Happy Birthday, Not-My-Claire!

February 19, 2004

I walked up to the front door of daycare with Jake in tow. My period had started that morning. It was the tenth period I'd had since we started trying for a second child. I was heartbroken and trying to talk myself out of it. I knew, in the big scheme of things, that my wait hadn't been that long but that didn't lessen the disappointment of that morning. I was beginning to wonder if perhaps I'd have to be happy with a family of three.

We reached the glass door where someone had posted an announcement.

Congratulations to the Smith Family! We welcome baby Claire!

I stood there blinking while Jake tugged my hand and asked me to read the sign for him. He didn't know that I'd been disappointed again, much less that Claire was the name Nick and I had set aside for any future baby girl in our own family. I managed to choke out the words, then kissed Jacob goodbye. I cried in the bathroom at work for a long while that day.

February 19, 2009

I walked up to the front door of daycare with Claire in tow. She was sneezing and sniffling and talking nonstop. We reached the glass door where someone had posted an announcement.

Happy 5th birthday, Claire!

"It's the other Claire's birthday today, baby!" Claire smiled, sneezed, and skipped through the door.