So, this is nine.

When my boys were babies, I remember thinking this is my favorite stage. From the chubby cheeks to the diaper bag to the bottles — I loved every minute of it! So much so, that I actually dreaded the thought of being the mother of full-fledged, older kids. I had no desire to be a soccer mom or a chauffer; I loved the simplicity and compactness of the mother-baby relationship.

Silly, I know now.

But, at the time it seemed that everything I loved about motherhood was trapped in the eyes of my tiny tots. I thought as they grew taller, they would need me less. Hug me less. Talk to me less. But, as I sat next to my full-fledged kid at his birthday breakfast this morning, I laughed at how wrong my thinking had been. Here we are — on the verge of double-digits — and Ty is still holding my hand, whispering I love you and bedazzling me with his big brown eyes. I thought to myself — so, this is nine. Very cool.

Okay, so I'm not fooling myself into thinking that we will not have a few road bumps through the tweens and teens, but what I do know is that being Ty and Wil's mom only gets better with the passing of time. Yes, it's different, but it's good different. We have a history now. We share a lifetime of memories that makes us deeply connected. We have the same sense of humor, as strange as it is sometimes. We show respect, kindness and compassion in the same way. I love who they've become and I am so excited to help them achieve their hopes and dreams — which in an unexpected turn of events — have become my hopes and dreams. 

Happy birthday, Ty! Baby or not, you will have my whole heart for my whole life. Love, Mom (formerly Mommy)

"I didn't give you the gift of life, life gave me the gift of you."

-Unknown