Gotcha Day…Ok I made it up, but if the greeting card folks can do it then so can I.

I have two children that I have not had the pleasure of attending their ‘birth’ day. I missed out on the knife in the stomach labor pains and stitches where no one should have stitches. But then again after those 17 min of hard labor with Jason (two hours for Sammi) I have come to the conclusion that I never really thought my presence should have been required. I have tried to explain to my homemade kids that there actual ‘Gotcha Day’ was September 3rd and November 13, but neither really cared to hear anything about it! (They were born in June and August) Although Georgia and Obadiah like to celebrate my holiday,

Today is my oldest son’s Gotcha Day…18 years ago we went to the airport to pick up this little boy. He saw me, ran and jumped into my arms… calling me Mama. From that moment he was mine. You can’t convince me any different. Although over the years a few of you have tried. There was no pregnancy, morning sickness or kick the kidney games. There were no sleepless nights because of 2am feeding, no diapers, no first words. Just another beautiful child to love forever.

Just as special, just as scary, just as awesome. Mostly just as hard to explain to someone who hasn’t given birth either thru their body or their heart.

What I didn’t know in ’87, ’88 and ’91. Was the labor pain were just beginning for me. The morning sickness and kick the kidney games would make way for, sick with worry and kick the heart games. That sleepless night would become a way of life. And I would often wonder why anyone would want to hear the words come out of their mouths.
Ok one of them has not grown out of the diaper stage but then again Samantha never gives me those looks of disbelief that she could be related to me.

These children of ours are so very different and so much alike in that they all can make me wonder what I would ever do without them. Then wonder can I do about them. They showed me the true meaning of “Because I said so…” as well as ‘I will love you forever’

So here’s to Gotcha Day…the days I celebrate the joy and fear that I felt when… a Doctor, a flight attendant, and a Judge changed my life forever.