Press play to listen to background music for this post. :) This song was my parents song. It had a lot of meaning to them while they journeyed through the early years of marriage.
My dad had enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps while my mother was pregnant with me. My parents lived in an apartment on El Toro Base in California.
My parents had many adventures while living on base. I remember the stories about how they had a big ant problem in their little apartment. My mom was not a big fan of sharing her home with ants. The apartments were near a hill, my mom called those hills mountains because they were so huge. Anyhow, these hills were no doubt the reason for wandering ants!
During their stay on base, my mom anticipated my arrival. My mom was a tiny girl before she got pregnant with me. She had her share of indulgences and gained a whopping 75 pounds! She had many cravings. I love the hamburger story. One day, my mom was craving a burger from Jack in the Box. My dad gave in to her craving, the smart man, and drove through the drive-thru to get my mom that juicy hamburger she was craving. When my mom realized she got the wrong order, she was instantly angered. She told my dad to go back and he said, "No. Just eat it!" My mom was irate and took that package of food and threw it at my dad. Remember, she was a pregnant lady with some serious cravings. I'm certain she waited all day before my dad could get home and take her to Jack in the Box. My dad was not going back for any reason and settled the problem by saying, "If you don't want it, I'll eat it!" I laugh even now as I try to picture the scene unfold.
A couple of days later, my dad was pushing my mom on a nearby swing. They had a great time as my dad teased her about how heavy she was to push! During their fun at the playground, my mom went into labor and was hurried to the hospital. Being the stubborn person that I am, I didn't come out in any hurry. As a matter of fact, my dad had to go back to base. He left my mom at the hospital all by herself. I can't even imagine the terror she must have felt at eighteen years old. It was about 4:30 in the morning when my mom begged the nurse to call her mom (my grandma). The nurse said it was too early and did not want to call. After much persisting my grandmother was called. She later met my mother and gave her the reassurance that any mother would give. After 23 hours, I decided to greet the world!
Tina Marie Born 1971
My mom had some bitterness toward my dad because he did not stay at the hospital. They later found out that my dad's officer said he could have stayed with my mom. My dad felt bad about missing my birth. I'm sure that is one of the reasons why this song became their song; a reminder to them to always be supporting each other.
My parents taking me for a walk at the San Diego Zoo. You can't see me, I'm being pushed in the stroller. :) But you do get to see my mom's nifty hairstyle. I could be wrong, but I think that hairstyle has come back recently. My mom was always quite fashionable.
Here I am in my stroller.
Here I am with my dad.
My dad being silly with the camera.
My mom, looking amazingly beautiful at nineteen years old.
Little Me
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