July 7, 1992

My son turns 17 today. We are celebrating later this month when all four boys (him and his 3 cousins) have a day off from baseball. (It’s genetic). Seventeen years ago on the 5th I was at the movie “A League of Their Own” (how fitting) when I had my first labor pain. At this point I was 5 days overdue, and there was no doubt even as a first time mom it was the real thing. So I looked at my watch to time them. 45 minutes later at Chi Chi’s restaurant I had the second one. Finally went to the hospital the morning of the 6th, stopped for donuts on the way. I was starving. Nate entered the world big and strong, he was ten pounds (9 lbs 15.5 ozs, 21.5 inches long). Lifted his head and shoulders up off the bed in the delivery room at 3 hours old. The nurses laughed when they had to go pediatrics for bigger diapers and socks, he was too big for newborn sizes. They fought over him in neo-natal (chemical pneumonia) to see who got to feed him. He ate 6 ounces his first feeding. They had to give him a second bottle. (You notice that my delivery story contains food twice after my labor started and tells how well he ate in the nursery). Here are some things I love about him.

1. He sits with me in church. When something funny is said, he writes “LOL” on the note pad and passes it to me. He doesn’t use this in text, or talking, this is the only time. Makes it funnier.
2. He is kind hearted. He doesn’t want to be, he wants to be tough and macho. But see him with his 12 year old sister, he’s kind hearted. He is nice to kids no one else likes, because “Mom, no one wants to get treated the way they deserve, we all want better than that”.
3. In kindergarten he asked me what Seinfeld did. I said actor. He said, no, when he stands behind the microphone and everyone laughs at him. I said comedian. When asked at school what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said comedian. All the adults laughed, and we have been laughing ever since. He has also wanted to be a nuclear physicist, Supreme Court justice and major league baseball player. Now he wants to teach pottery and marry well.
4. His friends parents speak well of him. This is good for a mom’s heart.
5. He does the hard stuff for my parents. Goes to Lowe’s to get supplies and hauls them to and from the car for them. Saws their fire wood. Pulls ups old flooring. Mows. Takes care of his grandparents.
6. He still loves his childhood cartoons and animated video games. And I mean Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog and Starfox. Kid at heart. He asked for a birthday cake with Sid the Sloth from Ice Age.
7. He told me the other day he was born in the wrong era. He should have lived in the 1950’s. He felt like he was Beaver Cleaver.
8. He beat me in 18 out of 20 games of Connect Four Friday night. I don’t love losing, I love a 16 year old boy that played Connect Four on Friday night with his mom. (ALRIGHT! Little Blonde Girlfriend was in Colorado for a softball tournament, but I can pretend he wanted to be there with me).

I mostly wrote and posted this so I could show you my Sid the Sloth cake. It's my favorite chocolate sheet cake, drew Sid with a toothpick. What is so amazing about this is the cake. It's delicious.