41

I started the day off by being forced awake a half hour earlier than I had hoped to get up, courtesy of my dear little Finn (and that was after being up with him for two 30-minute feedings during the night). 5:30 a.m. is just an atrocious hour to get up. After getting the kids all fed and ready for school, I headed to the dentist for an hour of torture. Having shiny, pointed instruments shoved into your gums while being lectured about poor flossing is not my idea of a good time. Because of the dentist appointment, my morning coffee was delayed by a couple of hours, which resulted in a killer headache. I got home in time for Michael to rush out the door to make the train in time to get to the office before noon. Annabelle has a cold and is uber crabby (and I'm trying to keep her away from Finn, as I'm terrified of him getting his first cold since I keep hearing how DS babies have compromised immune systems - what does this mean? That he'll be get sick more easily, or that the sicknesses he gets will be more serious?). Only junk mail today, but what did I expect? The cards have trickled in over the last several days, and they've barely registered. All I want to do is take a nap, but there is no rest for the weary.

On the happier side, the kids all greeted me with big hugs and kisses this morning. Joey cracks up every time I insist I'm 34 and says, "Naaaaahhhhhh!!" There is a sizeable box wrapped in fuscia paper, along with a small stack of cards, sitting on the top shelf of the buffet. The twins are bringing me pages torn out of their coloring books, and Annabelle keeps bringing me various toys as gifts (she takes them back though).

What I want to know is: how in the hell did I get to be this age? Seems like I was just 20 . . . okay, not 20 - my 20's seem like a lifetime ago, and in fact were part of a different lifetime. But it does seem like I was just 30-something, freshly re-married and starting a new life, mother of one child. And I blinked, and here I am, 41 years old, married for 7 years now, and the mother of 6. I wouldn't trade any of it for anything. I just wish it didn't all go by so quickly.

Happy Birthday to me.