This was before ultrasound. If you wanted to know the sex of your baby, you just had to wait until he/she was born. I was praying for a girl! When the call came early in the morning, my father answered the phone and gave me the good news! It WAS a girl! My heart nearly leaped out of my chest! Then he turned around and told me he was just kidding, the baby was a boy. Can you say devastated? I had three brothers and needed a girl in my life. My Aunt lived within "hollering" distance so I could see the baby often. My father let me stew on it for a few minutes and once again told me he was kidding, the baby was absolutely a girl. By this point, I would just have to see for myself.
Well, a girl it was and her name was Gillian. She was precious. By the time she was three years old, I was styling her hair, applying makeup, giving manicures. She still talks about those manicures and how much they hurt. After she was "dolled" up, I would sit her against the wall, put a bare bulb lamp next to her, make her pose and take her photo. I had so much fun with her. Sometimes I would play the piano and teach her and her brother disney songs. They could sing quite well!
While Gillian was growing up the Muppets were very popular on television. They loved the muppets and somehow Gillian got the nickname Miss Piggy, a name I still affectionately call her.
Fast forward January 18, 2011.
Gillian and her husband Brian welcomed Miss Norah Brynn Hampton into the world. Born at 7:44 p.m. she weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz and she was 21 inches long.
Today, I visited with Norah and her parents and took a few photos. I also stole a little of that good baby sugar and I offered to paint her nails.
Congratulations to Gillian and Brian. I love you both and couldn't be happier for you!
Brian Hampton is the head football coach at North Surry High School. In the last photo, Norah is pictured with a football and her late grandfather's Appalachian letter jacket.
Click on the photo to enlarge!
