Epiphany.

This morning it hit me like an 18-wheel semi truck rounding the corner at a NASCAR race: Alex is mine.

I know what it might sound like to my readers. At least 75% of you are thinking, "Captain Obvious much? She's just NOW realizing this fact? Call CPS ASAP!" But really...it came straight out of the blue and just *wham* was all up in my grill, totally without permission or fair warning.

The realization of carrying him for 9 months and subsequently having him sliced out of my uterus has finally snuck up on me, and it's no small thing.

       He is part of ME.

       He is not rented, leased, on loan or just visiting for a long weekend.

       I am responsible for raising him to be a genuinely decent human being.

It's no small burden to bear, and it absolutely blows my mind to pieces to consider the gift of his life. I mean...think about it: I grew a person - a freaking PERSON - from scratch and now I get to take that person and introduce him to life and all of the opportunity it holds.

I honestly stopped breathing for a minute on the drive into work thinking about how magnanimous my job as a Mother is. Literally was near panic attack status.

But then I remembered that I am awesome. And that Joe is awesome. And that we are awesome together. And because of that, Alex will be awesome.

And now, I shall resume breathing normally and return my pulse to resting rate.