The First Year

The first year was filled with ups and downs, as any normal family I suppose would have. We lived together first in a small apartment. He worked a very good paying factory job, with long hours, leaving me as the main adult in the home. I took over all the parental duties. Feedings, diaper changes, baths, taking care of her when she was sick , up with her all night when she was cranky. You name it. I was in essence - a mom. I had my own children as well to take care of, doing the same things for them. She eventually began calling me...mommy.

She was with us every other week, all week long. Sunday through Sunday. She would then go to her Mothers house for the next week. Back and forth is how it always went. No bags to pack as we had our own clothes, food, bottles etc. Each was responsible for what she needed when she was at their home. Sounds so simple doesn't it.

She was a colicky baby. Or that's what I related it to at the time. She would cry for hours on end. And want to be held all the time. She was a baby, how could you not indulge her. I spent so much time with her during her weeks with us, she could have been another appendage. Most of the time if not on my lap, or on my hip, she wouldn't leave my side. As she developed and started speaking, it became clear to her "Biological" mother that the baby had began to call me mommy. It infuriated her, and she made it known by taking it out on my boyfriend. She would yell and holler and say "She has ONE mommy and that's me!" Little did we know that she was also making it clear to a toddler what she should and shouldn't say. We made no attempt to correct her. As far as she knew, she had two mommy's, and to us, that was OK.

Time went by and in May of 2004 we married, on a beach in California in a small but beautiful ceremony. I felt in my heart, I had finally made it. The love of my life, even with a little ex drama, was everything I had ever wanted.

By the time the baby turned 1, we had moved up in the world from little apartment, 3 bedroom mobile home. Her birthday was the day after Christmas, and as luck would have it, the visitation schedule had her with us for Christmas and her birthday. We wanted it to be special for her. And we enjoyed being a family.