Happy Birthday Barber!

This morning at my Barber turned 3 years old.

He is our second miracle. Nothing is impossible for God. No thing. I had calculated his due date as April 10th believe it or not. It's an amazing thing when you know your cycle. But knowing your cycle means nothing to the doctors. They changed the date twice and settled on the 9th.

The pregnancy was normal as far as I was concerned but the doctor's seemed to need more tests this time around. Tests meaning I had 3 ultrasounds instead of the 1 that I had when pregnant with Jeter. I didn't think that my age (33 at the time) should have put me at high risk but who knows. Of course when they would tell me why they were ordering the test, I went back to work and looked up everything I could on-line to educate myself so that we could then pray specifically.

I started to notice contractions with some regular consistency by 8:30am on Good Friday, April 9th, 2004. Simms had already gone to work. I called him to let him know that things were progressing and I would call him later if he needed to leave early. I needed to go food shopping so I called my mom and asked her to go with me. She did and was patiently oozing with excitement every time I needed to take a break due to a contraction. Simms could not believe I was walking through the supermarket. We needed food. I am the one that shops. What else was I going to do? Sit around? That's just not my style.

We checked into the hospital around 5:30ish pm and were finally admitted by 7ish pm (I was 4 cm). I needed to have that antibiotic which takes 4 hours to administer so that was done by midnight. My water broke a bit before 1am and we welcome our second son at 2:30am on the 10th. He was perfect. Exactly the way God created him. My heart grew and filled with more love.

Can he really be 3?!?

How quickly time passes.

Today he awoke to a floor full of balloons (well not full-full but to him it would look full). We sang "Happy Birthday" to him and then everyone got ready while I went down to make pancakes for breakfast. He opened his presents and kept singing "happy birthday" to himself all morning. Jeter didn't want to go to school. He said he didn't want to miss his brother's birthday. That and he probably wanted to play with Barber's new toy. So Simms brought Jeter to the bus stop and Barber and I began our day. We played rescue heroes, race cars and sang songs. He spent 2-1/2 hours in his bed singing and talking and singing. He didn't get out of bed which is great but he didn't technically nap either.

While he was napping...I mean singing...I spent some time thinking about and praying for my precious Barber. How much has changed in one simple year! He has gone from 2-word sentences to paragraphs. He always answers us with a complete sentence even if it isn't grammatically correct--when asked if he wants to eat yogurt, he responds "Want to eat yogurt NOT!" Of course sometimes he simply answers "No thanks." He loves to be tickled and has added that to our repertoire for bedtime. He enjoys books too! Hooray two boys that like books! Seriously, he can sit for over an hour and just look at books. He even "reads" to me now. Music seems to be a growing passion - he sings, he wants me to sing to him and with him. We do sing the regular "Jesus Loves Me", "This Little Light of Mine", etc. BUT one of his favorite songs is...oh I can't remember the title. Here are the words:

"I will dance. I will sing. To be mad for my King. Nothing Lord is hindering the passion in my soul. (Repeat) For I'll become even more undignified than this. Lay my pride by the side. Yes I'll become even more undignified than this. Na-na-na-na-na-na HEY! Na-na-na-na-na-na HEY! Na-na-na-na-na-na HEY! Na-na-na-na-na-na HEY!" Repeat again.

Granted, I know he loves the na-na's and the HEY! but he sings these lyrics. What joy it brings me to see him worship.

There have been times throughout this last year that have been a challenge. He is a charmer. He likes to verify that the boundaries haven't changed in the last day...or hour...or 5 minutes. And there will be challenges in the future. I am certain of this. But isn't that what I am supposed to do as mommy? One of the many roles I play is to help facilitate what God has blessed him with so that those gifts and talents can be used for HIS GLORY!