Wyatt's 1st Birthday!

well, it's hard to believe that in a mere twenty four hours, wyatt will be 1 year old. sure, at 12 am on july 6th he's officially 1, but i know that it was right about 10:15 pm when he made his grand entrance! i'd been trying to have him for at least two days, really wanted a 4th of july baby, but he wasn't quite ready yet! (maybe God was still giving him that little something extra he was born with? =)?)

but when he arrived, he was quick! we got to the hospital about 45 minutes before he was born! i was just glad that our doctor made it....glad that she encouraged me to head to the hospital when i called her at about 8:45 that night! i remember i was having some pretty good contractions when we pulled up to the hospital, and i told tim that i didn't think i could do this.....i was too old! he just laughed and told me "no, you're not too old, and we're going to have a baby!" when the nurse checked my progress to make sure i was in real labor she laughed at me too (which i did not find funny) when she told me i was dilated to 8 cm already! i even think my doctor might have laughed at me when i told her i could not do this, i could not push him out....she just said "okay...you don't have to...." riiiiigggghhhhhtttt! what an exciting and fast night that was! i praise God for such a fast delivery!

i, of course, had no idea how our lives would change after that night....the surprise of his "little something extra"....that extra 21st chromosome that God gave him. i'd never known such joy and sorrow (at the same time) as i knew those first few weeks....how could this beautiful "perfect" baby have down syndrome? i knew that our lives had changed forever! as much as i knew that God was in control, it still hurt so very much....the unknown, the misperceptions, my lack of knowledge about down syndrome....and only God knew the new friendships that we would be blessed with simply through that little extra chromosome!

but oh what a difference a year makes. there was no sorrow as we celebrated his birthday yesterday. he has brought such joy to our lives and the lives of so many...our extended family, our church family and friends far and wide. he has blessed our lives in so many ways. he has brought people together with a love for him! we've been brought together through his first buddy walk...there were over 50 people on team wyatt last year....and through his open heart surgery in february....over 800 people praying through his facebook group, wyatt's prayer warriors! wow! what a difference his young life has made!

and i am so thankful that God chose me to be his mom; entrusted me with this precious child of His.....peace....