Today is Charles' birthday. I'm feeling real lucky because he was able to come home from school for it. This past weekend, his team performed an amazing feat; winning the first two games of the NCAA tournament. Coach gave them two days off; needless to say, he was home Sunday by 9:30am. Today, Monday, is his birthday. How fitting that this basketball boy of mine would be born in March - a March madness of our very own. Throughout his basketball career, he has had some amazing basketball birthdays. Won a state tournament the night of his senior year birthday. Last year, turned 21 in Ithaca after winning the second game of the 2009 NCAA tournament. Yes, it is our own March madness.
A couple of weeks ago, I had to look through boxes of old pictures to make a poster for Charles for his basketball senior day at school. All the moms of the senior boys on the team were doing this as a surprise for the boys. Finding the right pictures was sentimental, emotional and a real stroll down memory lane. The best memories just come flooding back. And once again this mother says "where did the time go?" Where is my little boy who let me cut his blonde bowl cut hair til he was in seventh grade?
Charles' birth was the hardest of all of my kids. I had a slight complication which put me in the hospital for a few weeks before I could have him. It was really hard because Rachele and Kristin were so young; just turned five and two and a half. They just didn't understand why I couldn't come home. As for me, I just laid around the hospital getting fatter and fatter, waiting for the doctors to say my baby was big and strong enough to be born. It was the first time I was having a c-section and I was petrified. The day Charles was to be born, I begged to be knocked out. After talking to our peditrician, who let me know just how bad an idea it was; I changed my mind. Just thinking it could possibly harm my baby in some way was enough for me. And then, at 10:30 am, March 8th, there he was. We had no idea we were having a boy, and with two girls already, I guess we hit the jackpot. What a beautiful baby (section babies always look so perfect from NOT going through the birth canal). Yup, love at first sight.
One night after dinner, when new babies typically get really cranky, we put on one of our favorite albums, the soundtrack from "Dirty Dancing". Our whole family was twirling around the living room, I of course cradling baby Charles while dancing away. He stopped crying and loved it. He actually fell asleep! I ran into our bathroom with him sleeping on my shoulder and looked in the mirror. He was so peaceful and chubby and I wanted that moment to last forever, so I actually told myself to remember this, just how he looked on my shoulder. And I do, I can see it in my mind as clearly as if it was yesterday. And I will have that picture in my mind forever.
Happy Birthday, Charles, and remember, even though you're kind of grown up now, you'll always be my sweet baby boy.
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