January 5th, 2005

Today is a big day for my boy. It's the day he officially becomes a kid and no longer a baby. Today is Max's 2ND birthday! I know! I can't believe it either?! So much has changed this pass year with him! I don't think I have ever laughed so much in one year as I have this pass one! He brings us an infinite amount of joy! Yes, of course he has hit the terrible twos, and has had some memorable meltdown moments during his second year. But it's the laughter I remember the most, and there has never been a shortage of that.
He has become such a beautiful and great person. I know that there is not one single thing in my life that I am more proud of than that little boy. When Curt and I first found out we were having a child, two years and 9 months ago, it wasn't too long after that that the sheer terror of becoming a parent hit us both. How were we going to be able to have a child and not mess it up?! That seems to be the pattern of kids lately. It's their parents' fault that they are delinquents, overweight, addicted to drugs, pregnant or all of the above. Now we were about to be given a child to ruin. The thought scared the bejeezus out of both of us. But thankfully, I feel like we've at least gotten off to a great start. Lucky for Max, we get comments pretty often on what a great kid he is. My favorite compliment of all is when someone tells us that he is a cool kid. Of course he is going to be cool, he is his father's son. He likes "Star Wars", motorcycles, and his favorite character is Dory. He walks around with a backwards hat and my sunglasses trying to be the hippest toddler on the block (which in this neighborhood, he most certainly is). He has become the epitome of cool. And he is well-behaved, a feat I'm not sure how was accomplished. He couldn't have a more un-disciplinary set of parents than Curt and I. But he listens to us, for the most part, and that makes me happy.
I'm sad to lose the baby in him though. I doubt he'll ever really not be my baby boy. This morning as I was sitting on the computer before he woke, I heard him call for me in the bedroom. He had woken up and realized that no one was around. I crawled back into bed with him and he curled up against me and I wrapped my arms around him. I sung "Happy Birthday" to him softly as he drifted back to sleep. I could have laid there all day, snuggled up with my baby boy. But he eventually rolled back over and wanted his space back. I can respect that. I want my space too a lot of times. I know that later as nap time comes around, he will crawl up next to me, and we'll snuggle and maybe I'll let him watch "Nemo" or "Cars" today as many times as he wants. I'll give him a small cupcake for lunch and I'll sing him "Happy Birthday" at 2:03pm, the precise time he took his first breath two years ago. I probably won't be able to see him while singing, because I'm sure that there will be tears filling my eyes. They are happy tears though, wonderful and beautiful tears. Tears of accomplishment. Tears that celebrate life.
Always find time to celebrate life. Today I will be celebrating Max Riley's.
Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!