Paige's Tree

Do you know about our tree?  Do you know why we'll never be able to replace it and why we'll be stuck with this particular tree forever?

I bought that tree on December 13th, 2002.  I was 9 months pregnant with Paige.  Sarah was 20 months old.  I wasn't due for another week or so and I really wanted to get a tree and put it up.  

I packed up Sarah and took her to the store to buy a tree.  

We found the one we wanted but couldn't find anyone willing to help a supremely pregnant woman and her toddler with a bulky box ... so ... I did what any sane pregnant woman would do.  I picked that sucker up all by myself!  I loaded it onto my cart.  I took it to a self-scanner lane and checked myself out.  I hauled it, my fat belly, and my young child to my car.  I loaded us all into my whatever-kind-of-auto I was driving at the time and headed home.

When we got home I carried that box into the house and built that tree.

I really wanted a tree.

I must have also really wanted a baby because I also broke my water that day.  When Frank came home from work I showed him the tree and very calmly (as i remember it ... you can ask him to know for sure) told him that I thought that I broke my water and that I needed to go find out for sure.  We called the doc and I drove myself to the hospital.

Sure enough, I did.

Frank packed up Sarah and tossed her gingerly out the door at a friendly neighbor and joined me in the hospital.  About four hours later we had ourselves a beautiful Baby Paige!  She was born in the early morning hours of December 14th.  The day after the big purchase!

Now I always think of this tree as Paige's tree.