Happy 9th Birthday, Brandon!!

My little baby boy isn't a baby anymore. He's nearly as tall as I am. Okay, maybe he's still got about 6 inches to go, but he'll be there soon enough. I still remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. The first glimpse I got of him was when the doctor held him up over the curtain before handing him off to the nurses. She said "Here he is!" I looked up and hanging over my head was a little pink butt. After they cleaned him up and swaddled him, the nurses gave him to Chris. He brought Brandon over to me as they were stitching my stomach back up and then I got to see his little pudgy face. Much cuter than a butt (thank goodness). He was quickly taken away to the NICU due to breathing problems and I didn't get to see him again until the evening of the next day because I couldn't get out of the bed into a wheelchair and they wouldn't bring him into our room yet. It was hard being apart from him for so long. But when I finally got wheeled down to the nursery, they put him in my arms, and I haven't let go since.

He's becoming such an independent person which has been a little rough. When you have small kids, and you guide them through the start of their lives, they pretty much follow everything you say. They do what you tell them to do, eat what you tell them to eat, go where you tell them to go, etc. You don't think about the older years, when they want to take care of themselves and make their own decisions. You're raising people, not just kids.

Brandon has jumped into becoming "Brandon". He's stared telling me which clothes in his wardrobe he doesn't like and doesn't want to wear anymore, he knows how he likes his hair and gets irritated if we try to tell him he should do it differently.  He gets home from school and runs right back out the door to cruise the neighborhood on his bike, and last night he asked when he can start staying home by himself. Even though it's really tough to have to let go of him more and more, I'm really excited to see the man that he will someday become.

We love you, B. You're a great kid. Happy Birthday.