22 years ago today, I came home from the last day of school to a Mother who was in labor.
She had been due on Mother's Day, May 13th 1990,
and we had been waiting a long time for my sibling to come.
And he finally made his way into the world a whole month later.
I still remember her and my Dad hurrying down the hall before another contraction hit.
And when you go a month overdue, everyone tells you you were off on your dates.
But I WAS pregnant with Bradley from September 15th until July 20th.
And it did not seem weird or dangerous to me. My Mother had done the same thing.
And this time last year I was trying to stay as occupied as possible.
I was due with Bradley on June 22. A year ago today was 10 days till my due date.
And I was expecting to at least go 15 days overdue, like I had with Charlotte.
Maybe more.
And when I made it to the 15th day my Mom called.
She wanted to talk about how I was feeling.
And I told her if she could do it, so could I.
And she reassured me that everything would be fine with my baby
and that in 21 years I'd be okay with being so long overdue.
And I hung-up the phone and I hoped for a boy, like my Mother had had.
And I did have a boy, 14 days later.
And he was not what any of us were expecting.
And looking back on the things I was worried about this time last year, makes me crazy.
Every time I get on Facebook someone is posting a picture of a baby who was born after Bradley.
And they usually are standing, crawling or sitting, AND putting something in their mouths.
And I feel sad that I've been taking pictures of Bradley laying on the ground for a year now.
The only things that change in my photos are helmets, oxygen tubes, or g-tubes.
But I love him still the same. Maybe more actually.
I have spent so many hours looking into his eyes trying to understand him.
It's surprising how much I've bonded with him.
Charlotte asked me one day, last week, why babies have g-tubes.
I told her most babies don't.
That her Bradley, has one, because he is so special.
And Charlotte smirked and said,
"HE IS!"
