I was about 10 years old and I was going to Florida. My family had moved there about three years prior to this trip and I wanted to go see what the hype was all about down there. So my parents let me go. My uncle came to Connecticut to visit my parents then I went to Florida with him, so I wouldn’t have to go alone. I was so excited. I was going to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins that I’m the closest to. I have this cousin that isn’t related to me by blood, just by marriage, but we are probably the closest. He’s closest to my age so we talk about a lot of things. Anyway, I had the best time on that vacation. We did so many things down there. We went to the beaches, went quading, swam in my uncles pool a lot, went to so many different malls, went to many different water parks. The best thing that happened to me was toward the end of the vacation.

I was staying in Pompano, FL for a month during my summer vacation. I was supposed to leave Florida alone and meet up with my parents in New York. Little did I know, my mom was coming to meet with me the last week so we could leave together. She showed up and I was so happy because that was the first time I had been so far, for so long, without my parents. I had a cell phone at this time and I would constantly call my mom. Every night I would call or cry because I missed my parents so much. So when my mom got there I was so ecstatic. I wanted to show her all the cool places I had gone and tell her about my trip. I was kind of bummed that my dad didn’t come with her, but It was just as fabulous to have my mom there with me.

However, my mom wasn’t there just to bring me home. She was there to also spread some joy and tell everyone amazing news. She was pregnant! I was ecstatic. I was probably the happiest ten year old around. I had been begging my parents for a little brother or sister. Also, we had recently got a little puppy just because my parents weren’t sure if they wanted another kid. My mom told me that my dad would always say that he wouldn’t be able to love another kid like he loved me and keep wondering about that. My dad and I both wanted it to be a girl. My mom was undecided.

Anyway, we went home from that trip and I would always make sure my mom was okay, just because she was pregnant. I would go to school and run home to check on my mom. I was so excited to see the baby. I was more excited to know whether it was going to be a girl or boy. And of course my mom had to find out and spoiled the surprise, and told my dad and I that it was a boy. My father and I were kind of sad, but it was a little mix to our family. I was the only child and a girl, so my parents and I were going to experience a new way of life.

We spent the last couple of months thinking of names. My father and I would think of different kind of names, but my mom was so stuck on simple names. She chose Jeffrey. This is now, to us, a very good name. He reminds me of this kid I used to know in middle school. His name was Jeffrey and he had orange hair, and that what color my brothers hair is.

Getting back to the story, I was so ecstatic that he was finally coming to join our family. The day he was born I was in school, and my father had picked me up a little early, but by the time we got there, Jeffrey was already born. The whole car ride I was yelling at my dad to hurry up. He seemed so patient but I think he was just nervous. We got in the room and my mom was exhausted. She was so tired she could barely stay awake from the labor. After I spoke to my mom, I turned around and went to go welcome Jeffrey. This warm feeling filled my heart when I saw him. His tiny little hand opening and closing as if he was trying to grab me, his little eyes opening slowly, and the few strand of fire red hair. Now, this was the confusing part. My father had black hair and my mother had brown hair. We kept wondering, how did he come out with orange hair? We later went to Brazil with him and my grandmother told us that her father had orange hair just like his.

Now, he is seven years old, eight next month. He is the best brother I could ever ask for. He’s the funniest little kid out there and I’m so happy that we were blessed with him.