No one told me that I would get choked up when I heard the Happy Birthday song at his party. Thankfully I was so busy keeping him from touching the flame on his candle that I did not have time to cry. I had no idea when that screaming bundle got handed to me a year ago that my identity would change forever. I became "Joel's mommy." Its not so much that I stopped being Amy, because I am. But, adding that little 7 lbs 13 oz baby to my life pushed me into a new place. He has caused me to think about my relationship with God and caused me to reflect and examine my faith.
I can remember the day Joel was born like it was only yesterday (in many ways it feels like it was only yesterday). I had them induce me because of my past history I was very fearful of waiting till his due date. Finally my doctor consented and I went in on a Saturday night. They gave me some pills to help me get my last good sleep of the night and gave me some meds to "get things started so tomorrow they could start the labor induction" with the assurance that 99% of women get a good nights rest and labor does not begin naturally at all for them. I was the 1%. I labored through the night and finally, at about 6 am the next morning I was able to get an epidural (could have kissed that doctor right there, let me tell you). Then, things became a blur because the next thing I knew, after only about 45 minutes of pushing, Joel was born at 9:41 on Sunday, July 21! I was so thankful that he was born, and healthy and all ours!!! This post from my dad on that day is one of my favorites.
This little boy is a gift that I will never, ever deserve. He has made us so happy and has given us countless hours of entertainment. Every day there is something new and exciting that he discovers. I think about all the years of my life that I have wasted spending it on me, on pointless endeavors. Its funny, when we chose Joel's name, we based it off of the verse in Joel that talks about God redeeming the years the locusts had eaten. I feel like God is doing that in our life. We waited and waited for this little guy and he could not be a bigger blessing. In the years to come we are praying that we will be able to shape this little boy into the man God would have him to be. He are excited to watch him learn to talk and sing and run and play. I cannot wait for him to show me what he learned in school. I did cry the night he turned one because he really is not a baby any more in the truest sense of the word. He rarely needs me to cuddle him, he mostly feeds himself, and he likes me be on the move ALL THE TIME. But, I will hold on to those last little moments of babyhood as long as I can. He is a gift and we love him so much. Happy birthday, Joel Andrew!!!
