My Baby Boy

Dear Cole,

Today you are 8. EIGHT! Wow. I can't even hardly believe it. You are such a big boy now. And what a wonderful boy you are!

I remember the day you were born. I had labor pains all day long, and when they got so bad I couldn't stand it, I told Daddy to get me to the hospital fast! I remember the doctors tried to tell me that my labor wasn't real, and that I should go home. I argued and argued with them because I KNEW you were coming fast! You were my third baby - I knew what I was talking about! But they insisted you were days away from arriving. I finally agreed to get up and go home and that's when you decided you'd make your entrance RIGHT THERE AND THEN! Ha ha! You freaked all the doctors and nurses out. (But I KNEW! I knew my baby boy wanted to make his arrival!) But when they got me QUICKLY settled back in bed and when you were born (so fast!) the excitement soon turned to worry. There was no cry. There was only silence and lots of concerned looks on doctors and nurses faces. And Daddy wasn't smiling. I didn't know it yet, but you were having difficulty breathing. Before I could even hold you, they rushed you off to the neonatal intensive care. We found out later that the umbilical cord was wrapped around your little neck twice. But they had you on oxygen for only a short time (an hour or so) and you rallied! You turned pink and started wailing like newborn babies do! I was never so glad to hold my newborn Coley as that moment they first brought you in. I smiled all night long holding you! Just you and me...

And ever since then? You're still making me smile. You have SUCH a sense of humor. You LOVE making others laugh. (Even if it means getting in trouble.) Teachers, coaches, and principals don't appreciate your humor as much as Mommy and Daddy do! Others see a goofball little boy, but what they don't see is your heart of gold. You don't show very many people, but when you do...it shines brightly!

I remember last summer after a week of daycamp, I went to your counselor to sign you out. He asked me to step aside because he needed to have a 'word' with me. (Ooooh no. I wondered what silly thing you might have done to get in trouble...) But this thought quickly faded as he began to tell me what you'd done all week. He said you befriended a little boy that didn't have anyone to play with. You gave him money every day (money that I'd given you!) so that he could go to the camp store and buy himself candy. He said you even prayed with him every day so that he could accept Jesus into his heart. Oh man. THAT, I think, was my proudest moment as your Mommy so far. I cried all the way home. They were tears of joy and tears of pride. My baby boy, who appeared to be a goofball on the outside, knew what it was all about. You knew then, at the tender age of 7, more than most grown-ups do, what it meant to be compassionate and Christ-like. I am looking forward to watching you grow (and savoring every moment!) so I can watch how you surprise others with your amazing qualities.

So today on your birthday, I asked you what you wanted for your birthday lunch. And as predicted, you chose avocados and cucumbers, with a side of vanilla soy milk. Ha ha! I knew you'd chose that, and I already had all of it purchased. What a funny boy you are. Your brother and sister didn't understand why you didn't chose candy or pizza or McDonalds. But you know what you like!

I hope some day when you're older, you read this. Because even know I've told you before, I want you to understand that I feel so incredibly blessed to have you as my son. There is no greater joy for a mother than to celebrate another year of watching her children grow. Another year of the 5 us being a family. Another year of watching you take a step closer to making your way in the world. I want you to know that I consider you as one of my absolute BLESSINGS in my life. I thank God for you each and every day. I love you, my sweet Cole. My brilliant, funny, kind, precious 8-year-old boy. Happy birthday.

Love, Mommy