Happy 5th Birthday, Z-Diggity!

My Dearest Middle Son,
Five years ago tonight, I crawled into bed, tired after a fun, busy weekend at a family reunion out in Rowley, having no idea that by noon the next day, I would have my second son!  I have to say, I was pretty tickled when I woke up in labor at 5:00, on Labor Day! :)  You were in a hurry to get here, barely letting us get to the hospital on time, and you have been keeping us on our toes ever since!

You are our little tiger.  You are so full of life and energy.  You run and bounce from one thing to the next.  You love your brothers and you are a very affectionate and loving older brother.  You are learning to be helpful and generous. This year, we have discovered that you love animals.  Well, you don't want to get too up close and personal with them yet, but you love learning about them!  We've made great use of our zoo passes this year!  You love to tell us about animals and you want to be a zoo keeper when you grow up.  You are also fascinated with Switzerland and plan to live there when you grow up!  We're not sure how that is going to work with your plan to be the mayor of Calgary, but I'm sure by that time, technology will be advanced enough that it will be possible! :)  And hey, you just might be the best mayor we've ever had! I love the special relationship we have, the way you love to cuddle with Mommy and have me sleep with you at night.

My sweet boy, I want to tell you how much I admire you.  This past year has been full of challenges for you.  You started preschool, and you didn't love it the way your big brother had and the way we all thought you would.  But you went, and you stayed, and you toughed it out, even though it was more of a struggle for you than we realized. Right before Christmas, you were diagnosed with a disease that meant you had to change the way you ate and give up a whole bunch of your favorite foods, including Christmas cookies!  But you handled it with such grace and acceptance.  You handled the news better than your dad and I did! You accepted no longer being able to eat your favorite foods and you have quickly learned to ask, "Does this have gluten in it?" before accepting any food from other people.  I am so proud of the way you have dealt with this!  And then, this past spring, we found out that you had a condition that made it difficult for you to relate to other people socially.  That was why you found preschool so hard, you didn't know how to interact with the other kids and it was scary for you.  I wish so much we had known earlier and could have supported you more with that.  But you learned your own ways to cope and you made it through the year.  You are so strong and have such a "never give up" attitude.  You are determined to do things yourself, even when it's difficult. And even when situations are incredibly stressful or difficult for you, you find a way to get through them.  You have taught me so much in the past few months.  It breaks my heart to think that some things are always going to be more difficult for you.  But I know that you will overcome, because you are determined and you are a fighter.  You are my hero!

We've had a lot of great things happen this past year too.  We all loved camping at the lake this past season! You got braver in the pool and learned to ride a scooter, and you're eager to learn to ride a bike too!  I bet by the end of next summer, you'll be riding like a pro! We had a great visit with Grandma and Grandpa.  We've had fun trips together and a lot of adventures.  And the upcoming year holds even more excitement for us.  Like our trip to Disneyland next month!

My Z, I love you so much.  More than I ever dreamed possible.  Even when we're having our roughest days and I lose my patience, I love you.  I will always love you and I will always be your biggest cheerleader.  I pray that you will grow up to be strong, confident, and compassionate, and I know that you will achieve whatever you decide you want to achieve, because you won't give up until you do.  You are strong, you are brave, and you are amazing!

Happy 5th Birthday, my sweet, amazing Boy.  May this year be full of happiness, adventure, and love!

All my love, forever and always,

Mommy