Krista Michelle....The Quiet One

Back in 1980 I would go to the doctor and he would say, "You are having another boy, Jackie", and I would say "No, this is just a nice quiet little girl."  I was right and he was wrong.  As I am trying to think back, I can't remember my due date but,  I think it was the 19th.  I went into labor on the 20th and she was born at 1:07pm on the 21st.  She was perfect, not one blemish.  That was because she did not help at all to get here.  She left that all up to me.  The labor was not really all that bad, but the delivery was work.  Mike was very ornery because he carried her out and would not tell anyone whether she was a girl or a boy.  We did not know those things in advance back then, even though I did have an ultra sound with her....they just were not clear like they are today.  Mike was one of four boys so his family really wanted a girl.  There were also already two grandsons.  When we finally told everyone that it was Krista Michelle, Mike's dad said, "You finally did something right."  Even as a she grew she remained our  quiet child.  Now, along with quiet sometimes comes sneaky.  That's two adjectives that describe our Krista....quiet and sneaky.

She was and still is a great gift to our family.  She looked so much like her Nan Naw, Mary Jo.  Mary Jo was diagnosed with a brain tumor when Krista was 3 months old, so her looking like her and so much like her in other ways was rather ironic.  She was an easy keeper.  She had hazel eyes like my dad and she had very fair skin like me.  She had light blond hair and we had to check to make sure she was breathing because she was so quiet.  This was the complete opposite of her brother.  He got moved out of our room at night when he was about 2 weeks old because he made so much noise.

Mary Jo kept her the last four weeks of school when I had to go back, but we took her to day care when school started back in the fall.  They fought over her at the baby sitter. She absolutely hated being put down on the floor, so she didn't crawl until she was 9 months old.  Then she was walking very well by 10 months. Ryan loved her and thought he was big enough to carry her around.  He really wasn't big enough. She pointed at what she wanted and Ryan got it for her.  She didn't really talk much at all until after she was two.  This was definitely the opposite of her brother.  She remained quiet throughout grade school.  She was so quiet that even after she got older and had a sister 16 months younger than her, there were people who only knew we had Ryan and Amanda.  They would be like, "I didn't know you had three kids".  I'm telling you, she was a very quiet child and could entertain herself.

Krista was also very good at climbing out of her car seat.  They were not as good as the ones today, but I would buckle her in and the next thing I knew she was out.  She has always been able to do just about anything she puts her mind to.  She will practice over and over until she can do it.  This became very clear when she decided to roller skate.  If at first you don't succeed try, try again was her motto.

Krista was also my puny child.  She was in and out of the hospital a couple of times before she was a year old.  We put her through the infectious disease center at Children's Hospital.  She just didn't have a very good immune system.  She got that from Mary Jo too.  She's allergic to many antibiotics and other meds.  I am happy that after going through the allergy clinic twice and getting older we found a bio- cranial chiropractor that has been able to help her be much healthier.  Let me tell you, it has made a wonderful difference in her life.  Being sick is not fun.

Krista is tenacious and I mean that in a good way.  If you want something done and done right just ask her to do it.  Today she has a degree from Oklahoma State University, a husband, a son and another one on the way, and is special events planner for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.  She loves wrestling and loves her job working with all the people involved in wrestling.  She has spent her birthday since 1998 at the NCAA Wrestling Tournament.

Krista Michelle McComas Graff, I am so glad that God saw fit to let me be your mother.  You have made your dad and I proud.  What a blessing you and your family are to us.  This has been a great 33 years and may you have many more.