35 years ago today my mom delivered my baby brother.

35 years ago my brother came into to the world 3 months early.

My mom told me once of the story of my brother's birth. He was only 3 lbs and could fit in the palm of my dad's hand. Do you remember the "Beanie babies" from back then ( I had a yellow one) well, he was that size. His throat had not fully developed so they couldn't give him a soother as he could end up swallowing it whole.

For a month he was in an incubator where my parents couldn't hold him. They visited everyday, I think my mom may have stayed all day, everyday. I was 20 months old but I have a vague memory of seeing him in the incubator.

The night of his birth my mom's extremely insensitive doctor told her not to get her hopes up as he would probably not live through the night. Not once did my mom believe him. She adamantly knew he would survive and be healthy. Her belief never wavered, ever.

When they were finally able to bring him home I became the doting older sister and he can confirm that for most of his life that didn't change :o). Mom would say that I was very possessive of him...he was my baby and I wanted to do everything for him.

Dad says he was named for the constellation he saw the night he was born. He also jokes that he wanted his middle name to be water...after dad's favorite drink rye and water :o)

35 years later he is proof that the doctor was wrong and my mom was right.

35 years later he's still my baby brother and I don't know how I would've made through the past 4 years and especially the last 9 weeks without him.

Thanks for proving the doctors wrong, little bro...I love you

Happy Birthday!!

" I don't know how to exist in a world where my dad doesn't "

George O'Malley, Grey's Anatomy

One of many New Years Resolutions:

In the year 2007 I resolve to: Swallow more, spit less. Get your resolution here.

borrowed from sass

Every Christmas up until my mom passed away, she gave the kids and I a Christmas decoration. I made a new tradition the Christmas after....the kids got to pick their own decoration from grama. They love this and it makes them feel closer to her.

This year I asked for another tradition...that the hub would pick out a decoration and surprise me with what he picked.

Christmas morning I unwrapped a beautiful purple angel.

It wasn't for a week that he told me the reason why.

" I bought you an angel because it reminds me of you...the angel that saved me from my life of self-destruction"

reason #458 of why I love this man.