Today.

At 12:33am, I looked at The Boy, and said those words I’d been dreading all week. “Happy 15th birthday, baby!” And then I spent 15 minutes saying “you are TOO still my baby!” and chasing him around to deliver birthday spankings.

What were you doing? Sleeping? HA! How boring!

But yes, 15 years ago today, after an exhausting 28.5 hours of back labor AND an emergancy c-section, I held my firstborn, my baby boy in my arms for the first time. He was a squalling little wrinkly mess, and the most beautiful baby i’d ever seen.

It’s absolutely astounding that the tiny 7lb 6.5 oz bundle has grown into a 5’9″ and still growing boy, with size 11 feet, built like a line-backer long haired too cool for school teenager.

However he smarts off to me, drives me insane, and tests the boundaries I put on him, he’s someone I am extremely proud to know, and have had a hand in raising. He’s shy, and quiet, but always respectful to others. (Except his sisters, but that’s par for the course.) His teachers love him, and I hear often what a great kid he is, and how proud they are to have him in class – even when he’s not turning in his homework. Heh.

He’s very sensitive, and often times it works to his disadvantage, but I do hope he keeps his sensitivity. He has an empathy that is often unheard of in teenage boys his age, and I couldn’t be more proud to let you know he admitted to having to hold back tears when he read Nana ‘s poem about him that she gave him for his birthday.

He has tried to fill his daddy’s footsteps, and I have to remind him often that he is still a teenager, and able to act like that. He smiles more now, and laughs, and I see glimpses of the baby he was, mingled with the man he is becoming. And I then blubber and sniffle a little bit. He is strong, far stronger then I was at 15, and he is someone who will make a girl very very lucky (at some point far far far in the future!)

I am a very lucky mama. Tonight I made him very happy – only a tiny fraction of the joy he gives me! – and gave him a cell phone for his birthday. With rules attached, of course. Heh. It was worth it, for sure, to see the look on his face while wearing the Silly Hat as we celebrated with dinner at Rosita’s.

His sister? Not so much with the happy. Heh. Her turn will come, I’m sure. A goodtime was had by all, however! And poor Rosita’s may never be the same. We even brought our own maracas to celebrate with!

 

Happy birthday, baby boy. I love you!

~~

In other news, The Boy was my (and Nana’s) date tonight to the 10th Annual Writer’s Night showcase, where ya’ll know I was panicing about having to read. In practice, I made it all the way through till the last bit, but tonight… Well, I couldn’t do it. It was a story about Kevin, and that, coupled with my fear of public speaking, just didn’t work. I broke down (in public! dammit!) and Nana was a super sport, and even though sick and without voice, she rescued me and read my story to the crowd.

Thank you Nana. You saved me once again. You’re a total rock star, and I am a very lucky daughter.