Tiny Tales Thursday...

Well, this tale definitely started tiny....

and it's hard to believe that he is now FIVE years old. 

Five. 

My baby is FIVE. 

For someone reason that seems so big to me. And I don't know why, but I am sad. Sad that he is growing up. And scared - scared that he won't "need" me much longer. 

And while I can cognitively understand that is highly unlikely - I need to remind my heart of the same thing. 

As I try to make my fingers type words to do this "tale" justice - I can't. 

I don't know that I can adequately express what I want to say. Or that I will ever be able too. 

January 7, 2007 - 4am. I had just arrived home from chaperoning a ski trip and Ryan was picking me up in the Sam's parking lot. I hurried into the car - looked at him and commanded that he go directly to Kroger to purchase "a test". (I may have also told him hello, but that's doubtful). He kind of thought I was crazy and I did a little, too. After all, we had said, like maybe ONCE... "we should think about starting a family." 

Well, two little lines and 9 months later....

William Radley King became our family. Our son. Our first born. Our everything. 

Radley has lived out loud since the moment he arrived. From that first tiny pain at 1am on September 6 to his arrival at 6:31pm that night. Nine days early and 28 years in the making. 

For 28 years I had lived in this life not realizing that a part of me had never existed. 

How is that possible? 

But once he arrived - it all made sense. I had been missing something. We had been missing everything.

Once we became parents everything didn't just change - it got better. 

We love stronger. We pray harder. We live more purposeful. All because of a 6lb 12oz, 20.25 inch little man. 

From that moment on, we were forever changed.  

From that first moment in room 345 to his first smile/words/steps/birthday.... to the moment that I type this...he has brought us such joy. Such love. Such blessings. 

I am so proud of who he IS.Not just who he will become...but who he is in this moment. Right now. All 38lbs of him. 

His love for life. His desire to learn. His tender heart. His growing pains. His love for his sisters. His humor. His sincerity. His passion for blocks. And sharks. And cars. The way he admires his daddy. How he lets me hug him for random lengths of time. How he can make Emersyn and Landry laugh louder and longer than anyone else. That he is the BIG brother to two other "tiny tales." 

He hugs me when I cry. He makes wonderful jokes. He "gets" things.

I love that he wants to be "big". That he desires to be "tough". That he knows how much he is loved. That Pete and Pops are going to take him to play golf soon. That Gigi will always have cookies. That "big cousin Owen" is the coolest. That the Munsons are "our other family, Mommy." That Karli's last name is "bug". 

His favorite color is brown. His favorite movie is still Cars. He loves leggos. He requests "casserole" for dinner. Or to eat where there is peanuts and rolls. He likes to organize. He is determined to succeed. 

He is my baby boy. And will be forever. 

Happy Birthday, William Radley King!

I hope these past five years have brought you as much happiness as you have given. And I pray that the next 105 bring even more. You forever changed me. You made me a mommy. And for the rest of my years I will live every day determined to live up to that title. 

WE LOVE YOU!!!!!