Two on Tuesday

1 Year Ago Today…..

We were celebrating your 1^st Birthday. It seems like yesterday that we were decorating the house with balloons, streamers, and happiness in preparation to celebrate YOU! Family and friends joined us in celebrating your 1^st year of life. It is such a great memory.

Over the past year we have cried, laughed, and screamed (or at least wanted to) as you’ve grown into a TODDLER! It’s almost funny to think that there were times we felt like we wouldn’t even survive the first year….and then, along came the second year.

In August we cried for and with you at times during one of the worst months of our lives. Not knowing the unknown, we trusted the doctors who were caring for you. With flying colors, you have overcome so much. It’s a reminder to us every day of the blessing that we have; a healthy, happy boy who isn’t sick like the medical books say he should be. It’s been nine months since those scary moments, and you still prove how strong you are every time we visit the specialist. You have taught Daddy and me so much about strength and courage even when having to have your finger pricked every two weeks.

You go to school now!!! It’s amazing. The little “Mama’s Boy” that I had created (secretly happy that you are a Mama’s Boy) walked right into the room at school and was ready to play and learn with new friends. You have grown so much since going to Mother’s Day Out. You play WITH your friends, not just next to them. You are a talking machine. Your smile melts the hearts of your teachers and even the other teachers at MDO. You are a true blessing.

At 18 months, we (yes, both you and me) decided it was time to quit nursing. I cried the first night, you cried the second, but by the third night it was as if it had never happened. I am so thankful that we had 18 months to share a great bond that will now last a lifetime.

You run, jump, and climb all the time. You dance like a rock star. You make us laugh, you make us worry. We are blessed to have not had an ER visit resulting from a fall, broken bone, etc. You are a daredevil. You try something and even if you fall and get hurt, the boy in you rushes you back to what you were doing to try again.

Within the next few months I’m convinced that you’ll be potty trained, talking in full sentences, and teaching your baby sister all about life. That’s right, in 3 months you’ll have the pleasure (or pain) of hearing a baby cry at all times of the night. She’ll be cute, cuddly, and lots of fun. You’re going to be a GREAT Big Brother.

You continue to teach us new things everyday. You remind us of the “little joys” in life that help us sit back and give thanks for what we have. You test the boundaries and learn lessons yourself. We are greeted with your morning smile and hug. You give the BEST hugs and kisses.

It’s amazing how fast 2 years can go by. We look forward to many more years of laughing, crying, and screaming with you!

So here’s to you, Cooper James Smith…Happy 2^nd Birthday (May 12, 2009)