Another Year Older...

At 3am this morning five years ago, Matt and I became parents for the first time. We were new at this parenting thing, we were definitely unexperienced, we were scared out of our minds, but we were the most excited and happiest we had ever been. Kaden was two weeks early because of blood pressure problems I was having toward the end of my pregnancy, but he was our biggest baby to date, weighing in at 8 lbs. He was admitted to the NICU for two days due to difficulty breathing and eating and looked like a giant lying in that bed surrounded by premie babies. In an instant he was the center of our world. It was an immediate HARD love, the kind that made us wonder how we ever lived without him.

I look back at that time and it seems like it happened just yesterday and forever ago at the same time. We've gone through those emotions two more times now and those feelings never change, but there is still nothing like the experience of having your first child.

Now here we are, and our first born is five years old. I could go on and on about him, and maybe I will, so bare with me...He is bright and articulate. He is wild and subdued, sometimes within the same minute! He is thoughtful and kind. He is sensitive and vulnerable. He truly cares! He is definitely the typical oldest child in every sense of the word. He is my pleaser boy, never wanting to disappoint. He is my consumer...I always say that the toy advertisers specifically target kids like him...he loves toys and treasures the things he has. He is a good big brother (most of the time) and when it comes down to it, he says his siblings are his best friends. He mature in the gospel beyond his years and loves going to church and learning. He is definitely in that awkward transition between being little and being big and I know that at times that's a struggle for him. I love looking into his little face when he doesn't know I'm look at him...it's such a perfect little face and I love watching him thinking, observing, exploring, wondering...I love the serious look he gets when he's deep in thought! He is a wonderful leader and example, and I have no doubt he will pave the way for his younger siblings.

Next year we will send our oldest off to school, and even though I have months to prepare myself for that event, I don't think that any amount of time can truly prepare a parent for that moment. To me that moment signifies a beginning, things change after that moment, and if I think life moves too fast now, I think it will kick into freeway speed then.

We love you Bubba and we love all that you are and all that you are becoming! You are the coolest kids around and we hope you have a wonderful 5th Birthday.

So for his 5th Birthday, I conducted a little interview and it went something like this...

Q: What's your favorite color?

A: orange, green, red, and blue (this answer has definitely expanded over the years)

Q: What is your favorite food?

A: spaghetti (no surprise there)

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?

A: A guy who finds dinosaur bones (this has changed recently from a zookeeper, both great choices, I must say)

Q: What's your favorite book?

A: Anything dinosaur

Q: What's your favorite TV show?

A: Go Diego Go (this could change at any moment)

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: Star Wars

Q: What is your favorite toy?

A: Star Wars figures (this is his newest toy from Disney, but this could change at any moment as well)

Q: Who's your best friend?

A: Sophie (no offense Jack, I'm sure when your old enough you will be included in this as well)

Q: What are your favorite things to do?

A: ride my bike and watch movies

The End