Happy Birthday J2

For most people this day is full of memories – not good ones. For our family this day is a celebration of our son. Today is his birthday! We are blessed to have you be part of our family!

Memories of you…

• The smallest baby I’d ever seen – with hair that stuck straight up in the air. Later we found out your foster mom would put a cap on you to try and get it to stay down…but it didn’t really work!
• I remember the first day you came into our home. There was so much chaos and your foster mom was trying to give me your schedule and tell me important things and all I could do was look at you.
• Your first Christmas, we put you under our Christmas tree. You eyes would grow huge as you would watch the lights twinkling.
• I remember you sleeping in your swing as I desperately tried to wind it up without waking you! You slept so little those first months.
• I remember waking up and coming out to find you almost totally nude on the changing table with an exhausted Grammy saying “he’s happier this way” and it was true!
• I remember trying to bundle you as you screamed and screamed due to hyperstimulation. Pacing a dark room, whispering quietly to you until you finally fell asleep from exhaustion.
• I remember watching you toddle after your big brother.
• I remember your first snowstorm after you could walk. You were bundled up so much you could barely move. But it didn’t really matter as we could hardly get you to walk in it!
• I remember you dive bombing daddy whenever he was laying on the floor. You’d scream and jump – never matter what daddy was doing – you were totally confident that he would catch you…and he always did.
• I remember your 5th birthday when I watched the planes fly into the towers before you woke up. I wondered how I could possibly celebrate on a day like that. But when you woke up I realized how could I not celebrate you on a day like this. You will make a difference some day.
• I remember trying to tell you that we now lived in California, not in Oregon. You had such trouble understanding that concept.
• I remember seeing you arrive at the hospital after Joshua died. I see your dad crouching down to tell you and your big brother what happened. I doubt you understood a word of it.
• I remember trying to teach you to recognize a letter from the alphabet. Frustrating us both until the point of tears.
• I remember you hiding behind the chair when the TRex comes on Juraissic Park but having you pick it out again and again as your favorite movie.
• I remember you telling me you want to be a director because you think someone needs to make (Insert obnoxious kids movie title here)2. Actually you said “I want to be the guy who yells “Cut”!
• I remember giving you our old video camera and you yelling orders to all the family members as you directed us.
• I remember you bringing me your latest Lego creation and totally being able to recognize what it is!

There is almost too much to remember…and we’ve barely gotten started! I can’t wait to see what the next several years bring us and who you become! Happy Double Digits!!