One, Two...THREE!

This sweet face is 3 today!

THREE.

My baby.

How time flies.

The little man made his presence known in the womb, with powerhouse kicks that took my breathe away and he hasn't really stopped moving since.

Colin is full of emotion. He feels everything to to the fullest degree, happiness and sadness, laughter and tears. He is a rough and tumble little dude, doing everything that his brother does or will try till he hurts himself.

He loves his momma best, but watches everything his Daddy and brother does. He is extremely protective of anyone in his family and will fight anyone, any size, if he feels we are being wronged. While the transition from being the baby to the big brother this fall may be a little rocky at first, I know that he will fiercely protect and love his little sister, just like his loves and protects us.

What a complete and utter joy this boy has been to our lives. I can't imagine life without my sweet little full of life Colin.

Happiest 3rd Birthday, Colin. We love you SO much!

Summer Lovin'

It was a small piece of white paper. My husband's chicken scratch of handwriting was on it. A date, a time, a striped polo shirt and a white tank top.

That is it. That was all that was on this scrap of paper that Ryan handed to me. It was past 11pm and we were cleaning out our mess of a garage. Bins upon bins of random items where waiting to be gone through. We needed to clean up the chaos and get ready to list our house to sell. We were moving back to Michigan and I just wanted to go to bed and rest my weary, pregnant body.

But Ryan insisted that I re-examine this piece of paper.

"Look at it. Look at the date." he insisted.

Sure enough. July 16th.

This piece of paper was from July 16, 2000.

My than super sentimental boyfriend scribbled down the time, the date and what we were wearing when he asked me to be his girlfriend. He didn't want it to be for just the summer, but for the rest of the year. College in Minnesota for me. High school in Michigan for him.

It was a big moment in both our lives. Monumental enough that he felt the need to remember the exact time, even what we were wearing.

Thirteen years ago, we just wanted to be together and would worry later about what would come.

Now, we still feel the same way. Just want to be together, no matter what life may throw at us. And trust me, life, right now, is throwing as much as it can muster to throw.  

Some summer romances last just the summer and fade away as the leaves start to fall.  But I am more than happy to think back about that summer and realize that it was just the beginning of a wonderful, crazy adventure with a boy in a striped polo shirt who just wanted me to be his girlfriend.

Five.

My baby is five today.

It can't be.

He is too big.

I remember like it was yesterday, that long labor, that first little scream. Rubbing his little cheeks, seeing his long toes through the curtain of my c-section. The little peanut face that would only sleep next to me.

It seems like yesterday.

Now he is big and five. Kindergarten looms in the fall, but let's not think about that now.

My boy is smart and funny, kind and compassionate. He has a strong feeling of right and wrong and  shares his emotions about this freely.

He loves to create and draw, read and imagine. He loves his brother, even when they are fighting mad, and it looking forward to being a big brother to a little sister soon. He has already informed me that when he is 5 he will be old enough to help with the baby, even if that means changing diapers. He didn't look happy about those diapers, but seemed resigned to do his brotherly, 5 yr old duty.

I feel blessed to be his momma and get the privilege to watch him grow and learn.

How loved you are, my handsome Jack. You changed our life for the better when you came into this world five years ago and your dad and I will be eternally grateful for that and for your life.

Happy Birthday, Jack! We love you SO much.