Happy Birthday Daniel

I cannot believe that 8 years have passed.

The morning of Daniel's birth I was awoken around 4am with some labor pains and a bloody show. Seeing how Thomas' birth went pretty quickly once my water broke, I was paying close attention. Contractions were coming every 6 minutes or so and lasting well over 90 seconds. Called the doc, the babysitter and got to the hospital around 7am. Headed into triage and was checked...5.5cm dilated. WOOOPEEEEE...no pit for me! Get into a nice LDRP room and what happens by mid morning? MY FREAKIN' LABOR STALLS! I'm practically doing cartwheels in the darn hallways and labor doesn't pick back up. Yep. Here comes the evil pit....and an epidural because I hate the evil pit. Epidural in...labor starts up again. I let epi fade just in time for transition. Goood times. I feel like pushing...but there is a lip. Nurse helps get rid of stupid lip and finally I push out a 9lb 14oz., 21 3/4" BIG shouldered (15" shoulders?) boy. Just a little tear, but I swear I pushed his TOES out. Take that! A head full of dark curly hair, a small nose...just perfect.

The first year was rough. No talking. NONE. No babbling, nothing. Angry little boy. Once Birth to 3 came in and we started weekly visits with an early childhood development teacher, things changed quickly. Once Daniel could speak, we realized he was a sponge and had soaked up SO much knowledge. He knew letters, colors, shapes, numbers. It was amazing. Once he started talking, his vocabulary grew so quickly and he was saying things like "cow poop smells disgusting" when just months before he wasn't speaking at all. School has been easy for him as far as learning goes, but in my heart of hearts, I know he has some issues with paying attention and staying on track. We've applied certain techniques in the classroom which help and his teachers have been pretty great. I truly think that Daniel is special and I'm so blessed to call him my son.

Above all, Daniel is a sensitive, sweet, funny child. He makes us all laugh on a daily basis yet is the first one to come snuggle or sneak a smooch.

This is my new 8 year old boy...Isn't he delicious?