Lesson 28

Somehow, you went from my little baby to a boy. Nana and Bub bought you a 4-wheeler. You've become quite the daredevil. You go down the steepest part of the hill, as fast as you can, and you even lean forward to gain more speed. You actually drive really well, especially for a 3 year old. You will ride it so long that it has to be charged, and then you'll ride it till the battery dies again. I know it sounds strange, but the 4-wheeler has helped with some of my worrying. Oh, I still worry that you make sure to wear your helmet, or that you'll flip it (though, it's just a battery operated child's toy.) However, seeing how quickly you took to driving it and how well, makes me think that when you're a teen and it's time to teach you how to drive you'll be a safe driver. Which brings me to lesson 28...

Accidents happen. I had a car accident at 16, and another at 18. The first one was my fault, but I still swear the 2nd one wasn't, but the other driver was an older man and I think they took his word for what happened. Anyway, it's not important. What is important is insurance, maintenance, and being a safe driver. Never drive a car without insurance. Not just because it's illegal, but because you never know if there might be an accident, especially one that is your fault. You don't want to be in the position that you'll be paying for an accident for potentially the rest of your life. For the same reason, always wear your seat belt. I knew a girl once who was in an accident, it was actually pretty minor, but without a seat belt, she flew forward and hit her head hard enough the impact killed her. Maintenance is just as important, not only will it keep your car in safe working order, but it will keep you from being stranded at the side of road. There have been many times I've been stuck at the side of the road waiting for a ride or help. If I had known how to do things like check my own oil, I wouldn't have had a problem. Of course, you probably can skip reading this lesson, I'm sure Dad has nailed most of these into your head by now.

Lesson 27

5 days after my last post, your baby brother decided he was ready to come into the world. Mathew was born via C-section at 1:47pm. Most of the lead up is a blur to me. I was horribly ill and we had been into the hospital not 10 hours before for more pain and nausea. They sent me home, but as the day went on, I got sicker and sicker. When I finally couldn't hold water down, I went back to the hospital. I had pre-eclampsia and Mathew was stuck. He was perfectly healthy, but because of my complications we spent 4 days in the hospital. You stayed with Nana, and did so well. You were so excited to see Mathew, and I know you missed me but you did your very best not to jump on me as soon as you came back to the room. I'm almost back to 100%, I still can't lift heavy things yet, but we were able to go to Paradise Park and see the Easter Bunny and hunt for eggs. We even made it out to Nana's. Your dad has been so good about taking care of all of us. I didn't even have to change a diaper for 4 days after Mathew was born. He's been on top of feeding you (and not just Mickey D's either!) He's made sure you've had baths and that you even wore matching clothes. I haven't had to cook or clean anymore than I wanted and I even got to sleep in a few days. Which brings me to lesson 27...


One day, you're probably going to become a father. That's probably a topic best left to your dad, but I can offer some advice. When you become a dad, you're not just bringing home a newborn. You're bringing home a hormonal, tired, and recovering mother. She's going to be stressed. She's going to worry. She's going to be so tired she won't be able to see straight. She's going to cry for no reason. She's going to yell at you for no reason. There may be nothing you can do to make it all better for her. All you can do is hold her hand, tell her she's not crazy. When you want to yell, you can always come or call home and yell. I promise, after a few weeks she'll become sane again. I can't promise you guys will get more sleep, but after awhile, a new normal takes over and she'll heal. Besides, grandmas are always available for naptimes. :)