Happy Birthday My Darling Daughter!
Hi Darling,
I don't know where your holiday travels find you today, but where ever it is I hope you are having a fun day.
July 30, 1985 was your expected arrival date. My friend Kevin Daly was in town preforming in a Broadway touring production of "No, No Nanette". Knowing your due date would coincide with Kevin's visit I purchased opening and closing night tickets far in advance. On my visit to Dr. Holman's office earlier in the week I ask him which performance should I plan to attend and which tickets should I give away. He assured me you would be "late" and opening night tickets would be a safe bet. I'm not sure he factored in how much toe tapping and chair dancing I would be doing singing along with the score from the third row center. My sense is that I attended with Grandma, as she knew Kevin and his mother from the show we did together in San Antonio. She remained friends with Kevin's mother for years. As it turned out someone else enjoyed the closing night tickets, I was a new mom.
Most of that early morning of July 31st, is a blur with a few frozen snap shots; your father jumping out of bed shouting "Were having a baby?", showering, your dad sitting shirtless having a bowl of cereal for breakfast. . . we took our time, after all my water had broken but there were no contractions.
Dr. Holman visited on his morning rounds, he was already in the hospital, nothing was happening yet we would be there a while. Then an observant nurse, who came in the room for some usual housekeeping task, saw your "monitor" drop. (I think it was one just around my belly.) I didn't know anything was out of the ordinary at the time she just said,in a casual voice, "Let's check and see how your doing". I know now she pushed your head back up and released the pressure on the umbilical cord and the monitor reflected it positively. Still casual in her tone she ask a second nurse that had stepped into the room to get Dr. Holeman. When she hesitated, attempting to finish the task at hand, the first nurse whose arm (probably just a hand) continued to keep your oxygen flowing screamed, "Get Dr. Holeman NOW!"
As Dr. Holeman examined me he said "well this is not exactly what we planned", then to the nurse, "get me an anesthesiologist, anybody in the hospital". Dr. H never stopped pushing your head up, being sure your oxygen flow never was compromised, we rolled down the hall to the operating room connected, the three of us, my knowing both of our lives could be changed forever. Both our fates and futures could have been changed if there had been a moments less attention to detail.
The anesthesiologist came in, half-eaten doughnut in hand, someone took over the "pushing" duties, Dr. H put a gown on over his street clothes, and I wished for the dark safety of the anesthesia.
I couldn't have imagined 30 years ago what a wonderful woman you would become. You were always driven to be the best you could be, and now you continue that into motherhood.
Happy birthday Blair, I think of this as sort of my birthday too, because my life started anew the day your were born.
I love you,
Mother
(Kevin Daly took the above photo on his day off from the show. Kevin and I did "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" staring Ronny Graham in fall of 1981 at the Earl Holiman's Fiesta Dinner Play House, in San Antonio, Texas. The cast for fun on our nights off would sing Christmas carols on the River Walk entertaining diners and walkers. It was one of the best times in my life. If Ican find the photo of me as a "courtesan" I'll post it.) Kevin Daly bio
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