Nine Years Ago, Today...

My doctor was to deliver my first son, Matthew via c-section. He was breach, even a few days before and we had tried ECV to get him turned around but my doctor said he was just too big (words every soon to be mother LOVES to hear) and that there was too much water in there and he kept bouncing back to his comfy, head up position. I went to the hospital at 6am and got viciously poked by the nurse in 3 different places for the IV and was sitting there crying when the doctor came in and said, "Ohhhh, I wish they hadn't done that, what if the baby has turned?". He gave me an ultra sound then and there and what do you think he saw?????? Yup, he had turned. I sat and cried and panicked for a while and whined, "What would YOU do???" to the doctor and he said (much to my relief), "Well, we have the bed reserved, why don't we just induce him?" So, after trying my first epidural (which didn't work), and leaking a river of amniotic fluid all over the place, my 9lb 6oz baby boy was born (about ten hours later)with a shock of black hair like his uncle Pete was born with (the rest of us were baldies).

The first thing I remember thinking when he was born and they put him on my belly was, "He smells funny." The second thing was that he was HUGE. I never thought I could have room to love another baby as much as I had my first, but of course I did so much. Even after he turned out to be colicky and fussy for the better part of the first year and would nurse EVERY hour and a half which explains his blubbery,25lb frame at 6 months.

My dad came into the hospital for the first time to visit us a day later and he was walking by the nursery where they were giving Matty his first bath. He thought to himself , after hearing his blood-curdling shrieks, "Whew, I feel sorry for THAT kid's mom!".

At first, I was disappointed that Katrina wouldn't have a sister to be close to like I had. I soon got over that when I realized how great it was that she would bond with HER brother in ways that I never could with my three brothers.

Fast forward 9 years and we have learned a few things about Matty, here are the top ten (but, by no means ALL there is to this fascinating child!):

10. He can't STAND to watch "kissing parts" in movies. If Butch and I REALLY want to gross him out, we just have to make slobbery kissing noises in the kitchen and he will not come within 50ft of us! He will only accept bedtime kisses and hugs from me if it is proven beyond a reasonable doubt with 3 affidavits that I do NOT in fact have on, nor have I been wearing MAKEUP OF ANY KIND within the last 24 hour period.

9. He is a loyal friend and would never hurt his friends or be selfish with his possessions.

8. He is kind to younger boys and gives them his time and attention.

7. He is generous and gives away his toys even his favorite material possession, Bionicles.

6. He is some kind of Bionicle genius and can build just about a billion different kinds of Bioncle guys.

5. He beats me at chess so often that when I actually DO win I gloat and dance and realize how lame it is that I am "BOOYEAH!"-ing a 9 year old boy.

4. He can do ANYTHING with a roll of duct tape and has about 100 "experiments" around the house at any given time. His dream is to make a go-cart out of a vacuum cleaner.

3. He "gets" jokes and sarcasm and giggles hysterically even if it takes him a while to get it.

2. He loves his brother and sisters and mom and dad and isn't ashamed to admit it (yet).

1. Everyone who meets him says he's the nicest, most generous and polite boy they've ever met and I've met more than one person who's said that they will name their first boy after Matthew because of this fact and the hopes that their boy would turn out to be like our Matthew.

Happy Birthday to you
You live in this zoo
You look like your daddy...

Aaaaaannnddddd you
smell like him, too.

I love you, Matthew William.


Love and smoochymoochpinchysqueezylipstickjuicy kisses,
Your crazy mama