Seven...I actually CAN believe my boy is seven

I never really plan to be awake at the exact time of my firstborn's birth {12:09 a.m.}, but I think it has happened 4 of the last 7 years.  It happened again this year.  And I just can't help myself...I have to sneak into his room if I'm awake at that time.  Yesterday just standing next to his bed wasn't enough, so I climbed the ladder to his top bunk and felt around in the dark...his foot, his back...I snuggled up beside him and draped my arm over him.  I felt his labored breathing and thought about his very first breath.  I can recall it like it was yesterday.  Don't ask me what I made for dinner last week, but I remember every single detail of the moments surrounding Maxwell Tyler's entrance into the world.  He didn't cry.  They laid him on my chest, I said hello to this tiny person who so suddenly changed my life for the better, and he used his unusually strong newborn neck muscles to turn his head and look into my face.  It was one of the most powerful moments of my life.  We just looked at each other for a minute.  And I knew that a blessing I had received during my pregnancy with him was true, that we would "...continue the relationship [we] began before this earth."

I had no idea how funny, cute, weird, smart, skinny, strong-willed, faith-filled, kind, thoughtful, detail-oriented, observant, creative, fast, determined, football-loving, sport obsessed, loving, good, and happy he would be....BUT I loved him fiercely.  Still do.

Maxwell T, you are everything I could have asked for in my firstborn.  I adore you.  Every inch of your 4th percentile body and every aspect of your personality.  I am so blessed.

Birthday celebrations: 

• Homemade waffles for breakfast {"Mom, I will never NOT love homemade waffles."  They are his favorite food by far.}

• New sport outfit to wear {I decided it was time to embrace his new love - sports clothes.  So I got him a little outfit that actually matches and fits well.  Seahawks colors...total bonus.}

• Walked to school {he loves when we walk}

• Took Oreo pops into his classroom, along with two books that he painstakingly {and I do mean painstakingly} picked out to give as a gift to his class {thanks for the idea, Carrie!}

• Made a football cake

• Packed up party gifts, our kids, good friends {Nathan, Connor, Reyes, Adam & Ian}, food, water balloons, and headed to Island Lake Park for a very low-key part-ay.  We ate pizza, played a ton of football, played on the playground, played a little soccer, pelted each other with water balloons, opened gifts and that was it!  Max's dream come true; he was in football heaven with friends he loves.

• Football practice {no, he wasn't sick of it...he never gets tired of football}

• Presents from the fam {receiver gloves and a new football, LEGO Chima set were the favorites.

• Cake and ice cream at home with the Lintons because I forgot to take forks and candles to the park. :)

The next day was our birthday date with the birthday boy.  We went to Red Robin where we cashed in on our free birthday meal/burger.  Since this was his 7th birthday, we talked about the big 8 and baptism and what he wants to do so that the decision is his to be baptized or not next year.  He wants to read the entire Book of Mormon and we are going to dedicate one week out of the month for Family Home Evening lessons that will help him to prepare to make the decision.  We talked about testimonies and shared a bit of ours. We also talked about football {of course}, school, and other things.  It was one of my favorite dinner conversations ever.  I loved his sincerity and his responses.  He is a very thoughtful kid.  Then we hit up Kohl's to get the boy new kicks {he had almost worn completely through the rubber on the bottom} and totally scored because the ones he liked were on a crazy sale {$8, regularly $40} and among the three pair left they had his size.  I love when that happens.  On the way into the store I told Max what we were buying and he didn't want new shoes because he loves the ones he has so much.  I told him to look at the bottom of his shoes.  He said, "Maybe that's why I can feel the lines on the road when I walk."  Ha!  I felt bad because I hadn't noticed how worn they were...Ty had checked it out a few days before.  But any sorrow over losing his old shoes was replaced when he laid his eyes on the ones we ended up buying.  Next we went to Toys R Us because he wanted to spend some birthday money...but it was a bust and we convinced him to hold onto it until he could save up for something he really wanted.

Max proclaimed it "the BEST birthday ever!" several times during the day, but then followed it up that night with, "but I don't remember last year." :)  All that matters is that this year it rocked.  He rocks.  I love him.