10 Birthdays

Bobby's birthday was on Sunday. It was a bit anti-climactic because Lillian and I were sick, but we tried to make the best of it anyway. I made Bobby's favorite pumpkin cake roll and we set it ablaze with candles! Then Lillian helped him open his present (she would have done it all by herself before Bobby got home if I didn't hide it from her)!

Every year when Bobby's birthday comes around I feel so grateful to his parents for not stopping at six kids. Heck, six would've been more than enough for me, but they decided to keep going and [lucky] number seven was Bobby. My world would be much different if their number seven never came along. Not to steal your thunder on your birthday, Bobby, but I think your mom deserves a party, too- thank you , BB!

As Bobby and I were getting ready for bed that night, we realized that we have been a part of each others' lives for his last ten birthdays. We tried to remember each one, and here's what we came up with:

2000 - 19^th birthday- I paid some friends to take Bobby out so I could sneak into his bedroom and decorate it to the hilt with balloons, streamers, and birthday signs.

2001 - 20^th birthday- Bobby was on his mission and I was a freshman at American University. I sent him 20 birthday cards (many of them hand-made because I was poor...whew, it was time consuming!)

2002 - 21^st birthday- Bobby was still on his mission. I was going through my less-frequent writing stage, but we’re pretty sure I still sent him a birthday card.

2003 - 22^nd birthday- Bobby was trying to rekindle our relationship. He made a lot of trips to DC to visit me, and this year we went to Bucca di Beppo for his birthday. It remains the best Bucca meal we’ve ever had (and a few months later I was baptized).

2004 - 23^rd birthday- We were engaged and scheduled to be married in June 2005 after I graduated AU. For Bobby’s birthday I gave him a paper chain count-down to the wedding. This caused an emotional break-down and we decided that we couldn’t wait that long. We moved the wedding up to January instead.

2005 - 24^th birthday- We had been married almost 1 year and were living in Newark. This was the year I made Bobby a birthday sign (the one I can’t find now). I hung it in the doorway between the living and dining rooms and took a picture of Bobby standing under it, pretending to hold it up (that's all we could remember).

2006 - 25^th birthday- Still living in Newark. Bobby was waiting to hear back from med schools (a few weeks later he got his acceptance to PCOM). This was also the month that we got pregnant with Lillian!

2007 - 26^th birthday- First year in med school. I brought Bobby out for lunch to Tommy Gun’s, a great BBQ place on Ridge Ave. They have the best fried mac and cheese in the world. I made an ice cream cake and we had friends over.

2008 - 27^th birthday- The weather was beautiful so we went for a walk along the Wissahickon. We got cheese steaks at Larry’s and ate them on the trail. This was the first year that I made a birthday pumpkin cake roll.

2009 - 28^th birthday- That brings us to this year!

Happy Birthday, Bobby!