Happy 4th Birthday

Four years ago today we were shocked when my doctor said “We need to get him out of there”. This was 4 weeks early and she had told us “Something is just not right, we can’t take the chance of letting you go home”. So he was born 8/8/2009, at 35 ½ weeks, weighing 5lbs 6oz. He seemed so small and so fragile. 

Now 4 years later I still find myself saying “something is just not right” this kid is Crazy and he is far from fragile. He is more like a bull in a china shop. He’s full of life and questions. He is LOUD and never stops talking. He is a tough little guy and could care less if he is filthy dirty. He loves to be outside.  He is sarcastic and talks fresh. He thinks he is hilarious. He makes himself laugh. He is particular, everything needs to be just so or he will freak out. He makes me tired every day.  He usually makes me mad at least once a day. He is the reason why I keep finding gray hairs poking out.  He is the only kid I know who hates bread but wants a thermos full of broccoli for lunch. He is his own person and always thinks he’s right. He is stubborn. He stalls when you ask him to anything or he gets side tracked while trying to finish the task, yet will sit there and do a 75 piece puzzle together all by himself. He is addicted to Smoothies and fruit snacks. He has personalities and “characters” that he is not embarrassed to let shine through. One day he is Jason Aldean, all country, then a complete Jock crazed about sneakers and playing sports or maybe pirate. He is all over the place and keeps us busy. He terrorizes our cats and they both run from him. He fights with his brother which is something I thought having children 10 years apart we would skip out on. He is the type of kid that if he came first you probably wouldn’t do it again and you definitely wouldn’t have done it 10 years later.  

You raise a child for 10 years. You can’t imagine loving another child the way you love and have loved this child for 10 years.  You wonder if you can have the impact on this boy as you did on the first one.  You question your ability to raise an infant and a tween. You wonder if your 10 year old “Momma’s boy” is still going to be “Momma’s boy” because you don’t want to lose that. You just hope you can give the 2^nd boy just as much of yourself as you gave to the first one. You soon find you can and you do. You give everything you have to both of them in different ways. It’s not an option or inconvenience, it’s what you want to do, and it’s what you live for and then the day comes when your Husband tells you “You got this one too, he’s obsessed with you”. Then there it is you have 2 Momma’s Boys. 

Because 4 years later the same boy that gave me some gray hair also loves me “up to the sky with 199 hugs and kisses” unconditionally.

He is so lovable. He loves all 3 of us so much. He is the center of the house most times, keeping us all together and making us step out of the daily routine to play soccer, watch a movie, do a puzzle or just watch his teenage brother shoot hoops. He is funny. He makes us smile. He makes us laugh. He is full of surprises. He sings and tells stories. He is affectionate and loves to be held and be hugged. He loves to help me cook. He loves just to be near me. He is a huge snuggler. He loves Carlos (his stuffed monkey) just as much as he loves us. He has ideas about everything and is very smart.  He is his own unique little person that we still sometimes say “something is just not right” this kid's a crazy lil Dude….but we know he is JUST RIGHT for us. He completes us and I could not imagine my life without him in it.

Happy 4^th Birthday Tanner! Momma loves you!!