Well, well, well. Look at who did thirty posts in thirty days. I believe some coffees and surprises were offered if I made it this far. I'm fully expecting the pay-out. I am, more than ever, an awesome human being.

It seems fitting that the last day of NaBloPoMo falls on the birthday of the boy who started it all: Intrepid is thirteen today, officially making me the mother to a teenager.

Thank the Gods that I'm also young, beautiful, talented, and intelligent or I might just be feeling really confused right now. I might be sitting here wondering how, exactly, that darling little baby I held in my arms thirteen years ago is now almost as tall as me and has feet so big that I can slip his shoes on with ease.

I might be wondering how this child of mine went from a baby who had no respect for my previous life, its sleep patterns, un-engorged breasts, and food that was actually prepared rather than microwaved, to a young man who used his some of his birthday money to buy his brothers Christmas presents.

I could be pondering how on earth we got here, with such a great kid who is loved by everyone he meets and who has made entering the teenage years anything but scary. We were painted a very grim picture of who this child would become. He was supposed to have learning disabilities, a severe case of ADHD, major behavioral and social issues, and quite possibly end up a dysfunctional delinquent.

It figures he'd break the mold, that one.

Intrepid's birthday ended exactly the way he wanted it: with a game of Super Mario Bros. Wii with his dad and I. Tomorrow, we visit the orthodontist so he can tell us how much his mouth is going to cost.

I'm so happy we're in the process of remortgaging.

My boy is growing up, and I love him more every year. Happy birthday, my wonderful son. It's amazing how someone so perfect could have come from someone like me. Miracles really do happen.

(photo courtesy of my sister, of course. The picture on the left is of Intrepid holding baby Gutsy for the first time. He then handed him back, ran into the bathroom and puked. Leave it to one of my gremlins to get a stomach flu when I'm birthing his brother.)