet Says:
happy birthday, charlie. how can he possibly be 7 already??
i guess it’s true, then, that kids get older and WE DON’T!
(that’s my story and i’m sticking to it!)
July 17th, 2009 at 11:48 am, mamalang Says:
My oldest told me the next one was a girl, and she was right. The next one told me the last one was a boy and she was right. Always made me wonder if God whispered in their ears at night, or if they just wished it into being.
July 17th, 2009 at 10:48 pm, Rita Says:
OMG! Look at that precious 2yo Charlie!
I cannot believe I didn’t know him then, as I feel I’ve known you all forever.
Seeing him at 2 makes me love him even more. And I didn’t think that was possible!
July 18th, 2009 at 11:25 pm, torry Says:
Ah, the day before the new baby is born…My memories are 29 years old, as is our beautiful daughter. Our son came into our bedroom and crawled into bed with us. He had a fever, and when I checked him, he had spots…chicken pox! I begged God to let me stay pregnant for another week! (You know I was worried if I wanted to stay pregnant!) Sure enough the next morning, Easter morning, I went into labor.
We still call her the baby that the Easter Bunny brought! The pictures show Jonathan, with lots of pox, holding Elizabeth who was in a felt egg that the hospital volunteers had made for her to be brought home in.