8 is great

eight years and one night ago, i was three days shy of my due date.  phil was finishing up his yearlong master of public health program and was getting ready to begin his third year of medical school.  we were living in the university of minnesota’s married student housing.  we had just decided to get ready for bed when all of a sudden, i felt a tightening grip around my belly.  it was more intense than the infrequent and fleeting braxton hicks contractions i had been feeling for the previous few days.  i mentioned it to phil.  we continued getting ready for bed anyway.  the contractions kept coming, and though never in regular time intervals, they were feeling more and more serious.  i mentioned it to phil.  he started writing down the times like we’d been instructed to do in our birth class.  i lay down as the contractions kept coming.

phil sprang in to action.

he pulled our wall air conditioning unit out of the closet and hung it out of our bedroom window.  he hurriedly slapped up the plexiglass thing we had fashioned to fit around the a/c unit in order to keep the bugs out and the cold air in.  with the a/c unit blasting, he ripped off strips of packing tape to seal up the plexiglass and around the a/c unit.  this job was something we faced every spring and usually required the both of us and always took an hour or two.  phil single-handedly got it done in fifteen minutes.  “i just know there’s going to be a heat wave as soon as we bring the baby home and i don’t want to be doing this then!” he declared with determination as he raced around.

i remember laughing in between contractions and thinking the hilarity of this moment was something we’d remember and laugh about for years to come.  and i was right because it is something we still laugh about when thinking of the night when our first son was born.

and he was right too, because there WAS a heatwave when we returned home and boy, were we glad to have that a/c blasting!

 and it’s been complete joy, excitement, and surprises ever since with this guy!

 turning one!

two…

three…

four…

five…

six…

seven…

and today, on the eighth day of may…  8!

my dear mikey boy, it has been one of the greatest privileges and joys of my life to have the honor of being your mommy.  through all the moves and added siblings, you’ve taken it all in stride and adjusted beautifully each time.  you have grown to be such a kind-hearted, thoughtful, generous person who is quick to forgive and always looking to include others in whatever fun you’re having.  you are a wonderful son, brother, and friend and we are so glad to have you in our family.  God did an especially good work when he created you and we are so thankful to him for you!

plus, i love that you still call me mommy without a second thought.  stay little for as long as you want, my boy.  🙂