Nine

Dear Precious Boy, this is your last year of a single digit age. After this year, for the rest of your life, you'll be a double digit. I almost can't believe you're still ONLY nine, you're ready to be older. But for now, you linger... Today you're Nine. And I tell you the story again, the story of seeing your face for the first time and announcing to the whole world, "he's perfect!" I went around like that for weeks. Friends would say "he's so cute!" and I would say, "isn't he perfect?" It was nice of them to humor me. Or maybe they knew. Your precious little face, the most perfect face that God had ever created.

Dear Archer, my precious first born, you're nine and I don't know where nine years went. In my memory its a flash. And yet, it feels like maybe we're finally settled into this family thing. I've been your mom long enough that it doesn't surprise me anymore that I have a son. Did I ever tell you about the first doctor appointment I had to make for you? I called them up, they answered, and then I suddenly got stuck. I had to say some words that I had never said before in my life and they got caught in my throat, the wonder of this miracle of a newborn in my arms. "I need to make an appointment for my son." My son. My beautiful, perfectly formed son. It was a new, marvelous thing to say, This Is My Son.

You know, sometimes this road we're on together, the road of family travelling life with each other, its bumpy. Sometimes we bump into each other with words and feelings and it feels a little rough around the edges. But always we come back together. Today when I picked you up from school for your special birthday lunch, you wouldn't believe how it warmed my heart when you saw me and ran to me, took my hand and walked by my side.

I want you to know that even though things get rocky, whether between us family or with anyone else out there in the world, God created you so perfectly and you are special. One of a kind, and we're all watching to see what he does with you, in your life, where you go. We can tell already that you're headed somewhere great. You might not feel it, but we know it. Dad and I, and all the rest of your family, we know it. And we just can't wait to see where you go!

I love you dear Nine!