Happy 3rd Birthday, Beckett!
Dearest Beckett,
It seems like just yesterday when my water broke and we rushed off to the hospital to welcome your much anticipated arrival. The early morning hours were so clear to me. We had gone to the hospital only hours before my water broke as I was experiencing contractions, but they sent me home to wait it out as my body was not yet progressed enough to be considered in active labor. Braxton, your dad and I tried going back to bed as it was after 1am in the morning, but the anticipation coupled with the painful contractions kept me awake and restless in agony. Not even an hour after returning home from the hospital, my water broke and we all three rushed to get to the hospital. We were excited, yet nervous. Braxton, then only 3 and a half years old, would be with us during our delivery and it made me both nervous and excited to share that moment with him.
As we pulled into the hospital parking ramp, we hustled (I wobbled) into the hospital. I remember Braxton calling back at me to speed up my said wobbling by endearingly saying, “Come on moo moo.” I remember that I hunched over both in pain and laughter as my witty three year old nonchalantly called me a slow cow.
We had been escorted to Labor and Delivery, and it was quickly determined that I was in active labor and after a quick epidural, you arrived quickly. Fortunately, “normal grandma” had arrived just before in order to help with Braxton. It was amazing to see how immediate you captured our hearts, including Braxton’s.
The journey to three has been a wild ride full of tumultuous ups and downs. Stemming from a pneumonia with a brief stint in NICU, a few failed hearing screens pinpointing hearing loss/deafness, a cochlear implant surgery and years of speech therapy, you, my son, is a literal rock star who continues to break barriers. Your speech is on par with normal hearing three year olds, and I’m amazed and also thankful that technology has played a HUGE role in all of that.
With that all said, here are just a few reasons why I love you so much.
- I love when you say “I love you”
- I love when you randomly give me kisses
- I love when you snuggle next to me in bed for comfort
- I love when you bring me my coffee or something else I was using at that moment
- I love when you rough house with your dad and brother
- I love when you get that belly laugh going
- I love when you steel chocolate kisses out of the freezer or while I’m baking
- I love when we’re reading, and you reenact all the silliness of the story-line along with me
- I love when you shake your booty
- I love when you say “Braxton’s big butt..” “Momma’s big butt..”
- I love when you randomly start singing or saying something like “Five more minutes…” or “Happy Birthday..”
- I love how obsessed you are with Braxton
- I love when you “attack” and give Ninja and Charley kisses and hugs
- I love when you “read” to me
- I love when you get something as a surprise and you’re legitimately so excited and run through the house to show everyone
- I love how much you love “ogurt” and “awwberries”
- I love when you ask for milk, and you say “not warmed up”
- I love when you sign your words
- I love when you wrap your little arms around my neck and squeeze when you hug
- I love when you say “HI MAMA” as loudly as you can when I come home
- I love when I tell you that I’m going for a run and you say “bye mamaaaa” and once I return you run up to me and say “hiiiii mama!”
- I love how you need to hold my hand or finger when you’re going to sleep
- I love how excited you get when you go to the bathroom on the potty because you’re potty training
- I love how much you love life
- I love how much you like helping
- I love how much you’ve grown to love your lion, Motts
- I love (and am terrified) at how adventurous and fearless you are
- I love how much you love bath foam and crayons
- I love how much of a fighter you are
- I love how much you love life, your family and your Liam
- I love that you’re ours
The list of things are endless, but here are a few things I won’t miss as you get older. 😉
- Peeing through your diaper all of the time
- Picking at my pinky fingers when you’re really tired-it hurts!
- Sleeping in our bed (we’re close to the end of this)
- Your stubbornness
- Your ability to destroy every room you step into
- Your ability to destroy every item of clothing you own
- Your temper tantrums
- Your inability to let anyone else help you besides “mama”
Beckett, you’re the freaking best, and I’m so damn proud of all that you have achieved in your three years despite the odds and disadvantages against you. You’re a gosh-darn rock star, and we love you so much.
Happy THIRD Birthday!
