Thursday, as I'm sure everybody knows, it was Valentine's Day. Everybody wore red and pink to school. It was also my son's 24th birthday. Gotta say, he was the best Valentine's Day present I ever got. No box of chocolates or bunch of roses can ever quite compare to the feeling of holding your first baby in your arms. Never mind that he had colic and cried nearly nonstop for the first three months.

I'd almost forgotten about how tired I was until I ran into David, a special ed teacher I work with. His new little girl, Ava, has been keeping him awake night after night. The other day, his wife asked him why he'd put the ice cream away in the cupboard. I remember turning off the shower because I thought the baby was crying only to hear nothing. I was so exhausted, I was imagining things. My husband, who teaches math, often wrote the wrong problems on the board, walked into walls, etc.. Being a new parent is a joy but not without its trials. Even when they're grown and on their own, somehow you never forget your first experiences as a parent.