I am in denial about my age. I really am. It is not possible my oldest daughter, oldest child, will turn 36 in another week. But it is.
I want to do my best to post something about each of my children on their birthdays this year. They were all born in warm weather, Spring, Summer, early Fall. June, August, early September. Jasmine was born in June.
She was a tiny-featured, delicate, petite baby, about 6 1/2 lbs. at birth. From what I remember, 6 lbs. 5 1/2–6 oz. I am one of those mothers who doesn’t automatically remember weight & length of babies at birth. But I can get close. She was about 6 lbs., 5 & 1/2 oz. & 19″ long. So petite. Born to be blonde for sure, as there was just a little light colored hair. Thin little fingers, and almost no nose at all. So tiny. So sweet. And so her name befits her well: Jasmine. The delicate, white or yellow Jasmine flower, so sweet-scented.
The labor was long, but who knows how much of that was because of the ancient, barbaric practice of keeping me tethered to a fetal heart monitor which allowed me little movement in the 15 hours we were at the hospital before the birth finally occurred. Total labor time was about 24 hours. The doctor was … typical doctor, egomaniac, but at the same time, open to a Leboyer birth. He tried to be caring and respectful. We turned down the lights, no spotlight was used, it was about 5:15pm with dusk approaching, and we kept our voices low. All natural birth, and out she came, Jasmine entered the world. Immediately she was placed into a warm little bath, where her daddy held her, the Leboyer bath. It is supposed to make newborn babies feel comfortable, as they just left the water world behind. It seemed to work exceptionally well. There was such JOY in the room, and she relaxed and opened her eyes. Pure joy and happiness. Then little Jasmine Aglaia was whisked down the hall, her father carrying her, to be weighed and measured.
Delightful mother memories of a 24-yr-old new mommy. We had an ancient pediatrician who denied breast feeding because of a “possibility” of mother/child problems with blood types, so after nursing her once or twice, I pumped breast milk down the drain and nurses fed her a bottle. This was our first major trial. I could have stopped breast feeding right then & there. But with support of husband and mother-in-law, when we got home I soon put the bottles up on a shelf. She was used to them and preferred them, & I realized, if I don’t put them away I’m done. We made the shift, she adjusted and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
These are happy memories and I cannot imagine, really, that I am the age that I am, with current knee pain giving me fits, and an inability to lose weight. My husband & I each face our own health challenges at the moment. But these are sweet memories.
Her middle name, Aglaia, is a name of one of 3 Greek goddesses. Aglaia was a goddess of beauty.
Doctor Grandma 
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