{Wildly}

Maddox. 

You are wild.

Wildly creative, generous, compassionate.

Wildly loud, & busy & mischievous.

When you were born you came in the middle of THE very WORST stomach bug our family had ever had! I prayed all night long that you were not coming yet. Something told me you were planning an early arrival. Tre & Britton were sick with fevers & Daddy was curled up on the floor in the bedroom with vertigo. I was not left unscathed. I was so sick. But Mommies do not get days off, so I was moping & holding babies & making cocoa & ginger ales. the contractions started to get stronger, but I certainly was not prepared to greet you on such a busy day. I called Omah & Opah & told them I think maybe it was time, but wasn't sure. You were not due for weeks. I always second guess my self.   Omah got in the car & started to drive south to our small town in Kentucky. I called up Ms. Tamsyn (who also just had a baby) & asked her if she could come sit with your brothers while I went to the hospital. she arrived & I was crawling on the floor mid contraction while trying to fold laundry. I wanted the house to be clean. You know mommy. I'm silly sometimes. Daddy pulled his pale face together to look strong for me. Your sickly parents leaned on each other as we walked down the side steps to the car in the snow.  Sure enough you were coming. Just a few hours later you were in our arms. You were so peaceful those first few days. & then. it. alllllll. changed. Boy did YOU change. You started to cry. You did not stop for 3 1/2 years. Maybe your tummy hurt, or maybe it was over stimulation, maybe it was sensory issues or maybe it was your early arrival. We will never know. But we do know that we would endure those long days & nights all over again to have such a sweet blue eyed boy. You are a gem. You are one in a million. No one anywhere in this place or time has ever been YOU. Everyone who meets you falls in love with you. not like. LOVE! Its the way you hand out candy to everyone you pass, the way you call everyone your best friend, the way you are always skipping, singing a happy tune, joyful. I love you WILDLY! 

Love, Momma

For His 6th birthday we had our usual pancake breakfast, presents from Omah & Opah. Then for lunch we met up with our dear friends to play & eat. Finished off with red velvet cake (his favorite.) The restaurant had a playground making it a long & leisurely lunch for my Mom & I & the ladies. 

Rod has been away for months now. Its been hard on all the kids, but particularly Madds as his birthday approached. Technology is pretty great. We face timed with Rod when we sang to Madds one last time before bed. It made Maddox smile & completed the day perfectly! Its hard to believe the once so sad baby is now a jovial big boy. I feel truly blessed to be his mom.