Thursday, February 14, 2008

our funny valentine


Four years ago today I was in the midst of my first and worst birth experience. Four years ago today we said hello to our little wild one, Cade. I can no longer recall the exact tone and pitch of his first cry, but I can still vividly remember the blanket of relief that fell over me as I realized despite being over four weeks early, his lungs were mature.


Matt and I never planned on having children. Cade was a surprise, a not-supposed-to-happen. But he was hard-pressed to show us exactly what we would have been missing out on had our plans unfolded flawlessly. He is still just as determined.


It is so hard to believe that our little man is 4 years old already - even harder to believe that we now have three other sweeties to call our own. The last four years have truly been an achingly beautiful microcosm - a fast assault of new lessons and a new take on the meaning we give our lives. Matt and I are both very different people than when we first met over eight years ago (wow! has it been that long?), but although sometimes the demanding existence of Mama and Dada presses down on us like no stress we have ever known, the rewards are simple and infinite. A smile, a laughing raspberry, a soft hand intertwined, an innocent question, a silly face - if there was ever a shadow of magic in this world, this is it. And to think it all started with one little boy ...


Happy Birthday Cade! ^_^