Happy 8th Birthday, Braden!

Saturday my big guy turned 8!  Where did the time go???  He is such a handsome little smarty. 

 

The Story: 

On Tuesday November 8^th, 2005, I went in for my weekly Dr. visit to check on the “big gut, no butt” little guy (as Dr. D fondly called him) still in my belly.  He was due November 26th.  Unfortunately, he was having some trouble in there and Dr. D decided he needed to come on out the following week.  So we scheduled his appearance via induction for Tuesday, November 15^th.    We went in very early that morning and got hooked up to the meds by 8am, really believing we would be holding our baby sometime that day.  But B had other plans.

 

To make a long long journey shortened for sake of server space, we didn’t get to meet B that day.  I labored until 6pm, was extremely grouchy from not eating since dinner the night before, and tired of watching The Office and being in pain.  Dr. D cut me loose to grab a shower and some dinner.  B obviously wasn’t making an appearance that day.  My awesome sister brought me a huge Moe’s Burrito and chips and queso dip which Dr. D thought was crazy.  But I ate it all and took a break.  At midnight, we hooked back up to the meds.  I labored all night and into the morning.  At noon Dr. D announced that B was in distress and we were going in to get him.

 

 

Braden Todd Estes made his debut at 12:15pm Wednesday, November 16^th, 2005 at 7 lbs 6 oz via emergency C-Section.  They weighed him twice because they thought for sure he was much bigger than that.  B was a good baby who didn’t cry unless he needed something.  Unfortunately he was never a good sleeper.  Didn’t really sleep through the night until the last couple of years.  There’s a lot of passing in the hallways in the middle of the night at my house. 

 

We are so blessed to have our Braden.  He was prayed over before he was ever known.  He is smart, funny, handsome, thoughtful and loves sports.  Sounds like another guy in my house.  I love him to death. 

 

 

B has really taken to football recently and enjoyed having his own fantasy team this year.  He loves choosing what players to play each week and reading the number stats on each player (wha?? Not from ME!).  He is still a major Redskins fan and loves to watch the games in pieces while waiting for the bus in the mornings.  He is almost to my shoulder already and built for speed.  Light on his feet and athletic.  He can hold his own with almost any sport.  He’s a good big brother to Ty, (especially when we aren’t watching) and he has given his big ole, number lovin heart to God this fall.  I am proud of him as my son and now as my brother in Christ.  I’m so thankful that no matter where life takes him now, he has the biggest, baddest Daddy of them all watching and protecting and intervening for him.  Love.  It.

Well of course we had to have a football birthday party!  Justin made the goal post out of PVC piping, it looked awesome.  I decided to do pull apart cupcakes this year and saw a neat looking football field idea on foodnetwork.com, so I had to try it.  B decided he wanted to go out with Dad and do Laser Tag instead of having a big party, so we had family over for snacks and cupcakes when they got back.

 

 

Poor planning on my part, Justin took the birthday boy out and left little needy squishy one with me while I was trying to get the food and decorations done for the party.  Poor Ty.  Not only was he not getting gifts that day, but I had to keep shoo-ing him away from the kitchen.  Everything he touched was getting messed up.  He was looking at the goal post and almost took the whole tablecloth and everything on it down with him.  He tried to come watch me decorate the cupcakes and fell forward and knocked half of them into the sink.  Tough day for my little guy.

 

 

We had a great time at the party with family.

 

On Sunday we had our annual shoe box packing party at church.  Each year we participate in Operation Christmas Child and pack shoe boxes full of goodies for children over seas who don’t gets to open presents at Christmas and don’t have much at all.  The message of Jesus’s birth, death and resurrection is also included in the box in the language of the child so they can read about God’s love and sacrifice for them.  Its an amazing organization and we are always excited to help.

 

 

Tyler helped me pack a few boxes and then I saw him swipe a car from the toy bin and put it in his pocket.  I asked him what he was doing and my poor little Ty, who suffered through the birthday party that was not about him, presents that were not for him, cupcakes that weren’t in his honor, and now packing toys and candy in boxes that weren’t for him says,

 

“But I want this toy.”

 

Me: “Honey, those toys aren’t for you.  They are for children who don’t have toys or presents.”

 

Ty:  “But Mama, those kids are invisible!  I’m not!”

 

I realized I had failed to explain this shoe box business to my sweet 4 year old.  We had to take a moment away to talk about this.  Of course the kids were invisible to him!  My sweet boy!  Did I mention this is the same boy who begged his VeVe to let him buy flowers at Sams Club for me because “Mama likes flowers.”  What 4 year old buys his Mama flowers? 

 

 

 

 

What a fun weekend with family and friends.  Happy birthday to my B-man!