Good morning folks.. haven't written, here, anyway.. in days.. worked all week. first Welfleet, then tried out dennis .. neither was anything special.. but with a mail order or 3 and the week.. we will eat.. and today it will be burgers, hot dogs, on the grill, some fruit plate, my most popular salsa, and chips, followed by.................CAKE BIRTHDAY CAKE for Andres..

7 years ago today, i was in new york, it was a friday..we had just driven back, from syracuse, n.y. after purchasing the winnebago, we'd driven up there. or should i say, i drove, the truck towing the 33' travel trailer, with my huge stomach, bumping up against the steering wheel.. every bump on the road a reminder i had a big baby sitting on my bladder!! 6 hours up to get the winnebago.. Greg came with us so to drive the truck back to long island for us.. that eve, after we arrived.. and signed all the papers, we took possession, and started loading all our things from the trailer to the motorhome.. for hours into the night greg, and Alfredo and myself moved .. by 1 am everything was transferred, and my exhausted self slept.. the next morning, Alfredo drove, That monster, (and btw that was the last time i drove, as i could never reach the pedals) back to long island, down I-81 through pennsylvania.. on the radio we heard that electricity had been out in 5 or more states.. Remember that? i sure do.. we got lucky and got gas at a station that still had electricity, and drove over the Throggs neck bridge, the city completely dark, in fact we didn't even pay a toll, all the gates were up.. and we crossed into the island, arrived at battle row camp ground, and parked, to my delight we had a generator..The following morning, while sipping coffee, i felt just a little wet.. and very calmly said, i believe we will be meeting Andres today.. and so after gathering a few things, and leaving my precious madeline with friends, off to the hospital we went.. checked in.. I was so frigging hungry got a sandwich had 2 bites.. when the nurse came in she said that my water hadn't broken, but that my fluid was so low, it was safer to deliver him today than to wait.. after finding i'd had 2 bites of a sandwich, they insisted i wait for hours to have my c-section.. so i spent 12 hrs waiting, so hungry i could have fainted, even Andres was hungry, he was barely moving in there.. finally around 11:30 pm, they took us all into the operating room, I remember crying, about how this would change the dynamics of my 5 1/2 year relationship with my precious madeline..
and at 11:45 pm there he was.. my little baby boy.. white as snow..

AUGUST 15th, on the 16th would be the first of many arguments over Andres, an American indian pediatrician came to see me in my room.. he said he was with the pediatricians office i would be working with, for his first few check ups.. he asked me why i was going to have him circumcised.. "well because that's what his father wants" i explained.. He then asked me if his father was.. I said no.. Then why.. ? There's no reason to in this day an age, we have plenty of water, and can bath often.. and it hurts the baby, and could be traumatic.. Well that was it for me.. hurt my baby.. cause trauma life long!! as soon as Alfredo came i expressed my feelings, and he still wanted to have it done.. as they wheeled the little glass crib from the room, with my baby boy.. i cried, and Alfredo ran down the hall, against his will, and stopped them.. brought my boy back penis in tact.. Strangely enough, and i have to say strange, i never saw the american indian dr. again.. i even wonder sometimes if he was real..

Alfredo and i would spend the next 5 years fighting over Andres.. It had already started upon conception..

In all the years, as Andres was born on a friday, his birthday always fell on a weekend, just as it has again.. and i always had to work.. not to say that i can afford a day off.. now especially, but we r staying in the loveliest of campgrounds, surrounded with nice families, and children, and i have our friends clyde, his girl friend marina, and rick, here on the cape, to come and celebrate, Andres 7 years with us.. Oh thank u god.. he is really a difficult boy, but he is the sweetest also, generous, sensitive, and loving.. when i wake up with him here in this little space, he brushes his little hand on my cheek, in the sweetest way.. as he looks at my face, my eyes still closed..

So today.. he gets to have his very first party.. balloons, ribbons, gifts in birthday wrapped paper.. a big cake to share with friends.. Madeline has devised all sorts of entertainment, a scavenger hunt, and a game where u pass around a gift wrapped 20 times or so, and each person gets to unwrap one layer, till the last one gets the gift inside, a cd we picked up at the flea for 3 bucks! Andres has ask for 180 days so how many sleeps till my birthday? 180 Andres, id say, the next day.. how many more sleeps till my birthday, 179 Andres.. and so on.. this morning he was up early, got back on the bed and said.. Todays my birthday.. and i said that's right,, last night was the last sleep to becoming 7.. so off to the grocery to pick up cake, and a few other things.. feel free to call and wish my boy a happy birthday.. i'll tell all about it later..

oh boy it's a boy!! a party.. 7 years, where does the time go.. from fetus to infant, from infant to toddler, toddler to child, child to teen, and then suddenly before your eyes, adults.. with lives of their own, ideas, loves.. of there own.. huh? well i still have some time..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDRES.. I LOVE U.. HAVE ALWAYS, FROM THE MOMENT I KNEW U WERE COMING.. AND WILL ALWAYS LOVE U..

SO GLAD U BLESSED ME WITH YOUR PRESENCE!! AND WHAT A PRESENT INDEED..

sincerely...
Mom.. mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, oh dear!!

and crew!!