I'll NEVER forget that day... Happy Birthday Big Al :)



Believe it or not Al is only about 2 weeks old in this picture...  I loved his down feather hair!!  I'd comb it and about 15 min later it was standing straight up again! :)))



The infamous number 10!!! LOL... only in this pic it's 01 ;)

OHHHH!!!  I just LOVE HIM!!!  When nothing else mattered in the world but me and him! :)



And look at him now... Such a studly man ;) 


Has it REALLY been 17 years since I heard my baby's first and solitary cry???  Only one little squawk and suddenly it was like he realized that there was soooooo much more to see in this place than in the place he had just been! I remember his HUGE blue eyes looking EVERYWHERE!!!  It was like he couldn't take in enough!  If I didn't know better I would have thought he was twisting and turning in the doctors and nurses hands so he could see more... I don't really even remember hearing him cry later either.  He'd just squawk and squirm a little bit to get my attention, he'd eat, and then he'd stare around the room again.  Just looking.  Taking it all in. :)  That was our schedule for the next few months or so... Cat naps that would last for 2 hours and 2 hours only and then wake up, eat, look around for sometimes 2 hours at a time.  Never crying just observing.  It was only hard on me because I couldn't fall asleep while he was awake and it seemed like he never wanted to sleep!!!!  But really such a sweet spirit and my best little buddy ever!!!  ...It was so crazy and overwhelming the love that I felt for this little man who I spent every single minute of my day with! 

It's also sooooooooo crazy and VERY overwhelming to think that next Tuesday that little man is going to be 17 years old and I'm forced to sit by watching him continually become a man!!  My motherly instinct wants to put him in a box and never let it leave my side.  I'd let him look at everything and just ask me ALLLLLL the questions he can think of!!  I'd answer everything I could and keep him safe and sound in the little box... Unfortunately I have to watch him become independent and turn into this amazing young, spiritual giant that is observing, still looking around, taking in everything around him and asking all of the questions he can.  I LOVE HIM with my whole heart!!!  I'm soooooo proud to call him my son :)))))  ...I hope you have one of the best birthday's ever Big Al!!  Just remember I'll always think of you as my baby boy ;)  And I'm very grateful to have that boy in our home to be the example you are to your brother and sister, very soon to be Baby J and mom and step dad.  We love you more than you'll ever know and will always be here for you!!

We also found out Monday that if everything goes according to plan we'll be having a baby on Tuesday. :)  What an awesome person for Baby J to share a birthday with!!  We can only hope that he/she can be as amazing of a person as Alex!

I've obviously had time to think about it and also to reflect on my own life and all of the similarities that this baby will have with my children that I had with my own brothers and sisters...  My oldest brother is 15 years older than me and even tho he was so much older I remember looking at him like some kinds of hero!!  I don't even remember much that we did together and he had children of his own by the time I was 4, but I have always known without a doubt that he would be there to protect me and love me... I still know that is true.  He's still there to love and protect me and be there for me... The same way the baby will have Alex and Weston there for them.  Such awesome wonderful boys who, even though they are older, can choose to have a relationship with the baby.  They can nurture and love and bond with baby and be the same kind of heroes that my brother is to me.  And then there's Marleigh who is so excited to have a baby in our home!!!  I know without a doubt that her sisterly and motherly instinct will kick in instantly... it already has really!!  She'll get to have the same kind of relationship that I had with my sisters growing up...  Even tho they probably didn't know it they became some of my best friends.  Even like mothers themselves!!  I would go to them for sooooo many things and helped raise and love their children the same way that they helped raise me!  I hope that our Baby J gets to experience all of those great things!!  That he/she will always have their brothers and sisters in their life in a HUGE influential way!!!  And to Al, West and Mar, I hope you can and will be able to see what HUGE influential people you can be in the life of your brother or sister!!  Never forget how much Baby J is counting on you!  :))))

But first lets celebrate that our Baby gets to share their birthday with their oldest brother!!  Here's to two awesome babies!!!  I love you all!!!

Happy Birthday Alex Austin!!! :))))))