A Baby for Halloween

Simply Lou article and illustration by Lou Davenport

It was a chilly, dark evening the day before Halloween in Aberdeen, Mississippi nearly 40 years ago. A baby was going to be born on that night, I just didn’t know when. I knew it was time to go to the hospital when the labor pains had become regular. I had already had my other two children, Carolyn and Adam, at the same hospital, so, I knew the routine. I learned to go early and get that epidural!

My baby was supposed to be born on October 13th. That date came and went… and then 19 more days came and went. I was HUGE! I waddled instead of walked, and I did my best to try to just “walk” that baby out. That didn’t work!

I had a stress test ran about a week before since the baby was late. While I waited, my baby was kicking “like a mule.” Of course, when the doctor came in, my baby quit; just went to sleep and was not going to cooperate. To my surprise, the doctor started yelling, “WAKE UP, BABY! WAKE UP” at my big pregnant tummy. It worked! I asked, “What in the world are you doing?” and he died laughing! “Waking that baby up,” he said. He had that baby kicking in no time, and the test was over and everything was fine. I was told to just go home and wait. And, the countdown continued.

By the time that “chilly, dark evening the day before Halloween” got there, I was very glad to be going to meet my new baby. Back then, there were no ultrasounds. You just had to wait until delivery to see if you were having a boy or girl. I guessed wrong on Carolyn and Adam, so I figured this one was a boy because of the way this baby kicked, and rolled, and seemed to be having a dance party.

At 4 a.m., it was time. I was the only one that night in the labor room, and had the best nurse anybody could ever have. She drew a pumpkin on my chart! So, off to the delivery room I was rolled, and it seemed as if that baby had decided it was finally going to come out into the world! And to my surprise, it was a girl, and what a girl she was and still is!

Since she was so late, they had to get her blood sugar regulated. Once I got to see her, she was taken to the NICU and watched. By the next day, all was well, and I finally got to hold her. She was the most beautiful little girl, and I am not kidding when I say she looked me right in the eye and smiled. I know it was a smile! She also had brown eyes like my mom, and I knew my mama had sent her. I already had a name picked out if I ever had another girl, and I named her Paige, which fits her perfectly.

Larry was his usual cool and calm self, but he was in that delivery room when she got here, and I could tell she charmed him on sight. I know he was also so glad she was finally here, and healthy.

After we got home and my visitors were gone, it hit me. I started crying, “I have THREE KIDS!” Adam got out the front door, and took off, like the wild man he was. Carolyn looked at me, asking me if she should go get him. Thankfully, a neighbor caught him and brought him back, and I locked the front door! I got Paige, and gathered Carolyn and Adam on the couch, and we all started to get to know this new little addition to our family. I will never forget that day. Paige grew into a sassy, spirited, always happy toddler with blonde wispy hair. She had to go in for some in-patient surgery to replace some of her front teeth with “silver ones.” She bossed all the nurses around. She was so tiny in that big bed, yelling at one of those nurses, “Get out of my room!” When those silver teeth started coming out, she got angry and threw a hissy fit because her new teeth were white. (I think I did too good of a job telling her how beautiful she was with silver teeth.)

Soon after that, we moved to Vicksburg. When we were with a realtor looking for a house, the realtor told Paige she was such a sweet girl, to which Paige replied, “I am NOT, and don’t you forget it!” And yes, she is still plain spoken, and cuts right to the point, in her own silly-hearted way.

Carolyn went off to her new school, and the next year, Adam did too. Since Paige followed them around like a little puppy, she was actually really sad and depressed during the day until they got home. She just wanted to sit in front of the TV and watch “Pinwheel” on Nickelodean, and eat cereal. It seemed cereal was her favorite food, along with chicken nuggets. She’d order chicken nuggets every place we went to eat. She also called the little containers of half & half they’d bring out whenever I ordered coffee, “little milks,” and would ask the waitress to bring her some. She always got a whole bowl full.

Paige never met a stranger, and always asked every person at the check-out counter their names. Once she even asked a lady if was she “wearing Lee Press-On Nails in fashion colors?” I knew right then this kid had a photographic memory for commercials, music, and movies! I remember buying the soundtrack to “Good Morning, Vietnam,” and it didn’t take Paige long to have it memorized. She would put on “shows” for all of us when we would go on our family/cousin beach trips in the summers. When she had to have her “brain salad surgery,” (that’s what she calls it!) the doctors and surgeons came to explain the procedure and risks to her. When they finished doing that, they asked her if she had any questions. She was most concerned with losing her memories and recall of all the song lyrics and movie quotes she’s memorized throughout her life!

She wanted to take dance, and she was a natural. Her dance teacher saw it too, and always let her and one of her friends dance a duet every year at their recitals. Once they were mosquitos, and I got to make their costumes. Another time, they were music notes, and I got to make their costumes for that, too. Later, she got to dance “en pointe,” and was such a beautiful dancer. Sadly, she hurt her knee and ankle, and her ballet dancing was over. It didn’t get her down though, she can still dance to anything!

Paige has always had the ability to draw people in, and has had so many friends. Most of these kids hung out at our house, and I enjoyed every one of them. Laughter was always the way we lived and again, it still is. It has gotten us through the good times and the hardest of times… and those hard times would come.

When Paige was 11, Larry was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. It was hard on us all, but Paige hung in there with Carolyn, Adam, and me to support him in his long journey. After he passed away, Paige was the only one of my children still at home. Carolyn was married and finishing school, and Adam had just started college. Paige and I took care of each other, and still do.

A little over 10 years ago she was diagnosed with MS. Nobody saw that coming, but she handled it with humor and grace, and made friends with a whole group of nurses, doctors, and interns at LSU Shreveport. She has to take strong shots each week that knock her down for a day or so, and she has the nonstop fatigue that comes along with that insidious disease. She has trouble with hot and cold temperatures, and days when different parts of her body feel “wonky,” as she puts it, but MS doesn’t keep her from living and enjoying her life. It makes me so proud to see the courage that daughter of mine has.

Paige never met a stranger, and always asked every person at the check-out counter their names. Once she even asked a lady if was she “wearing Lee Press-On Nails in fashion colors?” I knew right then this kid had a photographic memory for commercials, music, and movies! I remember buying the soundtrack to “Good Morning, Vietnam,” and it didn’t take Paige long to have it memorized. She would put on “shows” for all of us when we would go on our family/cousin beach trips in the summers. When she had to have her “brain salad surgery,” (that’s what she calls it!) the doctors and surgeons came to explain the procedure and risks to her. When they finished doing that, they asked her if she had any questions. She was most concerned with losing her memories and recall of all the song lyrics and movie quotes she’s memorized throughout her life!

She wanted to take dance, and she was a natural. Her dance teacher saw it too, and always let her and one of her friends dance a duet every year at their recitals. Once they were mosquitos, and I got to make their costumes. Another time, they were music notes, and I got to make their costumes for that, too. Later, she got to dance “en pointe,” and was such a beautiful dancer. Sadly, she hurt her knee and ankle, and her ballet dancing was over. It didn’t get her down though, she can still dance to anything!

Paige has always had the ability to draw people in, and has had so many friends. Most of these kids hung out at our house, and I enjoyed every one of them. Laughter was always the way we lived and again, it still is. It has gotten us through the good times and the hardest of times… and those hard times would come.

When Paige was 11, Larry was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. It was hard on us all, but Paige hung in there with Carolyn, Adam, and me to support him in his long journey. After he passed away, Paige was the only one of my children still at home. Carolyn was married and finishing school, and Adam had just started college. Paige and I took care of each other, and still do.

A little over 10 years ago she was diagnosed with MS. Nobody saw that coming, but she handled it with humor and grace, and made friends with a whole group of nurses, doctors, and interns at LSU Shreveport. She has to take strong shots each week that knock her down for a day or so, and she has the nonstop fatigue that comes along with that insidious disease. She has trouble with hot and cold temperatures, and days when different parts of her body feel “wonky,” as she puts it, but MS doesn’t keep her from living and enjoying her life. It makes me so proud to see the courage that daughter of mine has.

Paige has always loved animals. Her very first job was working at the Humane Society in Vicksburg, and she ended up working as a vet tech for many, many years. She even got to bottle feed and raise a newborn baby monkey one time! Paige is a court reporter these days, and it’s a job that fits her. She gets to be her own boss, and is able to set her own schedule. She loves getting to meet new people, and hear a new story with every deposition she takes. She’s very detail oriented, and says she gets to “learn a little bit about a whole lot.” I can only imagine all the things she’s heard! And y’all, I’m not lying when I say that girl can type at warp speed, too!

I wish I had room enough to tell more “Paige stories,” but I will say my baby girl, born on Halloween, has been blessed with wisdom beyond her years and a kind, giving heart. I might go as far as saying she is the glue that holds us all together.

Just lately, all my children had to step up and take care of me when I “damn near died.” They made me go to the hospital, which me in my “septic craziness,” did not want to do! It was their turn to “boss me around” and I am so thankful they did. My daughters took turns taking care of me whenever I got out of the hospital, and made me do what I needed to do. Sure, I fussed, but they wouldn’t let me get away with it!

When Hurricane Laura came to Monroe, me, Carolyn, and Ty had no power for five days. Who took us in? Paige and Matt. They took in us “refugees,” dogs and all! We managed to have a good time and enjoy being together.

So, having a baby on Halloween is something special. Paige likes to joke and say she’s a trick AND a treat! I know I was blessed to have a special person that day who has remained that sassy, sweet spirited “little person.” She’s not just my daughter, she’s my friend. We will throw her a birthday party to make those 40 years of having her in our lives in a way that is almost as special as she is. Happy Birthday, Paige!