MIA-T's 6th Birthday

I apologize, my faithful readers, for being MIA. It was my baby boy's birthday on Wednesday so I was pretty much all consumed with that this week. For whatever reason I love birthdays and typically try to make it a celebratory week instead of just a day which is fun for the birthday person and work for momma but so worth it. Most people think I overreact with birthdays but I like to think of it as a celebration of the ways they've affected and changed forever my life in such a positive way. So every day this week I told Trysten a few ways my life has changed because of him and how thankful I was for it. It was lots of fun.

Anyway, my "baby" is 6. It's so hard to believe. Most of you know I had Trysten at the ripe old age of 20, so it's safe to say we kind of grew up with each other. Zach and I were in college when we found out T was in utero and after a beautiful wedding we rented a house just a bit off campus at The University of Iowa. While our friends called us from the bars to tell us they missed us, we were reading "What to Expect" and figuring out how to set up cribs.

My friends would call and ask if I wanted to go to the big sales at Express and the like and I had to subtly remind them I had recently gained 60lbs and Express isn't exactly conducive to my body shape.

He was the miracle we didn't think could happen, the little boy we didn't think we could handle. He was huge from the start (arguably because I downed entire Tombstone pizzas, but who can say for sure?) 8lbs 8oz. 3+ hours of pushing. One of my favorite memories of his birth was that most of our family drove to Iowa City for it. They came at various times when I was "just" going through labor but when it came time to push they headed for the waiting room. Except for my dad. My dad waited just outside the curtain. Reports later said he was the first one to hear "It's a boy!" and went and told the rest of the eagerly waiting grandparents, aunties, uncles and such. I still get a bit choked up picturing his little smile at the thought of a grandson.

So he came out, truly not even crying. I put him on my belly and he looked directly in my eyes. I was never sure I could do "it", the mom thing, until he looked in my eyes. I could literally hear him say, "We'll get through this together, the three of us."

And we have. He helped, a lot, with being so great. He was a great baby, an ever better toddler, and is still a fantastic little boy who is morphing into an incredible little man. A little man with a big head, about 20lbs of hair, no butt or belly, a tremendous ability to FEEL and who continues to melt in my arms whenever I even hint at the idea of a hug.

He's so much like me it's incredible, he really is. The other day a teacher from his school who takes my classes told me this. "Mrs. Comstock (T's teacher) came up to me after I commented on Trysten being so cute. She said, 'He's the most popular kid in his class. The kids all fight over who gets to stand next to him and who gets to play on the playground.'" Side note: this is not how he's like me, just a funny antecdote, a baby book mention if you will.

This explains why he's been on his high horse since going to school and is also an hilarious commentary on his days away from me.

Anyway, these are pictures from his actual birthday. So this is for my dear, sweet Trysten. Who, if I have anything to do with it, will continue to allow himself to FEEL and express himself accordingly. Love you baby boy.

Woke up early to make birthday pancakes. Here are the "T" and the "6".



Raced off to get Dailah and me some hair cuts. Tariku tagged along. They were well behaved and thus deserved ring pops.



Trysten asked for my famous made-from-scratch cupcakes with blue frosting. This was them on the way to his school's party.



And the birthday boy handing them out.



Dailah outside waiting for her brother to finish school.



The eldest cousin's at McDonald's playland, or as I like to call it, a babysitter for a ridiculous amount of parents.



Baby Cates was the hit of the party.



They simply love each other. One of my favorite fairly recent things is how they call each other "brother" instead of by their respective names. Shows true growth in their relationship.



Loving the train at Happy Joe's Jungle Bungle.



Obviously excited (so was I, just harder to tell).



Also loving the train.



Uncle Frank and Dailah. (She pronounces his name as "Wank Bi**h, it's hilarious)



Hotflawedmama and the birthday boy.



Every year we measure the kids' growth on their birthdays. he grew over 2" this year.



And Daddy, Tman and Joe, who stopped by to give Trysten one last birthday present.