Seven Years Ago...

...our world was forever changed by the arrival of our darling first son, Josiah Jeffrey. The transition from DINKs (Double Income, No Kids) to parents was an extremely welcome one for us, but how does one ever truly prepare for that anyway? No one can really explain what parenting is like...no one else's experiences exactly mirror yours...there is no way to understand it without doing it. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the past seven years of doing it, of being Mommy & Daddy (and then just Mom & Dad) to Josiah, and later to his little siblings.

I sound like a broken record since I say this every year, but I can hardly believe this tiny little newborn...

... (and please excuse the poor color of these pictures; these were taken before we owned a digital camera; and tonight because of time, I quickly took a picture of these pictures in Josiah's scrapbook, so I know they don't look the greatest)...
...has grown into this amazing seven year-old. He seems so big now...and so...so...capable. He read his own birthday cards today. He carried his own plate at Golden Corral (his choice for his birthday dinner tonight). He fed himself. He put his bowling shoes on by himself. He bowled by himself, not needing Jeff's help to hurl the bowling ball down the lane, just to get it all the way to the end (like another son of mine did tonight). He buckled himself into his booster seat in the van. He got into his pajamas by himself. He did all these things that a seven year-old would normally be expected to do, so what's the big deal? Only that, for years, I did those things for him, sometimes rejoicing in his need for me and the pleasure that comes from serving those we love, sometimes chafing and wondering when he would ever learn to do it himself. And now, he does, all by himself.

The day ended sweetly, with me singing his lullaby to him, listening to him sing his prayer to God, answering his question about what my favorite part of today was (my response: watching him open his gifts, by the way), then receiving a hug and kiss from him.

Happy birthday, dearest Josiah. I am so proud of you and have not gotten over my surprise and pleasure at being your mother (still occasionally feeling like I did when we brought you home from the hospital after you were born, "Wow, I can't believe they're actually letting us take him. I can't believe he's really ours!"). You are a treasured gift of God to us.

I love you more than words can say...