And Then God Made Brandon!

I should have known from the day he was born, he was going to have an amazing impact on my life. He was born on December 25th, the same day we celebrate our Savior's birth. He is the first child of my son Andrew. I honestly loved him from the second I found out he was coming into this world. Sadly, I can't say my son felt the same from the start. Andrew was immature at the time, and he was scared! He never felt love from his own father which he so badly wanted. So, in his heart he felt he would not be a good father either.

I got on my hands and knees and asked, “Heavenly Father, how I should handle this since I have been mom and dad to Andrew since he was born?" ” This story shares my answer.

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Andrew and his girlfriend Brandy were going to have a baby even though they weren’t married. When the birth was near, Brandy’s aunt gave her a baby shower. I was invited.

I asked Andrew to take me to Brandy's aunt's house on the day of her baby shower. At first he told me, "No, Mom! I’m not going near there!"

I said, “Look, Andrew, I am not asking you to stay there; but I do think you should talk to her. You owe her at least that much."

"To shut you up, I will take you, but I’m telling you she won't talk to me," Andrew replied.
I smiled secretly.

As he was pushing me to Brandy's aunt's house in my wheel chair - I have Cerebral Palsy, but that’s another story - I took advantage of our time alone to mention how awesome a dad I knew he was going to be.

"I know in my heart I taught you right from wrong, Andrew. I know you have real feelings for Brandy, and this baby is coming into our lives for a reason. I love you with every inch of my soul, and I know you will make the right decision. I am here for you and will support you in whatever you decide."

We arrived at the shower, and Andrew carried me into the house. As soon as Brandy saw him, she ran down into the basement. Andrew didn't want to make a scene, so he kissed me on the cheek and told me to call him when I was ready to come home. Brandy came back upstairs when she knew he had gone.

The shower was nice, but I could tell Brandy was sad. I told her to be strong. "My son is hard headed, but he will come around."

I called Andrew when everything was over, and he came to get me. Brandy took the time to show him what she got for the baby, then Andrew and I left for home.

I was really tired when we arrived home and had Andrew put me right into my bed in the living room. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I remember is Andrew running towards the front door.

I popped my head up and said, "Where are you going?"

"I am going to get that Rock-a-Bye-Baby you want."

I just smiled because I knew in my heart it was really what he wanted.

"Hey, Andrew, did Brandy decide on any names yet?"

"Yeah, if its a boy, he will be Brandon."

Brandy and Andrew decided to try to work things out and learned to talk to each other a little better. As her due date drew closer, they both became excited and nervous about becoming first time parents. I could not wait to hold my little peanut and was anxious to become a Mom Mom.

Finally, Brandy went into labor really late on Christmas Eve. We started looking forward to a Christmas baby. Yahoo! Merry Christmas to me. I couldn't have asked for a better present than that sweet bouncing, baby boy.

It didn't take long before I was up at that hospital holding the baby in my arms. The joy I felt was overwhelming. The spirit I felt in my heart that day grows more and more as I watch Brandon grow and develop each time I see him.

I love to sing and from the start, I sang lullabies to him. He would fall sound to sleep in my arms as I sang. Holding my child's son in my arms and rocking him to sleep is what I call coming full circle.

My son would look at me, smiling, "I wish I knew how you do that, Mom. I try to do it, and he just screams. You must have the magic touch." I would smile back at Andrew and say, Brandon knows Mom Mom is not nervous.”

My son said, "No, Mom, he feels your love. I know I did."

Happy tears filled my eyes as I continued to rock my grandson.

Brandon is a wonderful mix of his mommy and daddy. He is a very loving, determined, strong- minded, hard-headed, and caring individual who will tell you what is on his mind no matter what. He is six years old now.

Brandon has been the most awesome gift God has given me since my own children. He loves his Mom Mom and his awesome daddy.

I wish you could see them together. His daddy is the best person in the world to him. They are lost without each other. Brandon has taught his daddy something I couldn't. I tried, but it took Brandon coming into his life for my son to learn the real meaning of unconditional love.

My son finally realized what he’d felt all his life. Andrew looked up at me and said, "I love you, Mom. Thank you." with the most beautiful smile on his face I have ever seen.