Christmas Day 1994
This is a poem I worte for her. I published it in the Albuquerque
Journal on her first birthday.
So perfect and pretty. So delicate and sweet.
From her tiny hands to her even smaller feet.
Something special about my little girl. Was it her
smile or maybe her eyelashes that curl?
Was it her light cinnamon hair, or her chubby
legs when they were bare? Was it her wee little lips?
Or perhaps the way she never threw fits?
Was it the way she scrunched her button nose?
maybe it was her tender toes? Possibly it was the way
she slept, or conceivably the way she wept. Was it her
petite squeak when she would laugh? Or the way she
smelled after each bath? All of this was my darling Brooke.
Why, God, why was it her you took?
Brooke Leighanne
"Bunny Foo-Foo"
Born September 7, 1994
Died of SIDS December 29, 1994
It happens more often than you might imagine. Every year in the United States, 7,000 seemingly healthy babies die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or crib death. In fact, SIDS claims the lives of more children than cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, child abuse, AIDS, cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy combined.
SIDS strikes suddenly and silently, usually at night. Typically, a peacefully sleeping baby simply never wakes up. In most cases no cause is ever found.
SIDS rarely occurs before 2 weeks or after 6 months of age. Most deaths occur in children who are between 2 and 4 months of age.
Before Brooke was born I wished everyday
for her to have itsy-bitsy feet. I got a pair of socks
so small you would think only a doll
could wear them, and waited for her. When
she was born I put them on her immediately.
They fit.
One of the characters from Pooh bear is Eeyore and
he has a favorite saying....
"Thanks for noticing me"
This always reminds me of Brooke because
she never cried or fussed. When she was hungry
She'd let out the smallest peep until her
bottle was made. She slept all night from the day I
brought her home. As a matter of fact the one
time I do remember her crying was after
big sister Alex bit her tiny finger!
She smiled for the first time at her Papa on the day she
was born and never stopped. She was only one month
old when she laughed out loud. Her laugh is one thing
that has never fadded from my memory. When
she giggled she would always end it with
a loud squeak. I like to believe she did this so early
as a special gift to her mommy.
She was a delightful baby girl and
I miss her immensely.
This is a very helpful site with some beautiful poems
