Seven

You are seven years old today.

Absolutely unbelievable.

I always wanted to be a mama and you were the one that gave me that.

I had no idea how hard being a mama was or how amazing it could be either.

Whoever said, "the days are long but the years are short" wasn't lying.

Honestly, as a baby I thought I had an idea of who you would be at seven years old. A blonde headed, rambunctious boy who gets into everything! I was right about that part! I had no idea autism would be in our lives but it really didn't change much about the person I imagined you would be.

You are so full of joy! Your smile is contagious with those dimples of yours.

You are full of energy! You love to jump, swing, climb, and crash . . the higher the better!

You eat us out of house and home and never seem to get full!

You love to make videos, watch cartoons, and are not too fond of sharing things with your sister. But you surprise us every now and then and give her the biggest hug.

You love big. You don't share that love with just anyone either. . . but boy when you do you shower with affection like no other.

You are strong willed. You have your own opinions about the way things should go and you don't give up easily.

You are a hard worker. Life for you hasn't always been easy because of autism and you've had to work twice as hard to learn things. This doesn't slow you down though. You do things at your own pace, but you get them done. And when you do, you show so much pride in yourself!

You are your own person. You don't try to be like anyone else and are content with the awesome kid you see in the mirror.

I often tell people you are EXTRA. You are REALLY happy, REALLY mad at times, you love BIG, you play BIG, and that smile and laugh of yours brings EXTRA to everybody's lives.

We couldn't be more proud of the seven year old you are today. It's bittersweet because I want time to slow down a little bit. But then again I welcome the future with open arms because you surprise and amaze us every single day. I can't wait to see what the years ahead will bring.

Happy Birthday little man! May your day be full of popcorn, sprinkles, music, videos, swings, trampolines, and loads of fun!