Sweet September

My birthday celebration carried into this weekend - I'm almost getting as bad as my mom who declares June to be her "Birthday Month".  Tonight we did dinner with my parents and Olivia.  At the end the waitress brought out a dessert complete with a candle for me to make the standard birthday wish.  For a minute I really couldn't think of anything to wish for, it has truly been the best year of my life.  I had Olivia on my lap squirmy as she could be and trying to grab the silverware off the table so everything that we could ask for from our five month old fighter.  All our family is in good health and the majority are local so we see them often.  Yes, life has been good to us. 

Yesterday marked what would have been my grandma's 96th birthday.  She's been gone for a year and a half now, but it wasn't long after she passed away that I found out Olivia was on the way.  I am definitely a believer in the saying that when one door closes another opens.  Even though Gram was too tired and sick to carry on with us she sent us Olivia to make sure that we'd continue to stay busy and always keep our focus on the future. 

Today is of course September 11th and although it has a poignancy for all of the country, it impacts us even more as Brian lost his Uncle KD - a New York Firefighter nine years ago today.  Each year around this time those memories of sadness and loss become more prominent, but I think this year Olivia might have helped lighten the grief a little bit.  Of course it is sad to know that she will have never met KD, there will always be stories to tell her of those loved ones that have come and gone before her.  How special that she has a real life hero in the mix of all our loved ones. 

When Olivia sleeps she often smiles which may be a very common thing with babies, but we always say that she's talking with the angels.  She has all of my grandparents, Uncle Giuliano, Brian's Grandpa Charles and Uncle KD up there, so the girl has a lot of people to talk to when she's having those sweet dreams.  No wonder she sleeps so long these days, she's exhausted from all the conversations they're having with our little one.