Four years ago today, I was sitting at St. Joe's hospital hooked up to an IV of pitosin while enjoying my epidural, blissfully unaware of what having a baby really meant. A couple of hours later, I met my first baby and my only little man, Gabe, and realized how much he meant to me. I was hit upside the head with emotion. I loved him so much yet worried I would do everything wrong, heck, the world would do everything wrong to him. I remember crying one night to my husband saying, "We shouldn't have done this. Having Gabe was a big mistake...someone is going to be mean to him and I just can't take that thought". Yup, that was where I was emotionally.
After about a week, I came out of the baby blues haze and began to jump through every hoop that little guy put in front of me. We danced every morning, had two baths a day because it made him happy and I wore him in a sling most of the time. I showered oh so quickly while he tolerated his bouncy chair with a hair dryer on beside it. Gabe only slept for an hour at a time at night and we planned naptimes for in front of the TV. I was set with snacks, a cup of tea, the phone set to mute and the remote beside me every afternoon. Sometimes we drove the 400 highway series loop for some variety...
Slowly, Gabe grew up which gets us to today, the eve of his fourth birthday. I think back to those baby days and what a good little pair we made and it makes me smile. While our family has grown into a bigger team, I hope Gabe and I always are a perfect pair. Gabe makes me smile everyday with his quips that begin "Actually, Mommy...." when I'm being corrected or his new love of puns. I love hearing him read and sing and he can kick a soccer ball down the block. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect first baby who has grown into a perfect preschooler for me. Happy Birthday, Gabe-Man.
Thanks for reading! 
