Times Have Changed

"Ya know, I'm going to cancel the doctor's appointment for tomorrow."
It has taken me one year to even think these thoughts, let alone say them out loud. For a year, we have lived by doctors' appointments and hung on their every word (okay, the 85% we could understand;). We have scheduled our lives around check-ups, scans, evaluations, and therapy. Sure, Maximo is worth it. But it was really nice to actually call the doctor's office and reschedule for next week.
After all, it is his birthday tomorrow. Even though we're not going to have a party for his birthday (much to the chagrin of everyone else in Peru), really, should anyone unnecessarily go to the doctor's office on their birthday? We were invited to dinner to celebrate two other Roosevelt birthdays, so we're going to go. It's nice to not worry too much. It's comforting to know that we all persevered this past (crazy) year. For once, we're not saying, "No, sorry, we can't come, we have a (fill-in the specialist)'s appointment."
Just today, Maximo came up to school so we could go to his other doctor's appointment, and it was nice to pass him off to our students who just oohed and ahhed over him. For so long, we had to be cautious about germs; for so long, we couldn't even leave the house.
It's nice to breathe and enjoy our son.
I'm looking at the clock right now. Last year, at this time, my water had broken, I just got off the phone with my mom for the second time , the doctor left for the night, I received a shot of steroids to help with Maximo's lung development and I was hooked up to a fetal monitor, knowing our teeny tiny baby was going to be born the next day. My heart still does flip-flops like it was yesterday.