Happy Birthday, AJ

You're four today! How can that be? How can you be four already? We never stopped celebrating your birth, the fact that you ARE.
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I was remembering watching you be born, the slow-pokey doctors not coming even though we'd told them a number of times that you were on your way. How my bff, a nurse-midwife, had pulled on her gloves and was getting ready to catch you because you were coming whether or not the doctors were. I remember feeling small and vulnerable witnessing the miracle of your birth. I remember all that beautiful black hair and your incredible set of lungs as you took your first breath and let out your first yell.
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I remember the honor of having a sleep-over with you at the hospital since Peggy didn't want to stay and I didn't want you to have to be alone. We wore our Family Jammies--these goofy South African/Keedo flannel jammies with wild animals all over them. Mr. Handsome and BabyGirl were wearing theirs at home while we wore ours at the hospital that night. I didn't sleep much because I kept waking to check on you.
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In the morning, the rest of the family came to collect us and take us home. You didn't have to move into our house to move into our hearts. You were always there and you will always be.
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Happy Birthday, Little Man. We love you and we miss you.
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XXX,
Mommy