She arrived in the fall of 1989... in Cape Girardeau, Mo... In Southeast Hospital... I fell deeply and forever in love with her the first moment I saw her... she is my little girl... Madison Blair.
Karen and I were so excited and as each day brought us closer to her arrival we got more excited... what would it be like to be parents, would the baby be a boy or girl, ... it was a wonderful time. Our love created a life... Madison Blair.
When the time came to leave for the hospital I packed a pink 1960 Plymouth Fury with a suitcase and before Karen got in the car I thought it would be a good time take a picture... we did... Karen looked at me and said "you should probably go put your shirt on" ... yes, I was so excited and nervous I had forgotten to put my shirt on... it was a wonderful time... we went to the hospital and were told it was false labor pains, or braxton hicks, so we decided to head back home... Karen looked at me and said... " I have a craving for some Long John Silver's"... ( imagine that statement coming out of Karen Thralls mouth... unbelievable) so we stopped and had a bite to eat. It wasn't long after that when Karen looked at me again and said "It's time"... and she was right... soon we were checked into the hospital... Exciting expectations, a pink 1960 Plymouth Fury, dad with no shirt, Long John Silvers... Madison Blair.
Karen lye on the bed we where assigned and said very little... she made no sounds when the labor pains came... I tried to remember what to do... (I was just happy I had my shirt on)... every few minutes Karen would turn and ask... "Can I have my epidural now"... The Nurse would reply... "not yet Mrs. Padgett"... this was the rhythm of the next few hours... Silence.... "Can I have my epidural now"?... "not yet Mrs. Padgett".... silence... (repeat)... finally the nurse said "Mrs. Padgett it is time for your epidural"... they inserted the epidural and after a few seconds Karen turned and said... "I don't think this is working"... "I can still feel a little pain"... I reminded her that those were the first words she had said other than "can I have my epidural now" in over four hours... she smiled and said... oh yeah... before long we were playing card and watching Karens contractions get stronger and stronger on the monitor ... Karen would say... "Wow, look at this contraction it's really strong"... the epidural was working... we were having a blast... we had clowns show up in the delivery room ... CLOWNS! ...we had friends dropping by to say hi and good luck... we had family in the waiting room... it was an absolute circus.
Peaceful, patient mother ... pain... cards, clowns, and a circus... Madison Blair.
Soon, the Doctor showed up and it was time to meet our baby... I was so impressed with Karen as she went through the process of delivery... she was amazing... The Doctor said "Mr. Padgett I can see the top of her head would you like to see"?... I watched her enter this world... and before she was completely here... she cried... I heard her voice... I said "Karen its a girl"... I cut the umbilical cord... (my big part) ... they placed her on Karen's chest... they embraced... beautiful... perfect... We named her... "Maidson Blair"
I got to hold her for a few brief seconds and they took her away... she had swallowed something during the birthing process and needed immediate attention... they were concerned that her heart may have shifted... we visited her in the ICU... we had to leave her in the hospital for a few days while she healed but, we never left her side ... it was very difficult... she was strong... she was determined to live... her heart was fine... Madison Blair.
The ride home was fantastic... Karen loving on her while she sat in her pumpkin seat... (early car seat)... me driving like a old man. If i drove over 30 miles an hour I would be surprised. We arrived home ( a mobile home in a trailer park) and couldn't wait to show her around... her room was painted with the entire cast of Mickey Mouse and friends... all of them... an antique cast iron crib from Margaret Call... a 150 year old rocking chair that belonged to my great great grandmother... stuffed animals from all her friends and family... It was wonderful having her home.. holding her... rocking her... watching her sleep... Two had become One ... our little girl... Madison Blair.
Watching her grow was a daily miracle... she was on the move from the moment she opened her eyes until she closed them for sleep... she started walking around the coffee table and pulling herself up in her crib when she was 9 months old... she was ready to go. She was not afraid to use her voice when needed... she talked early... She called Karen "Mom" or "Mommy"... she called me "Daddy" but, her preference as "Jesse"... she was always into things... Karen always keeping a loving watchful eye... she like to pull all the food off the bottom of the refrigerator and crawl in... she would take all the pots and pans out of the bottom drawer and sit in the drawer... or bang the pots... she once drank turtle wax car polish... she loved watching "Cinderella" and hated the step sisters... She had a unique sense of style... all her clothes that she loved, all at the same time. She liked to dress up like Indiana Jones... boots, Hat and whip. She was a southern girl with a southern accent. She loved heels I can still hear her clacking around the house in her mothers... Madison Blair.
Pure enjoyment is the only way to describe her development from child to pre-teen, teenager to young lady and the memories are to many to write down in this small space. The images, sounds and stories are stored in my mind like a photo album and I flip through them every day. Movies and songs play in my heart of her and my soul rejoices... Madison Blair. To bright to argue with... to much alike to fight with... "The Spark that is becoming a Star"... Madison Blair.
Madison is 22 now. She is amazing. She is strong, smart, talented and beautiful... an outstanding person... a woman... but, still my little girl... the princess of my heart. Madison is loyal and consistent... she knows what she wants in life and she is willing to work to get it. Madison prefers justice over un-justness or injustice... she is intuitive ... she sees the heart of the issue... Madison has had a group of friends that she met in the 4th grade... the "girls"... they have grown up together... they have been good for each other... there "for" each other. Madison is a believer... not, a traditional believer... a curious, inquisitive, believer... she is not afraid to take things apart and look at them... Amazing... Madison Blair.
Madison has had to endure the judgement of others since she was a little girl. She was called a "Strong Willed Child" when she was three... DUHHH!.. she was three. She has been misunderstood, put in her place... etc. etc. etc. It's strange to me how people react to a child or a teen or a young woman simply because she is un-box-able... undefinable... unstoppable... and beautiful... Madison Blair. It seems like the clowns showed up often in Madison's life. She has handled their comments well... she has felt the pain... deeply... she has been hurt by mean words... mean actions... Yet, she springs back to her feet... thinks it over... and remembers that "shit makes stuff grow"... and she grows... she flourishes... she blossoms... like a rose surrounded by thorns... delicate... fragile... soft... fragrant... stunning... Madison Blair.
In many ways Madison has already lived more in her 22 years than most will live in 72. She is wise... She is intuitive (did I say that?... well then she is "very" intuitive) ... She it Thoughtful... She is Kind... She is Strong... She walks with Grace... She is Attractive right down to her Soul... Her Heart is like Gold... Pure... Loyal... She stands for what is Just. She is my daughter... my little girl... the princess of my heart... my friend... my hero... my Madi... Madison Blair.
I love Madison Blair.
I think she is perfect.
I am proud of Madison Blair.
I am honored to be her Dad.
I love everything about Madison Blair.
Especially her name.
... Madison Blair...
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