A Long Time Ago

Baby Tuba Boy 2 mo
Originally uploaded by sunasak

18 years ago today, this little person showed up. I'd worked so hard to prepare for a lovely natural childbirth. It was really cold, too, in Urbana, Illinois that day. We have lots of photos of me looking large holding snowballs. I remember on January 14th driving to the hospital and feeling like I was going to die every time we hit one of those "road humps" that melting and refreezing ice cause on the roads up there.

But, by 6 am the next morning it was clear he was not exiting the normal way, so they got him out the other way. I was really disappointed about this, and so worried I'd get paralyzed form the spinal injection, but I lived. My strongest memory is when the midwife brought this little bundle around to me and a messy, wet head was looking at me. They took a picture, and he and I were both amazed looking. I swear, he LOOKED like the little thing in the sonograms! I recognized him!

Tuba Boy was the best baby ever, even though I was in total learning mode through his entire infancy. I think he was the first infant I ever knew. So, I talked to him a lot, mostly to tell him "thank you" for sleeping a lot. When he was awake, he was the most cheerful, sweet and funny guy ever (just like today). He learned to talk very early; his first word was "moon," uttered when we went into the back yard to look at a particularly lovely full moon. He pointed at it and said, "Moon!" as clear as a bell. He went on to make up a lot of words, to the endless joy of friends and family. He called music "Bydoo" and called our friends' cuckoo clock the "Bydoo Clock" for example. I remember him being pretty tiny as I walked him around the neighborhood and at every round object he said, "Ball." Over and over. One fun baby.

Today, Tuba Boy is one fine 18-year-old young man. He is still about the most verbal person i know. That kid can talk fast, and he loves to argue his viewpoints with anyone who'll engage with him. His sense of humor is not barbed, just sweet and hilarious. And he is a wonderful friend. Former Lovely Girlfriend really made a mistake, because he really treats women he cares about respectfully and kindly. He has such impressive morals and beliefs too--it is quite appropriate that he shares a birthday with Martin Luther King, Jr., who is one of his heroes.

Of course, the wonderful Tuba Boy has flaws. He procrastinates most irritatingly (I wonder if his college application materials are in the mail...?). He has a typical teen male ego in that he really doesn't think too much of the family's needs. He's pretty durned messy. And he could do a bit better at communicating with the family, though he's improving lately. But, that stuff just makes him human.

I have enjoyed the past 18 years in his company. He made my life worthwhile. When you first have a baby you think, "Wow, I am stuck with this person for the next 18 years!" but you know, I hope I am stuck with him a lot longer. I know he needs to go and stretch and find his own way, but I hope the bond we have will stay strong. I'll try to stay strong, though I think it will kill me to be without him, for quite some time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TUBA BOY!!!

And I'll be back to raving about Lee and Beccano next time!