My Little Turkey is Two

Gobble Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving, all!
I am grateful for so many things, and though I would love to list them all, I fear that post would get too lengthy to enjoy.  So I'm going to concentrate this time on ONE very special blessing to me:

Carter Paul Stavenger, whose 2nd birthday just happens to be TODAY!

Due ON Thanksgiving in 2011, that little turkey decided to make me wait a full five days more before making his appearance at a whopping 9 lbs 12 oz.

He came into the world crying, and seemingly didn't STOP crying for a good 6 months.  (He did, but my memory has logged that time period as one lonnnnnnng, painful scream).  Of course, we didn't realize until month three that he was in a great deal of pain due to Congenital Pediatric Glaucoma.  After a series of surgeries and treatments, his pain was lessened and a long physical and emotional recovery for us all ensued.

I'm kind of embarrassed to say that while I loved Carter,  I had a hard time liking him.  He sucked up every ounce of energy I had, with nothing in return.  I held him for virtually an entire year and I was exhausted.  I felt depleted, not just as a mommy, but as a person.  Friends drifted away because I couldn't dedicate time to them.  And I didn't see any END to the misery...just phase after unpleasant phase, each with its own set of challenges.

And then...

We altered his diet a bit, and he started sleeping through the night!  Not consistently, but enough that I could get a few hours here and there.  It was improvement!  His eyes began to register normal pressures, and we could tell he wasn't in pain any longer.  He started wearing some darling little glasses and the "how did you know he needed glasses?" question became a regular part of my life.  I started looking at him through non-sleep-deprived glasses myself, and began to enjoy being with him for the first time.

And now as he turns two, God is rewarding me in full for the investment of love I poured into him as a newborn.  He has done what I didn't think was possible- surpassed the cuddliness of his sister!  My frequent kisses and snuggles are surely his way of saying "thank you, Mommy".  My heart is full.

If I could freeze time, I would.  This age is so precious.  So curious, so innocent, so pure and sweet.  Though he's not a baby anymore, he will ALWAYS be my baby.  Happy, happy birthday to Mommy's little boy. 

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.  -Philippians 1:3