At the birth center in Boulder where my younger daughter was born, I was busy recovering from a rough experience, so her papa and the nurses did most of the early cuddling and care for those first several hours. After I woke up from a chemically-induced nap, they handed her to me wearing a tiny green t-shirt. It was sort of a soft leaf green, and against her pale pink skin, it was too cute. I looked at her and pronounced the magic spell (not that I knew it was for all time), “Green is your color.” I always remember that moment as being like the scene in the Disney Sleeping Beauty when the little fairies offer their gifts to Princess Aurora, like beauty and grace. She must have heard and understood me, because to this very moment, green is still her color. Saturday, before she herself went into labor, her “nesting instinct” was to use the last of her Manic Panic green hair dye, so she looked her very best for the arrival of the Littlest Smith.
While the kids were at the hospital, waiting to learn whether the doctor was keeping her there (moments before we learned there would be a c-section), we were outside in the front yard. In the front corner of the Unless garden, there was a tall (three feet), vivid blossom, all by itself. A gorgeous poppy had bloomed, thriving despite an iffy transplant a few years back. It stood out among the green of lilac bushes and all of the overgrown bee balm and vinca. It caught our attention, both of us, and we both took a picture of it. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, while I waited to learn who my grandbaby was going to be. Today, I made my pronouncement. I told my daughter I have chosen Valerie’s color. She gets poppy orange. It’s a difficult color to wear, so I won’t have my feelings hurt if it doesn’t flatter her skin tone. But I’m going to go out of my way to offer her toys and items of that color, to see whether the magic strikes twice.
We have gotten two video chats so far, plus a dozen pictures and a couple videos. Kid is so perfect. Parents are doing well. It’s all I could hope for now that she is here. Tomorrow I get to meet her in person, and I’m bringing a celebratory meal. You know, I had plenty of bad days over the last few years. It sure is nice having ridiculously good ones, two in a row (so far).
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