Happy 12th Birthday buddy, a day late!

Your birthday was actually yesterday and I had every intention of finishing this post and publishing it but sometimes life gets in the way.  I'm sorry about that bud.  You celebrated your birthday at Six Flags New England with a couple of friends on Saturday and had a blast.  Your actually birthday, you and Dad pretty much chilled out and I spent the day cleaning and recovering from your sister's birthday sleepover.  So once again, I apologize for not getting this up on time.  Without further ado...

 I was completely shocked to learn that you were coming into our lives.   I call you my Halloween trick or treat surprise.  (You were definitely our treat!)  You were and still are a true Mama's boy.  Here you are 4 weeks old at our first official big outing.  As a brand new mom for the first time, it took me a few weeks to realize you weren't going to break if I took you out of the house!  

 We didn't know at the time that you would grow up to love sports. Soccer  being your true passion. Apparently at only one year old, you already knew!

Here you are a little over a year old and still cruising but not yet walking.   You didn't officially start walking until you were 13 months old.  You were a big boy, weighing in at 19lbs at your 4 month checkup.  You needed to get really big and strong to be able to move that big chunky body around!

  Every baby pic I have of you shows you smiling!  You were a chubby, happy, little ham!  You loved to make people laugh.  Any time you saw me with the camera you would flash your "cheese smile"! 

 You are confident and brave.  You thrive in social situations and do not get easily intimidated trying something new.  Here you are on your first day of school entering first grade. Once again, look how proud of yourself you were!  You even insisted on taking the bus on your first day of Kindergarten because that's what big boys do.  (You broke Daddy's heart that day because he was so afraid for you and really wanted to drive you to school.  But, like a good parent, he fought the overprotective parental urge and let go a little, giving you the freedom to spread your wings.)

And look at you now!  You're going to enter 7th grade in the fall and be officially in middle school.  You are smart, athletic, a good friend and even better son.  I could never image what God blessed me with 12 years ago.  

You are so much like me it's scary.  We butt head's like nobody's business, but we love each other fiercely.  We have an amazing mother- son relationship and I love how you are comfortable enough to talk to me about anything.  I pray that never changes.  

Happy Birthday little man!  (I can't bring myself to write big man just yet, maybe next year.)

Dad and Mom love you more than words can say!