THE STORY OF AUNT SHMOO

There once was a girl named ..well, "me". Born in a trailer park in the 70's.

5 years later she suddenly had a sibling, ....."sis".

"Me" and "sis" had a great childhood...lots of awesome vacations, lots of love. We never wanted for anything.

"Me" and "sis" didn't like each other so much growing up...I pretty much picked on her all of the time. Yeah, even through high school. Our relationship didn't change until she left for college. For some reason, it flip flopped overnight. All of a sudden, I liked my "sis"...and I missed her. Having her away for years (while she puttered around the country for education and boys), was hard. I wanted to have her close to me.

All the while, despite our separate lives and completely different personalities, we shared one thing - the desire to NEVER REPRODUCE. It's odd really..didn't make sense. There was no basis for it. Our family was awesome!

Well...as years go by..."sis" actually found a soulmate, and married. Of course, I'm like a tumbleweed drifting in the dating world, but that's OK - really! Pressure's off me to spawn, and placed directly on her. She battled with the decision...still never really wanting to reproduce. The decision was "the 5 year plan." After 5 years of being married, we shall REVISIT the idea of making a bean (aka "kid").

As we all know, sometimes the "best laid plans" just don't quite go the way you want them to. Instead of "revisiting" at 5 years, BLAMO - the seed is planted, and "sis" is preggers. It was a very, very difficult first few months for our family, I'll leave it at that.

I kinda flipped out, and had myself sterilized so I would not get pregnant! (oh come on, things were a bit different for me, I didnt even have a boyfriend, let alone a mate!). Sis kind of hated me for that...but, I am no spring chicken and there's no long term anything on the horizon for me..so it's all good..

So...pregnancy progresses..."sis" was sick for 4 months :( Never ever did feel good. It hurt me to see her feel so crappy - she's always "on the go" - here and there, so watching her stopped in her tracks was difficult (she called it "pregnancy jail") :)

The time was approaching..she continued to get bigger and bigger (sis was such a hot pregnant chic - I didnt know that was possible. From behind you could not tell she was pregnant! It was all belly. She was adorable, but you couldn't tell her that).

Due date approaching...baby Ray does not want to come out. No dilation still, and we're only 4 days away from the due date. Decision is made to induce. So on 3/31, the process starts. I went to visit sis after work. 10 hours in, still only 3 cm.

It took 25 hours, changing positions a gazillion times, epidural, pain meds..exercise ball...before he was ready. Finally, on 4/1, out comes Baby Ray...the new love of my life.

The first time I met him, I was instantly in love - maybe for the first time in my life. He was merely an hour old, tiny and pink and perfect....BABY RAY, meet your AUNT SHMOO...

Life is forever changed by this little amazing creature, that my sister made. She made him! It really is mind boggling...I just want to snuggle him and eat him up! Never thought I'd feel this way about anything, especially a BABY!!! A BABY!!!

Baby Ray, Aunt Shmoo loves you..and we're gonna have the best time together!!!