Thursday, June 10, 2010

Memories 1: Birth

I felt like this should be easy; but my recollections of the early years aren't really my memories, they're the snippets I've heard recounted, or the photo I've gazed at in the albums.  It makes it hard for this post to be coherent, what follows is a bit of a mish-mash.  Although the stories are about me, they aren't my stories, at least not yet.

First a little context; My parents met in High School, they dated and broke up but ultimately ended up back together.  My Dad is Chinese, and was raised by a widowed immigrant Mother who disowned my Dad when he married my Caucasian Mom.  Within a few years (when my brother was born) my Popo (grandmother) took us all back, and accepted her mixed family.

My Mom tells me that my Dad named me before they were even pregnant, I was going to be Amber if I was a girl and Aaron if I was a boy.  I never understood why I wasn't Erin if I was a girl, but I'm glad I wasn't, Amber suits me much better.

I was a chubby baby, bordering on chunky.  At 9 months I was 26 pounds, but I would lose most of that weight.  I had meningitis; they suspect it was due to ear infections, suspected to be a result of a tumble down the stairs months earlier.  But regardless, by the time I left the hospital, I was back into newborn diapers.  They say I was lucky to survive without brain damage, that if my parents hadn't brought me to the hospital in the middle of the night, well, I wouldn't have been so lucky.  But I was, and for that I'm thankful.  My heart goes out to all those who were not as fortunate as our family.

I talked early and I walked early.  I was about 10 months when I said my first word, "Hi!"  I used to sit in the kitchen doorway in my jolly jumper and everyone would walk by and say "hi Amber".  One day I answered them - I've never looked back.  As for walking, they say that the longer a baby crawls, the better the motor skills later in life; I'm a klutz and I started walking, no make that running at 10.5 months, perhaps there is some truth to those assertions.

In some of my favourite early pictures, I'm in the backyard, I'm wearing a little pink dress and I'm surrounded by Doberman puppies.  We had our doberman, Morgan through my teen years and I will always love and cherish her.  Though she loved us all, we always had a special bond.  I was one of her babies.  I'm a mother now, I understand what that means.

P.S. I'm going to try and scan some pictures from my Mom's house!

This is post 1/15 and is part of Mommy's Piggy Tales 
Make sure you check out all the other great posts here!

5 comments:

  1. I don't know about the klutz thing, I didn't walk until I was 16 months old & I am a major klutz....I'll have to remember to ask my Mom when I started crawling, maybe I did that late too.

    I look forward to seeing your pictures.

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  2. Wow, your mom must have listened to her instincts about taking you to the hospital. Those mommy instincts are pretty amazing things.

    I would love to see you with the dobermans, I bet it's adorable

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  3. Thanks ladies...

    Denise - that throws a wrench in the theory doesn't it?

    Pepper - its incredible how much we KNOW by instict as mothers!!

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  4. Amber, I'm so glad your father's adopted mother took you back. It's so sad to see families lose so much time together over their differences.

    Wow! My 2 yr old is 25 lbs! God must have known you needed the extra weight to carry you through meningitis.

    You did a great job. Just share whatever you can remember. You'll be surprised how much eventually comes back:)

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  5. Hi Amber! Your post was so inspiring to read. Thank you!

    I am so happy that your grandmother accepted you again. My grandfather disowned my mom and her four brothers after his death (through his will) and it tore the family apart.

    I look forward to reading your next posts!

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