November 12

2002 I gave birth to my perfect baby boy.
We found out earlier that year the gender of our first baby. I was sure it would be a girl, but really, truly didn't care either way. When we walked out of the doctors office, John was walking about a foot taller than normal with his chest puffed up. He gave me a big hug and said "I would be just as excited if we were having a girl, but I am so so excited we are having a boy." I was beyond thrilled, not only for my baby boy, but for my husband to have a son!

My water broke at 10pm on November 11 (3 weeks early! I was due Dec. 2) and I had him at 6am November 12, 2002. He weighed 6 lb 12 oz.
One of my greatest memories was taking him home, pulling him out of the car seat, then John and I just sat on the couch and stared at him and cried. We were smitten!

When he was 3 days old, he had jaundice and had to be under the billi-lights for 3 days. I thought the world was coming to an end! I cried the ENTIRE time. I made myself a little bed right by him and just laid there for 3 days (Oh the freedom of the first child!) It broke my heart, but now I can laugh about it.

Here's our first family picture when he is 6 months old. I know, my hair is so dark! We were poor and I could do an all over color on myself for $5!

Here he is reading a book naked on his first birthday 2003.

This is his second birthday 2004. I am just a few months prego with Adeline.

Austin and my brother Jonny on Austin's 3rd birthday 2005.

Here's his 4th birthday, with his CARS cake in 2006

This is just last year in 2007 at age 5

And here's this years birthday boy! 6 years old! We got in from our trip to St. Paul super late the night before. Thank goodness my mom kept the kids for another night, so I could decorate in the morning. I had already made the cake and frozen it and had all the presents wrapped. So I was completely prepared.

He loves Nacho Libre and always wants to wrestle because of it. I found this awesome cape and mask at the swap meet in California!

Each year he wants a BYU football cake, since his birthday is in the middle of the season. Last year I got a Costco one that was so yummy, but so big that I (and only I) was eating it for days and days. Trying to avoid a similar disaster, I decided to make my own. I got Easter egg shaped cake tins (in an effort to make the tins useful for more than one occasion) and just frosted them up to look like footballs. Not sure if you can see the B-Y-U written on them. Unfortunately, the cat got to the bottom of the U cake. Oh well.

Since we did a big friend party last year, this year we took him on a special date. I, of course, forgot the camera, but it was so fun. It worked out that John's dad was in town, so he got to meet up with us for dinner. We went to the Mayan to see the cliff divers. Always a hit! Then to Sports Authority to pick out new roller blades. Everyone meet us at our house after for cake and ice cream. It was a fun day to celebrate our wonderful boy!

Allow me ooze my feelings on this child for a moment. He is the ideal boy and always has been. He was a perfect baby, a joyful toddler and has grown into the sweetest and most agreeable boy out there. I wish I could claim great parenting (but have you met Addie? JK), but he's just naturally good. He wants to obey and be kind. He is so concerned for others and their feelings. This makes him the perfect big brother! Adeline and Bailey both just idolize him and want to follow him everywhere. He is charming, playful, obedient, smart, funny and hard working.

Since I had him 6 weeks before Christmas, I bonded a lot with Mary, Jesus's mother. Not that I am comparing either of us to them, but in my own little way, I felt like I had brought a prince into the world too. Thankfully, my son didn't have to die for the sins of the world, but I felt that in his own little way, he will save people too. I had my first experiences of "motherly love" with him. WOW! That turned my world around and changed my life. He is just amazing, incomparably, perfectly, and absolutely amazing. He has brought nothing but joy to me and to our home. I am completely humbled that Heavenly Father would send a spirit so righteous and so noble and so pure for me to look after. What a true blessing he is to our family! I couldn't imagine life with out my oldest child, my only boy and the very best son a mother could ask for.

Happy Happy Birthday

Austin Michael