I went through the whole museum ... it was very interesting. A lot of old equipment and stuff like that. On my way out, I saw they had a gift section. So, I ended up buying him a couple more shirts, a bank that was a replica of a 1926 Seagrave DFD Firetruck... and then I saw this outfit. :-) Neal and I had talked before we left about starting a family... So... I decided it was the most adorable thing I think I'd ever seen ... and I bought it. I figured... some day, if according to our plan, someday soon .. we'd need it. Then I left to come home to my brand new husband...
Neal picked me up at the airport like he always did and we came home. He was helping me unpack and I made him stop. (He knew when he helped me unpack he would get his goodies quicker...) He didn't understand why ... but I didn't want him to see the outfit. Sometime in early November... he found it ... and was just TOO excited ... he called me and asked me if we were pregnant. I told him not that I knew of ... and he asked me if I would know... of course I thought he was being a goober ... and said .. I was pretty sure I'd know before anyone ... He meant would the timing be right for me to know yet. I reassured him that I didn't think so... but we'd find out in a week. We weren't. He got pretty bummed... and it worse than normal ... (he hated that time of the month more than me~~) He finally fessed up to the fact that he had found the outfit and thought I might have been pregnant.
I told him maybe we'd get lucky in a couple of weeks.... So... as Christmas came close, I told him that if I found out I was pregnant, I'd wrap it up for him. He went through all of his presents ... and I gave him the last present. It was this outfit. He started crying. I told him stop... that we weren't.... and he was a medic and should know that.... but I wanted to give his boys some inspiration ... and maybe it would help. He walked around for days burping that outfit, cuddling that outfit, talking to it and calling it baby pooh, and even telling it he loved it. I thought he'd lost his mind ... but it apparently paid off because 5 days after Christmas, we got pregnant....
When we found out on the 17th of January, he came home and held the outfit all night long ... even cuddled up to it as he started to fall asleep... and then he made me promise him ... that we'd bring the baby home in it. I told him that was my every intention. He then leaned over to my belly ... told the baby how much he loved "him" and that he was really looking forward to seeing "him" in this outfit... And... so he shall... but, sadly it will be from Heaven. But... I know that Ashleigh's Angel will be smiling down on her from Heaven.... and will probably even shed a tear or two. I know I certainly will.
p.s., Ashleigh Neale's birth announcements will also have a picture of her in this outfit on them.... so everyone can share the joy of the birth of this wonderful Fire/Medic's little girl....and now, with this story, think of Neal and smile too....and maybe even shed a tear with Neal and I. |