Happy Birthday To You, Sweet Leo

Dear Leo-

In 22 hours, you will celebrate a year since you were born.  It seems impossible that 365 days have passed since we met you.  Even now when I think about it, I get flooded with the same emotions I felt that morning.

A year ago today, I went to my Fundamentals lab, as usual.  In fact, it was the first time I ever drew blood from another person!  I was 9 months pregnant at the time and full of extra blood, so I volunteered myself to be "stuck" several times.  (Imagine my embarassement when the nurse who delivered you asked me what all of my needle sticks were from.)  Later on that day, I took my lab final.  Leaving the final, I had a pretty good feeling that you were coming soon (I'll leave out the gory details.) 

I came home, helped your brother put together a train set that he got in the mail from your cousin, Meredith, and started my Med/Surg care plan for the next morning.  I took a tablespoon of castor oil mixed in a little Diet Mountain Dew (true story), and hoped for the best.  About 10pm, my contractions started.  Strangely, I switched from "ready" mode to "denial" mode.  It wasn't until about 2:30am on the 30th that your Dad convinced me that we should go to the hospital.  My contractions were 2.5-3 minutes apart and painful. 

By the time we got to triage, I was almost 5 centimeters dilated.  I was admitted a little after 3am.  I stayed up all night, waiting for you.  Daddy slept on the couch in the room.  When it was time, the doctor came in and delivered you at 7:34am.  It was as simple as that.  He laid you at the foot of the bed and I hadn't seen you yet.  I saw your Dad's face, though, and he was silent.  He had tears running down his cheeks.  He looked so happy that it made me cry.  I looked toward the foot of the bed, just in time to see you raise your tiny hand.  That was the first I saw of you.  At the same time, Daddy leaned over and whispered, "Catie.  It's a boy."  His face was so wet with tears, that they actually fell on mine when he leaned over.  He was hugging me.  The doctor lifted you up...and there you were.

Your super-dark hair, your little Mick Jagger mouth...you were gorgeous.  You were squinting, I remember.  People say that newborns are creepy looking.  Not you.  You were perfect.  And I said so.  (You still are.) 

You snuggled.  You never caused trouble.  You didn't fuss.  You slept through your circumcision.  You were just so laid back.  Now, as your personality develops, you still are...with a firey temper that still takes me by surprise.

I love who you are.  I love that you are a part of our family.  I am honored and blessed that we were chosen to raise you, that we made you, and that you are ours.  We love you, Leo.  We have since the minute we found out we were going to have you.

Happy Birthday to you.  You might be turning into a tank, but I still see you as that sweet, handsome, cuddly baby I first met.  You are a little light in our lives and we love you more than you can know.  As you grow older, you will change, we will change, life in general will change, but that won't.  That part is constant.

With love always,
Your Mom