How I Came to Be...My Birth Story

This is my first post in the "Recording My Youth" project through Mommy's Piggy Tales. My goal is to have 15 weeks of memories and history about myself for Ryan when he grows up. I want him to know all about his mother and how I grew up. I hope you all enjoy learning more about me too!


I am the firstborn. My parents had been married for 7 years before I was born. My mom was told she would never be able to have children due to unexplained circumstances. My mom and dad longed to be parents. By the grace of God, I was conceived 3 weeks prior to their adopting a baby girl in June of 1976! Needless to say, they called off the adoption and here I am today.

I was born in Pensacola, FL on March 24, 1977 at 9:22 PM CST. I weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 21 inches long. I was born 3 weeks premature due to my mom's severe bout with Toxemia that nearly took both our lives. The doctors actually gave my dad a choice between the 2 of us at one point. It was very touch and go. Thankfully, we both made it! Soon after I was born, another problem presented itself. I was born with a condition called Pyloric Stenosis, which is a blockage on the valve that connects the stomach to the intestines. I could not eat anything and was dehydrated and very ill. It runs in my dad's side of the family (he had it too), but doctors didn't believe I could have it because I was female. This is a predominantly male problem. I was very sick and nearly lost my life again. At 3 weeks old, I had emergency surgery to correct the problem and it saved my life. I began to eat, gain weight, and became a happy, healthy baby girl.

My mom and dad named me Kelly after dear friends Harold & Susie Kelley. Marie is my middle name after my dad's grandmother Eulallie Marie Beatty. So Kelly Marie I was. Had I been a boy, my name would've been Travis Marion. Travis was a name my parents both liked and Marion is a family name on my Dad's side. Mom and Dad brought me home to our little rental house on Tomlinson Rd. where my grandmother, Noralaine, grandfather, Rex, and my Aunt Wanda were there to meet us. Snoopy, our beagle, was very anxious to meet me and my grandma was so upset that she was going to upset me! Bless her sweet heart. Whiskers, the cat, was also present for my arrival home. My parents' prayers had been answered as they finally had the child they had waited so long for.