Mr. C and the big Two

I had this big post planned (and mostly written) to finish up editing this morning and post. It was about the day Mr. C was born with the ridiculousness that was my labor (Five hours from start to finish. I was in denial. It was, as previously stated, ridiculous.). BUT. As I sat down to finish everything up and click "publish," I was struck with something...

An overwhelming sense of prayer. What do I want for him as he grows older? What kind of heart are we instilling in him? And, this is the scary one, are we demonstrating those things for him so that he has good examples?

Oh, this parenting thing. So much pressure!

Dear Charlie,

Oh, my dear boy, how you've rocked our world! You are curious and smart. You are kind and funny. You have a temper, but you (usually) change your tune quickly. You have changed every ounce of my expectations for what it is to be a mom of a boy. And it is amazing and challenging and I try my best to enjoy every single second of it.

Charlie, we pray that you'll be strong and that you'll try to do the right things. That you'll never be afraid to say you're sorry or to forgive others. We pray that you'll never take yourself too seriously, and that you'll see the bright side of things. We pray that you'll love God first, so that you can show others what true love is. We pray that you and Miss E will be the best of friends till the end, and even when you don't like each other much, that you'll still be each other's partner in crime.

In the end, it doesn't matter what you grow up to be, or how much money you make. It's who you love. Your family, your friends, your neighbors. Even strangers. We pray that you'll love others as your love yourself. And we pray that we can do that, too, so you know what it looks like as you grow.

We are so thankful to have you, sweet boy. Happy second birthday!

Love, Momma and Daddy (or "dah-DEE!")