#229 Hungry. Breast. Hungry.

Today my oldest baby turns 7. He was conceived in Philadelphia after numerous tries and some help from fertility specialists. He was born in Oklahoma about 6 months into my first year of residency. He captured my heart from the minute I knew he existed. I think he captured his uncle’s heart at about the same time.




Eric was in Oklahoma for my son’s birth and I have already posted some of the pictures he took here.



Here is the transcript of a letter Eric wrote to him before he was even a year old. You won’t get the full effect as the letter is written on a card shaped like a half moon with teeny tiny, almost intelligible letters curving around to fit the space, but you wouldn’t be able to read it if I just took a picture so I’ll type it out for you.



“Dear (child’s name here),

Well here it is boy, your very first business trip look. I can just imagine what was going through your mind when you heard that Uncle Eric was going to Finland: Hungry. Breast. Breast, breast, hungry, hungry. Hungry, hungry, hungry, hungry, breast, breast, breast! Breast. Hungury. Breast, hungry, breast, hungry; hungry hungry breast hungry hungry hungry. Breast! Breast! Hungry, Hungry, hungry, hungry! (Do you know something, the more you write a word, the more absurd it seems.) At any rate, this is why I feel pretty confident that you wouldn’t be disappointed by the fact that I got you clothes. I know, clothes. But let’s face it, if your Uncle Eric doesn’t dress you, Mommy is likely to, and that can’t be good. Besides, if you look real close, there is a toy! I even sucked on it to make sure it tastes good. I have to go now, because if I don’t pretend to work, they stop paying me, and then no clothes (with toys) for anyone!



Love,



Eric”



As best as I can I have preserved Eric’s misspellings and punctuation.



I can remember getting this card and crying with laughter. I can remember trying to read it over the phone to my mom and gasping with breath I was laughing so hard. I also remember the outfit. I wouldn’t exactly call it business attire, or really any type of attire. It consisted of blue and white printed pants and a white shirt that never really ever fit. It was also so ugly that I never would have dressed him in it anyway. It just led to more laughter.



Oh Eric, we miss you so much.