Happy 34th Birthday Nick!

Here I am again...telling the same story I tell every March 3...Nick's birth day story...I always did this for my kids when they were growing up.  Some day they might appreciate it.

34 years ago today...actually 34 years ago last week, I went into the hospital for the first time.  I swear it was Leap Year Day.  Donny swears it wasn't.  But we'll go with my story.
It WAS Leap Year Day.  I thought it would be fun to have a baby on that day.  But Nick obviously DIDN'T want to be born on that day.  I walked around the hospital for several hours, then they sent me home.  I guess celebrating a (real) birthday only every four years wouldn't be much fun...until you got a lot older!  So we waited.

Three days later, Monday March 3, I didn't think THAT was the day either.  I had a doctors appointment that day around noon.  Doctor checked me, said "its not going to be today"...

Donny got home around 5:30.  I had dinner on the table and he, Melissa and I sat down to eat.
Then the contractions started...every ten minutes.  It was time to go.

One thing I remember about that day - my friend Nancy pulled into the driveway just as we were walking out the door - she was delivering our Girl Scout Cookies.

We were headed to Donny's sister Jean's (and Steve's) house.  They were going to keep Melissa when it was time.  We dropped her off, got back in the car and Donny said "which way should I go?  Wayne Avenue or 35?"  At that point my contractions were five minutes apart and I really didn't care WHICH route he took..."JUST GET ME THERE!"

We still have the ticket from the parking lot (in Nick's baby book)-I think we arrived at the hospital around 7...Donny dropped me off at the door (where they greeted me with a wheelchair)...by the time he got to the room where I was going to deliver, they told him it was baby time!  No time for
any meds - he was ready to arrive.

At 8:47 p.m., Monday, March 3, 1980, our family was complete.

A girl, and now a boy.  We were SO happy.  I got my first roses from Donny when Nick was born.

Nick was a happy baby...he learned this from his big sister!

...at 18 months, he got to tour an aircraft carrier in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

he loved his grandparents...Grandma & Grandpa Rotert

&

Grandma and Grandpa Fortener

he was (IS) handsome...

LOVED his big sister...

was (IS) very athletic...

a good husband and father...

a good friend

and the BEST son we could ever ask for!

Happy Birthday Nick!  We love you SO much!

***

What would Melissa say today?  She would for sure tell some stories about her brother on his birthday. I think she might talk about how she knew how to "push his buttons"...she would tell you how sensitive he is (TRUE).  She would probably tell you stories that I (still) don't know.  Although she did admit that once he was bigger than her, she had to change her strategies.  They definitely had their sibling rivalry.  But as they got older, they became great friends.  I know that he misses her like we do...

And I know that she loved him.  I never heard her say that out loud to him...until the night before she passed away.  Nick, Mere and Drew were there to visit (at Hospice).  When they were getting ready to leave, he said "see you in the morning Fort".  and she said 

"I love you Nick."

It was the last thing she said.  

Happy Birthday Nick from your sister - she loves you like we love you.  

May you have many more.