Birthday gift

Today is Younger Nephew's birthday -- his 26th (!!).  I've been thinking a lot lately about the nephews when they were little boys, how cute they were, how quickly they grew up. And thinking about how his birthday & Katie's stillbirth are forever linked in my memory.

Twenty years ago, Younger Nephew was turning 6 and we were at his backyard birthday party... me 6 months pregnant, wearing a cute one-piece maternity shorts romper outfit in grey & white floral denim (I loved that outfit). Despite the knowledge that all was not completely well, I was pretty much clueless about the hurricane that was about to engulf us at my ob-gyn checkup, a few short days later.

As I wrote in a blog post 10 years ago, remembering that day:

As was my habit, I was taking photos, when our nephew said, "I want to take YOUR picture." I handed him the camera & dh & I posed for him. He's aiming up at us & we're looking down at him (& from this vantage point, my belly looks ENORMOUS!), but it's a great photo. It is also the only photo I have of myself visibly pregnant. Thank God I let him take it. Someday when he's older, perhaps I'll tell him that. 

It occurred to me that I'd never shared that photo here before. No time like the present...!  Here it is. (OMG, both of us 20 years younger, lol... so few grey hairs!!)  Thanks, Younger Nephew. It may be your birthday, but this photo was a gift for ME. I owe you.