Showers of Happiness, Gavin Style...

Summer break ended today and school was back in session for Brian - and Gavin's friends in his classroom, too.  Brian was very excited to see his friends again.  And he was proud to tell one of his teachers that he was going to be a big brother!  Brian's time in that classroom will be ending soon!  He started in Miss Laura's class in January of 2012 with a speech delay.  He really was barely talking at all!  I wrote about his first day... and MY first day sending a child off to school alone (Gavin had yet to start school yet) in THIS piece.  It didn't take long for Brian to start talking... and never stop.  So now it's time for him to move on.  His last day with Miss Laura is August 6th and he will be in a new preschool making new friends by the end of the summer.

After I picked him up from school and we had lunch together, the two of us went on a very important mission.  We set off for Gavin's classroom to meet with his teacher, Miss Megan.  Megan is due to have her first baby any day now!!  Miss Sara and I had been invited to her baby shower, but we were in Disney World and couldn't make it.  So today, Brian and I delivered our presents and were so happy to see familiar faces (including Gavin's - his picture remains on the wall!).  We represented Sara, who is enjoying a summer vacation with her parents!

At Megan's shower, her Mom and sister did something extraordinary as a way to honor Gavin, who was so special to Miss Megan.  Take a look at the sign that greeted guests as they came in...

While Brian had fun playing with Miss Ericka, Gavin's former Occupational Therapist, I had the chance to chat with Megan and just take in the classroom that was once Gavin's.  Megan showed me photos of the adorable nursery they set up for the baby - with monkeys swinging from trees all over the room.  But the part that got me choked up was when she told me that there is a photo of Gavin on a shelf right above the crib.

The first gift I wanted to give Megan was a copy of "The Invisible String."  I told her I wanted it to always stay with her - either in her personal collection...

...or travelling from classroom to classroom.

The gifts we chose were rather sentimental for me!  Both were from her registry and I got very choked up when I saw that she chose the "Rainforest" bouncy seat.  Ed and I chose everything Rainforest when I was pregnant with Gavin.  It seemed appropriate since we met on the way to Puerto Rico!  I hope Megan's little baby (my money is on BOY!) enjoys his seat as much as Gavin did.

And I couldn't resist choosing the baby tub off of her list.  After all, Gavin loved his bath... and anything to do with water.

Miss Sara and I are both in agreement - Megan is going to be a natural as a Mom.  How do we know?  Because she's already a surrogate Mommy to the kids in her class... and she loved Gavin as if he was her own.  This baby of hers doesn't know it yet... but he (or she... but really, I'm so sure this is a boy!) has won the Mommy lottery.

And he (or she) scored a pretty incredible guardian angel in Gavin, to boot.