Happy birthday Isaac Boy!

   * I wrote this post last night....I just had so much trouble getting the video added that it didn't get posted until today.  Please humor me and pretend that it was posted on April 30...;)

  Today is Isaac's 9th Birthday. Each time one of my boys has a birthday, I find myself amazed at how old they are, amazed at how quickly the days, weeks, and months passed since their last birthday, and amazed at how much they've grown and changed in the year that has just flown by. And this day is no exception. Isaac is growing and changing so fast, and the sad thing is that life gets so "full" (the nice way of saying hectic and busy) that I often find I've missed the process and just get a glimpse of the results!

      We looked through his baby book today, and the reality of all this development and change was poignantly clear. I found myself missing that baby... the soft, snuggly baby skin, the sweet, toothless baby smile, the unmistakable sweet baby lotion smell, mixed with the genuine article! Yet in the midst of all of this sentimentality and nostalgia, I realized how thankful I am for the boy that I have, and how blessed I am to have a healthy, energetic, intelligent, "normally developing" (whatever that means!) son. The challenges are certainly different than in babyhood...then it was changing diapers, multiple nighttime feedings, and fussy evenings. Now we have to check to see if homework and piano are done, remind this boy a zillion times to pick up his clothes, and, on occasion, check his attitude. But the "fruits of the labor", so to speak, have remained, and maybe even increased over the years, as well! When he was a baby I got to watch him sweetly sleep, giggle at whatever tickled him, and celebrate as he achieved new milestones. Now, I can still climb up to his bed and watch him sleep (if I just slow down and put down the laundry to take the time to do it), watch him laugh and giggle ( unfortunately often at things I find rather dumb or gross...typical, so I hear), and definitely celebrate as he achieves new milestones. Being able to time travel back and forth within the stages of his childhood and relive the sweetest moments would be lovely, but obviously not possible. What's a mom to do? Pray, pray, pray...that we bring him up to love and honor God, that he undoubtedly knows the love of his parents and brother, and that we train him up in the way he should go, so that as he grows older, he will not depart from it. And while I pray, I intend to pay attention... to watch him sleep now and then, to try to laugh and giggle here and there with him, to absolutely notice and celebrate my boy's achievements and milestones, and to thank God every day for the blessing of being his mom.
                  Happy birthday, Isaac-Boy. You are loved.