The Ghost and the Baby

From: Donna Edler (thegang@izone.net)
Story type: Ghost
Location: Lamar, Missouri
Source: Form Submission

Four and a half years ago, just before the birth of my youngest daughter, I moved from Kansas City to the small town of Lamar. The house I moved into had been occupied prior to us by an elderly widow who lived alone except for a cat. About six months before we moved in she had a heart attack and died on the kitchen floor. It was four days before she was found by a police officer who broke into her house after being called by a worried neighbor who had'nt seen her in several days. At the time she was found her cat was curled up next to her.

We had what I considered was some indication that she had'nt really left the house. For instance, the heater would come on by itself and our cocker spaniel puppy would stand in the kitchen doorway with his hackles raised and bark at what we thought was nothing.But at that point no one saw her.

When my baby was born, I had a c-section and had a hard time getting around. My husband was away on a job and I was sleeping alone with the baby in a crib at the foot of my bed. My two older daughters, 18 years and 13 years old, shared a second bedroom.

My first night home from the hospital with my baby, she awakened me at about two a.m. to be fed. I rolled over to struggle out of bed and saw a human figure standing by my bedroom door just inside the bedroom. There was a little bit of light coming in from a street light outside my window. At first I thought it was my oldest daughter coming to check on the baby but I couldn't figure out why she was wearing a hat. It looked like a fishing or gardening hat. I called out her name and she didn't answer. I called again and this time my daughter, having awakened to her name, came into the room and flipped on the light. When she turned on the light the figure disappeared.

The next night I again wakened to my baby wanting to be nursed. I rolled over and saw the same figure in a different stance crouched down by the bedroom door (maybe to escape notice?). I paniced and screamed for my daughter. She came running in and turned on the light and again the figure disappeared. I never saw it again.

A few days after these events I talked to a neighbor and found out that this lady was an avid gardener (I could tell that from our yard) and always wore a floppy gardening hat like I saw on the figure. She also loved small children and especially adored babies. I've always felt sorry that I paniced. I really didn't feel any threat from this ghost. I think she was excited that there was a newborn in her house and just wanted to hang around the baby. I don't think she really wanted to intrude and when I paniced I scared HER off.