Happy Birthday Nate

A Birthday Breakfast...a breakfast of champions...M&M pancakes with chocolate syrup...YUMMY!!

8 years ago today our third child was born. It was a day very similar to today, full of the sights and sounds of fall. We were so excited and thrilled to welcome this little one into our family. We had another wonderful, delightful boy! His birth made me the momma of three boys, and his daddy and I were thrilled that he was born happy and healthy. I remember the first time I held him in my arms and the way he snuggled up. He looked up and his gaze locked with mine. This was my baby boy. He looked so much like his older brother...it was almost as if God had cloned him. He was just perfect and beautiful!!

Nate has always been strong and a fighter. You see, his birth was against all odds. My pregnancy with Nate was considered "high risk" because his twin had miscarried early in the pregnancy. Throughout the remaining months, he would prove to be strong and would stay put until very close to his due date (a feat in itself as I tended to have preterm labor and early deliveries with my other two). This wouldn't be the end of his fighting... when he was 15month old, he would face major surgery on his digestive system and two more surgeries would follow. He amazed us all with his courage and strong will to survive.

Today he is a terrific young man and brings joy to our home. He is excelling at school especially in Math(which he just seems to have a knack for). He enjoys reading too, and it isn't unusual to find him in a quiet place reading a book he has found. Nate is sometimes very quiet ,and then, sometimes, he just has to make him self heard(not too frequently). He likes to play by himself and can stay entertained for hours; however, he plays well with others too. He is easy going by nature and most things don't bother him...except that he is "picky" about his food. We laugh because in many ways Nate is well...just Nate! He is unique, happy, compassionate. He is quick to anger, most often at what he considers an injustice, but he is just as quick to calm. He forgives easily and loves most anyone he meets. This year we have enjoyed watching him grow, watching his sense of humor develop and watching him turn into an amazing child of God. We look forward to watching his continued growth, laughing with him a lot, enjoying his love of life and loving him throughout the next year and for his lifetime.

Happy Birthday, our wonderful,lovable Nate!!