I was a mere 20(and a half, to be exact!) years old when I gave birth to my 9lb bouncing baby boy. It was a natural birth- neither were planned!
I remember being outside a local toy shop, all year I had been paying off my now 1 and a half year olds Christmas shopping. I was very excited. This was Ethans first proper Christmas, one I was determined he would enjoy.
By this time I had met and had started to fall in love with my now husband, D. We were still in the early stages of dating when I accidentally bumped into him. I was huffing and puffing as I pushed a heavy Ethan up the hill, with three bags full of toys attached to each side of the already wobbly stroller.
I had my unwashed hair shoved up in a bun, with a threatening cold-soar above my chapped lip. I had on my ‘fat’ coat on, you know the one, the coat that you know does nothing for your figure but you just can’t throw it away because it is far too cosy, putting it simply, it’s the coat you wouldn’t be caught dead in. I had just attached my handbag to the overloaded buggy when I saw D.
I felt myself get more sweaty as the frost bit at my fingers. Ah shite he spotted us, I smiled as he called my name.”Hey you guys” he smiled giving Ethan a pat on his head while kissing my sweaty cheek. I was mortified. I looked like an unwashed,unkept poor excuse for a woman, I certainly did not look like the girl he was taking out for the past few months.
“Let me take these” he said, taking three bags off the buggy, carefully putting my handbag back and then taking the other three off. I smiled at him as I felt my face, more importantly my lip, that damn cold soar was stinging.
I took my hands off the buggy for a second, really a second, when suddenly the buggy began to roll away, it picked up speed like there was an invisible force pushing it. Ethan was happily singing ‘weeeeeee’ as the buggy , before my very eyes rolled right down the hill. D was like lightening. He flew past me. I was left at the top of the hill, disregarded toy bags beside me when I heard my voice, yes this surprised me too, when I heard my voice yell “Jesus D catch it, my hand bag is still on it”
I guess I wasn’t what you’d call a natural mother!!!!
To this day, almost 11 years later, my husband has never, ever let me forget this story.