Happy 3rd Birthday to my Little Man!

Dear Chase,

I just want to tell you how very happy you make me! I am so blessed to be your mommy and am very thankful that God chose your daddy and I to be your parents.

I can't believe that tonight, at 4:27 a.m., you will turn 3 years old! This year will bring so many changes for you, including starting preschool. How in the world can you already be old enough to be starting preschool?

It seems like just yesterday that I was so worried about you during my pregnancy. 3 months of bedrest and my obsessive worrying about the fluid that was backed up into your kidneys at every ultrasound that I had with you were more than worth it and I would gladly do it all over again.

I still remember the first time that I saw your sweet little face during one of my ultrasounds at the perinatologist in Akron:




I immediatly fell head over heals in love with your chubby little cheeks and your cute little nose and I knew that despite being in labor at only 20 weeks pregnant and despite your kidney issues and despite facing months of bedrest that I'd do whatever it took to keep you safe inside my womb for as long as you needed to be there.

And stay there you did!



My ob took me off of the medication that I had been on to stop my contractions when I was 36 weeks pregnant with you. He told me to still take it easy though because he didn't want you to be born before I was 37 weeks pregnant. Well, you must've wanted to show what a good listener you were because you were born at exactly 37 weeks!

On January 4th, 2006 at 4:27 in the morning, I got the pleasure of meeting the most beautiful baby boy on earth! My little Chase Robert:



You were a great baby right from the start and boy did your sister ever love you to pieces. When she came up to the hospital to see you for the first time she said, "He's absolutely perfect!" And she was right. You are absolutely perfect!

When we brought you home, we were prepared to have lots of sleepless nights with a baby who didn't eat or sleep on any type of schedule at all...just like your sister :) But, you surprised us. You were very much a "schedule baby" and you were a great sleeper from the moment we bought you home. Your newborn days were pretty easy...you really were a good baby, always full of smiles and happy to be entertained by your adoring big sister, McKenna!




I feel so lucky to have gotten to spend your first 7 months at home with you. You grew and changed so much in that time and I was, and still am, very grateful for those special moments that I was able to share with you.

By the time you celebrated your first birthday, you were starting to talk a little bit and were crawling all over the place and walking holding onto your push toy. You'd had many firsts including your first family vacation (to Niagara Falls):



and your first Halloween, you were Goliath from the cartoon, JoJo's Circus (sissy was JoJo)


Boy did you love your birthday cake!


Once you were one it seemed like you really really started to become a big boy quick! You started walking...I mean running, everywhere and climbing on everything! We realized that we should've named you Sit or Stay because all we did was CHASE you everyhwere!

Everywhere we'd go, people would comment on what a "pretty" boy you were or how gorgeous your eyes were...and of course they absolutely were right, who could resist those baby blues?


Your personality really started to come out, as did your stubborn streak! If you wanted something you made sure we all knew about it!

During this time you also took your first vacation to the beach. You really liked the waves and were amazed by the sand!




Your 2nd year brought a lot of changes as well. In the past year you have grown so much and as I look at you now I realize that you are no longer a baby, you are now a little boy! There are so many things that I love about you. I love that you are all about your mommy! You love your daddy and sissy dearly, but you are a complete mommy's boy! I love your sense of adventure - even though it has landed us in the ER a couple of times! I love how you look out for your big sister. I can already tell that you are going to be her protector as you both grow up. I love how you snuggle up next to me in bed when you wake up before me in the mornings. The list could go on and on...

In the past year you have grown so much:

You've learned how to ride a big boy bike...and do stunts:


You've gone from sleeping in your crib, to sleeping in a big boy bed...in fact you now have a whole new room!



As sad as I am to see you grow up, I'm equally excited to see what this year brings for you. I know you are so excited to go to school, "like sissy" and I can't wait for you to have that experience.

You always ask me if "I'm happy at you" and yes Chase, I'm very happy at you! I'm happy to be your mommy and I'm happy to be given the priviledge of watching you learn and grow. Thank you for being my sweet, adorable, loving little boy.

I love you to the moon and back!
Love,
Mommy