Julia
For many years, even into adulthood, when asked if I had a favorite
Christmas I would respond that Christmas 1964 was the best I could remember.
I was four years old in 1964 and lived in Brooklyn, New York. Sometime before
Christmas my parents brought my older brother, younger sister and me to a local
toy store so we could pick out items we wanted Santa Claus to bring us on Christmas.
I found what I wanted within minutes of entering the store: CHESTER O’CHIMP!!!
That year Mattel Toys created three talking stuffed toys: a parrot, a lion and
a chimpanzee named Chester O’Chimp. Each toy had a moving mouth and a string
that when pulled would make the toy speak one of several phrases recorded on
some inner mechanism. Chester was over a foot tall, had a fuzzy black body,
big plastic ears that stuck out of the sides of his head, a big plastic mouth
that moved when he talked, and he wore an orange vest. I thought it was the
best and I had to have it or I would just bust. That’s all I talked about
for weeks before Christmas and all I asked for when I sat on Santa’s lap
at Macy’s. Christmas morning I stood at the top of the staircase staring
down under our Christmas tree and there he was, my beloved Chester O’Chimp.
I screamed with excitement and did not put that toy down for months (I would
guess). I slept with it, sat at the dinner table with it, carried it to the
corner candy store and nearly drove my family crazy pulling the
string to make him talk. I still have Chester, along with several other treasured
toys, in a trunk in my bedroom. Although he no longer has his orange vest or
pull string (which my cousin pulled out at some point during our childhoods,
much to my dismay), I cannot imagine not having that little toy. I think I may
have taken him to college with my during my freshman year.
Well, Christmas 1964 is now my #2 Christmas. Christmas 2000 was celebrated
with my daughter, Julia. I cannot put my feelings into words except to say that
I experienced the excitement and joy that I knew as a child receiving that treasured
toy. Furthermore, motherhood has caused me to be happier than I have ever been
in my life. Although I am sleep deprived, constantly challenged with entertaining
an active and intelligent infant, over my head in laundry, often waiting for
the opportunity to eat, shower or use the toilet, have a spitty shoulder that
never dries, I can say, without hesitation, that I would not change a single
thing in my current life. I determined that God included sleep deprivation with
parenthood for a good reason. When babies wake up every hour for several nights,
a parent becomes lethargic and almost stupid during the day; The parents are
usually giddy and silly from parenthood. God included sleep deprivation in parenthood
to balance the silly, giddy parents demeanor with lethargy. Hence, giving the
parents the appearance of normality. I think this all makes perfect sense since
I myself have become a
blissfully exhausted and joyously stupid mother.
In addition to all the gifts Santa Claus brought Julia, it seems that almost everyone bought her a Christmas present. Julia even received gifts from my parents’ friends whom I have never met. Her gifts included baby learning / developmental toys, musical toys, a rocking horse, a book case / toy box for her bedroom, books, clothes, children’s music cassettes for her cassette player, classical music videos, and the list goes on and on. I wish she understood how showered with love she is and she could remember all the excitement and happiness that relatives and friends are expressing to her.
Julia seems to grow mentally and physically on a daily basis. She is vocalizing
more and more, laughing out loud and calling people, screaming “AYE!”
She actively and independently plays with her toys in her swing, high chair,
or bouncy chair. She prefers to be sitting upright so she can see the action
around her.
The sight of her youngest cousins causes her to jump and scream with enthusiasm.
She has, most definitely, become very attached to me. If a relative is holding
her, and I leave the room she will squirm in the arms of the person holding
her, craning her head to find me. My mother has noted this on several occasions.
I often think of Julia’s birth parents. When I look into her beautiful and sweet face I wonder what her birth parents look like. As her personality becomes more apparent, I wonder what her birth parents are like. She is very easy going but strong willed at the same time. She will express her preferences clearly through actions. She recently had a bout with the flu with fever. I had to give her an assortment of oral medications including an antibiotic and I am sure none of the medications had a pleasant taste. She was very good-natured about taking the medicine but when she decided she had enough medicine or nose wiping, she would smack my hand away from her face. When she is done eating her cereal or drinking formula, she pushes away the spoon or bottle. Just today she was sitting on a play mat urrounded by toys. There are several toys she prefers and they happened to be out of reach. She screamed and fussed until they were put in her hand or within reach. She rarely complains or fusses unless something is truly bothering her like a fever or stomachache. I wish I could tell Julia’s birth parents that we have a beautiful, charming, intelligent daughter.
LAURIE A. CAGNETTA
