Friday, May 22, 2009

Reality Check!

Okay, so it happens to me all the time. I see something Nic is doing and it just reminds me so much of things I did as a child. The other day I found a bunch of pictures of me from around 2 to 3 1/2 years old. Wow, did I get a reality check.

Nic loves to make funny faces whenever I take a picture of him, oh...and he NEVER wants to stand still. He is always asking to take pictures, but he just wants to take what he calls, "funny face" pictures. I'm always thinking, "Where on Earth does he get that from?" Well, ask and you shall receive. In the envelope full of pictures I found there were pictures of me...three in a row, where I was dressed in a cute yellow dress. Now, you may be thinking, "AWWWW." A two year old girl in a cute yellow dress, must be adorable, right? Wrong, in each of these pictures I am doing everything I can to make my Mom laugh and have fun. In each picture I am making funny faces. I can just hear my Mom saying to me, "Donna Mae, could you please hold still and smile for just 3 seconds so I can get a picture of you in your pretty dress?" I know she said this because I have said the same to Nic (minus the pretty dress part). Oh no...another reality check, I'm saying some of the exact same things to Nic that my Mother said to me (YIKES)! How does this happen???

I found another picture of me at 3 1/2 and it blew me away. Again, all I can see is Nic. My hair was just as light as his when I was his age, we have the exact same eyes, even the little puffiness under the eyes is the same, we have the same smile lines, same mouth, same nose, same chin, same cheeks, same eyebrows..everything! How is this possible? I mean, I know how it's possible, DNA, genetics, all that..but really, it blows my mind when I see how much this little boy looks like his Mama, but much cuter :-) !! I hope he stays cute...Mama grew out of it...LOL!!


Here are the pictures:
This is one of Nic's favorite faces to make!!
Originated by Mommy back in the late
70's!
I think I should have been a boy. Never
did do very well in dresses!
Nic and Mommy..we are almost the same age in this picture.







Wednesday, May 6, 2009

A Letter to My Son

Dear Nicholas,

On Saturday, you will be four. I can't believe it. Your birthday is the day before Mother's Day this year. The year you were born it was the day after. You will always be the best gift I have ever received.

My precious son, do you know how special you are? Do you know how much you are loved? Can you even fathom the amount of love and joy you yourself bring to others? Love radiates from you, a true blessing from God.

For many years I knew God had put me on this planet for a specific purpose, until you were born, I never knew what that purpose was. I can't believe God entrusted me to be your Mommy. I can't believe He chose to bless me with being responsible for such a beautiful soul. I am forever thankful and forever changed.

Would you like to know something my dear little one? You were named after an angel. I use to read to you even before you were born. I remember sitting on the couch at our home in Bealeton and reading Bible stories to you from the time I was three months pregnant. There is one memory that stands out most of all. It was Christmas time and I was reading to you the story about the birth of Jesus, the angel Gabriel appears in the story and when I read his name out loud (which is also your middle name), I just cried. Don't worry, Mommy wasn't sad. I was simply filled with love and joy. I knew you were going to be special and I was so happy that your name had a very special meaning.

When you were born, there were some very scary moments, but when it was all said and done, you arrived very quickly. When you make up your mind to do something, you don't mess around (I wonder where you get that?). I was in active labor for all of 1/2 hour and pushed you out in 10 minutes. I will never, as long as I live, forget that moment, the moment I first got to hold you in my arms. You were the most gorgeous baby I had ever seen. I felt like I was dreaming. Even though you were 3 1/2 weeks early, you had the cutest chubby cheeks and I could see right away that you looked just like me (sorry, buddy).

Being your Mom has brought such joy. You have taught me so much. Even during the trying times. For example, you HATED bath time for the first month of life. I don't remember who cried more, you or me. But, you eventually grew to love it and so did I. There was also the time when you were just six months old and came down with RSV. You were in the hospital for a week and I had never been so scared and worried in my life. As you got older there was potty training (wow, that took patience), but we got through it and now you potty like a champ :-).

Do you remember, my sweet boy, when you first started sleeping through the night? I can tell you that I do! You were almost 2 months old and I was so thankful! There are many other firsts I remember like they were yesterday. The first time you sat up all by yourself you were 6 months old. You could stand all by yourself at 10 months and started walking at 13 months. At 3 1/2 months you took your first trip to the beach and that was all she wrote! You officially became a beach bum, just like Mommy. I love that you love the ocean just as much as I do.

Not to brag, my love, but I have always been so proud of the things you did very early as well. You drank from a cup at 7 months and stopped drinking from a bottle by 10 months. You spoke your first word at 6 months and said your first 2 word sentence at 11 months. Do you remember how everyone laughed at you every time something great happened and you yelled, "All RIGHT!" You knew your colors and shapes by the time you were a year old and could recognize all the letters of the alphabet by 2. You wrote your name at 2 1/2, I was shocked. By 3, you were reading. I hope your love of learning stays with you throughout your life. Mommy use to LOVE school and I hope that I pass that along to you.

Another important day in your life, mi carino, was August 7, 2005. This is the day you were baptized. Of all the things I will teach you in your life, your faith is the most important. Always trust in God, always turn to Him, always love Him, ALWAYS, no matter what, have faith! Life will bring you challenges, trust in God. Life will bring you unbelievable joy, give thanks to God. I pray that I raise you to be a strong, faithful, loving, Christian man. I pray that I don't let you or God down.

So I'll end this letter to you, mi perito, by saying I love you. I love you "the best thing yet." I love you more than all the stars in the sky, more than I ever thought it was humanly possible to love. Thank you for showing me that same, unconditional love in return. I can not believe how fast four years have flown by. I am so sad that it has gone so quickly, but at the same time, I am excited about what the future holds for you. I look forward to the future with you, Nicholas Gabriel; I have a feeling it is going to be very bright.

Te Quiero Siempre,
Mommy