Chapter 18- It's Another Boy

Chapter 18- It's another Boy

10/15/05

Today my friends prepared me a surprise baby shower. They decorated in a Hawaiian theme and put me in a coconut bra and luau skirt and lei.

Saul said he saved my brother's from falling off of the balcony. Mostly everyone from my family was there and some of Saul's family showed. I received cards with money, baby things, but there was one present in particular that stuck out. It was the one my mother gave to me. I started tearing through the wrapping paper was this old plastic bag and I unzipped it and pulled out what was inside was my old teddy bear. I yelled out, "Country Bear!" Tears just started streaming down my face. My face turned bright red because I was embarrassed that I was crying over a teddy bear, but I didn't think I was ever going to see him again.

I thanked my friends, family, and nana for making this all happen. I know now if it were not for my nana it would've never had happened, because once she died my family fell apart. All good times cease to exist. This is what happens when your separated from the ones you love.

Saul was working two jobs, coming home late almost every night, drinking and being dropped off by other women at 5am, and then giving me shit when I had to work the next day. I was petrified that I was bringing a child into this world. Primo started dating another girl and it wasn't long after he got me pregnant that he got her pregnant too. I hated it because he decided to stick with her and raise the baby, but for the life of me I couldn't understand why he felt he couldn't do the same with me. I felt real cheated cause I chose the wrong brother.

11/15/2005

It was a very cold night in the middle of November, I was watching the movie Crash when I began to feel contractions and I immediately called my friends so they could meet me at the hospital. My doctor mentioned that I was not dilated and chose to put me on Pitocin so my contractions would start working for me. It only took 3 hours after that to be in total labor.

Saul went to grab pizza as soon I started delivering the baby. Thank GOD my friends were there otherwise I would have been all alone. Like a baby I started crying for my mommy, but she was overseas on vacation. I named my baby Patrick. When he came out he was so observant with his eyes wide open from the moment he was born looking at his surroundings. His body was lanky and thin like my grandpee. He was so silent that I feared something was wrong. No worries for he was perfect in every way, all 7 lbs and 13 oz of him.

At six months old Pat was to be baptized. Saul and I planned a huge party. It was so sweet to see Primo with Pat, one day they both fell asleep with Pat nestled under Primo's arms. I captured this memory with a picture and it was my favorite one ever. Whenever I took a picture of Saul holding Pat he would always have a beer in his other hand, which would always disgust me because it always led to him arguing with someone later. Saul could never live without his beer. He always used to say, "I will never cheat on you, except with my beers", but that was a lie. At least I can't say he didn't warn me.

April 15, 2006

Today was Pat's day and we were going to celebrate it as one big happy family. Pat was all dressed up in his white suit. Primo scared Pat with his glasses on. I think Pat didn't recognize him and thought he was an alien because he let out a huge cry when Primo approached him. It was so funny. Both families seemed to have a great time.

Pat was baptized at St. Paul's in Cambridge, MA where most of my family members were baptized too, including me. So we were keeping the tradition alive. There was plenty of food, drinks, and music at the hall we rented in Somerville. It was a get together to remember. We got some beautiful pictures of the family too.

We found out that our home in Everett we lived in at the time had lead in it when Pat was medically diagnosed as being lead poisoned. Poor Pat he was just a baby and we had to give him iron drops in his food to bring his lead count down, and he lost all his cute little baby fat. He was a great baby though. He slept through the night as soon as he slept in his crib. Due to the fact that he was suffering from being lead poisoned we were able to go on the list for housing.