4

6.1.07

I have "self titled" this shot as "love at first sight". It was captured by a nurse who (thankfully) took the camera away from Ryan in the surgery room because he got so excited he forgot to take any pictures, so this sweet nurse came over and grabbed it from him, and now I can see & remember the exact moment I saw my first baby for the first time!

I'm so thankful for this shot!

6.1.11

...and here is that same baby exactly 4 years later. Amazing what 4 years has done, what has changed and stayed the same, what has exceeded and been different in expectations, how God has shaped our lives because of this little curly top...

Dear Griffin,

Today you are 4. That is a BIG boy. We started the day off right with your birthday donut! Last year all you wanted was a pink one, but this year the donut of choice was CHOCOLATE with SPRINKLES! You told me the night before that you just had to order that kind because it's your favorite!

I truly cannot believe that 4 years have passed by so quickly. On one hand that picture seems like it could have been taken a few weeks ago. Daddy and I spent our time in the car talking over very vivid memories of those 2 days in the hospital trying to get you to make your grand entrance. Daddy was sick, and mommy was sick and tired of being SO pregnant she could barely move...haha! We remember the nurses and the way the room looked and all the visitors. We will never forget the moment daddy first wheeled me down to the NICU and we both gazed on you together, looking down at our future. And then we got to hold you for the first time. Talk about thrilling kiddo. Know that holding you for the first time will stay with me always, not many things can even come close to comparing to that. And the sweet and sleepless days that followed, although blurry because of the small amounts of sleep we were getting, are precious memories. We had a lot of figuring out how to do this whole thing together, and of coarse comedy and tears and love have followed.

On the other hand, SO much growing and changing and progress has been made in all of our lives. It's hard to remember even a day before you. With all that's happened 4 years doesn't seem long enough to have come as far as we have! You see, you are not the only one who has grown these last 4 years. Daddy and I have done A LOT of growing too. It's just not in the way of upward inches. Having you changed our lives and hearts and we are forever grateful for God's mysterious plan to send you our way. We are different people now, all because we are "MOM" & "DAD"!

But back to you...in inches, you have grown 2 (whole inches....WOW!!) and in other areas you have grown even more. You are just a little boy now. Not a baby, nor a toddler. You have your own ideas about things, your own way of saying and doing things, you are you. It is quite a thing to watch you unfold. I asked you yesterday what you thought about being 4 and you said, "4 is gonna be great!" You find the joy in the little things, and we love that childhood quality that you bring out in all of us too! You bless all of us so much!

We love you Griffin Andrew!

To MANY MANY more!

We spent a relaxing day together yesterday and it's one that daddy and I will certainly remember for a long time. Just the 4 of us, playing and relaxing and enjoying together with no real agenda! The afternoon we spent at the park playing baseball in the field...

and swinging away...

and stopping for a bit of brotherly love...

and toting Beanie around to watch it all...

and then to the cake...

It had lighting on it of coarse!

You are well stocked now on Cars from the new movie, it was a CARS birthday for certain. And you also scored a guitar...haha! I found this at an outlet for under 20 bucks and with you being a rock star and all, I knew you had to have it! This was a little stint in between clothes and jammies where you did a little jam session for us!

All in all, I'd say we had our cake and ate it too!

Mr. 4, it's gonna be GREAT!