Happy Birthday, Ollie!

Four years ago today, I was about 10 {out of 12} hours into labor. It was at hour number 12 when I was wheeled into an emergency C-section. And it was in that surgical room where I learned the first inkling about the personality of our first-born son; he likes to make a grand entrance.

I heard the staff shouting numbers after he was born:
"11- 2!"
"9-15!"
"10- 5!"

I couldn't understand what they were guessing until they someone told us his weight: 10 pounds 8 ounces. Honestly, one of my first thoughts was, "Well I haven't gained 40 pounds for nothing!" And I was {selfishly} pretty glad he wasn't one of those scrawny babies. I knew he wouldn't be, but I had no idea he would be mistaken for a 3 month old in the newborn nursery.
The nursing staff sent me home 3 days after the C-section with specific orders not to lift anything over 10 pounds- except my child.

Just as he entered this world with a bang, he is still gregarious, outgoing and free. He's quick to swipe a toy, but also quick to apologize. He loves trains, robots, pirates, cars and super heroes and very rarely sits still. I am starting to see the baby-ish traits slip away as he prefers to play with his friends and actually cared who attended his birthday party. But that's okay. I'll take what I can because he still likes to sit in my lap, asks for hugs and requests pretty often that I be on his team for catch, Play-Doh or soccer. {What? You don't have competitive Play-Doh at your house?}

So, here's to a wonderful 5th year, O-man.
May you thrive at pre-school and soccer, make new friends and continue to love your brother. May you use your strengths for good {great negotiator} instead of evil {talking your brother into stealing candy for you both}. And most importantly, may you know that God loves you- more than Spiderman, the Backyardigans and even more than us.

I know you're starting to understand that discipline is no fun, that Mommy and Daddy don't always see eye to eye with you and that you can't always get your way. But at the end of the day, I will always be on your Play-Doh team.
Happy Birthday, my man.

Photo courtesy of my good friend, Melissa Tash.

You should use her for your photography; really, you should.