Happy Mom's Day

Brandon and I had a great mom's weekend.  We took my mom out to lunch Saturday at the Mandola Vineyards in Driftwood with my brother.  Brandon gave me my mom's day wish of sleeping late today and we had a nice lunch with my friend Kate and Brandon in Dripping Springs.  Basically a great mom's day weekend.  Brandon came in this morning and said "Happy mommies' day mom" and there have been many hugs and kisses all weekend.  I have always told Brandon that the great thing about being a mom is that mom's get hugs and kisses whenever they want.  He loves that and so do I.  That is the great thing about Brandon he never gets too old or too tired of hugs and kisses. 

I look back over the years at all those mom moments I wish I could change.  The time I gave Brandon as an infant an adult dose of my cough syrup thinking it was his seizure medication and had to stay awake all night to watch him; the time he broke his foot and I thought it was just a sprain after a visit to the doctor only to find out a week later he had really broken it and in the meantime I made him walk on it at Patrick's boot camp graduation.  I couldn't understand why he was so whinny and then feeling really bad when I found out it was really broken.  The time we were at our property clearing brush by the "swimming hole" when Brandon slipped in and I found him at the bottom of the swimming hole (not more than a few seconds but scary), and you know all those times I forgot lunch for school, didn't quite get the schedule right for the day or two sitters show up at the same time.

Then I look back on all those great moments like the first steps Brandon took at 4 after I just received his new wheelchair; the first time Brandon ate food through his mouth at 5 following1 month of rehabilitation in the hospital.  Brandon's first Christmas in ICU after his birth with all the great nurses caring for him; the first time I heard Brandon say "mama" and I could understand him; those great Beatles duets we sing in the car; the day the doctor's said Brandon is taking more food by mouth than through his g-tube; the day I finally was able to have all machines unhooked to Brandon at night; the time when Brandon did not need any more night nursing at age 7; the 18 months of home school when I learned how smart Brandon really was; the first sentence Brandon formed on his communication device; the first time Brandon voluntarily spoke after the class I took helping me to learn how to communicate with Brandon; the time Brandon accepted his award for the Beatles movie he made that won second place at a local film festival and all those good comments from people who have been touched by Brandon's sweetness.  But the best thing I can say as a mom is that Brandon is happy and for me that is a great success.   

With the exception of the few scary illnesses in Brandon's life I would not change a thing from the last 17 years.  Brandon has really taught me what is really important in life and how to appreciate those things, a lesson some people never get to experience. 

So for all you mom's out there, especially you single mom's - we hope you had a "Happy Mommies Day".  You deserve it. 
Leah