To Cooper on his 2nd Birthday

Son,

7 Months Old

  The last 2 years have brought us so much love, worry, excitement and frustration.  When you were ready to make your appearance, I got a chance to pick your birthday.  My options were September 16, September 19 or September 20. The 16th was too soon and the 20th is Uncle Shaun's birthday, so there we were on September 19th for the plan of you taking your first breath and changing our lives forever.  Daddy and I were so excited but scared.  How do we do 2 children?  With the support system around us, I knew everything would be just fine.  We had planned that Nannie would watch over you and Ally while Mom and Dad worked, and we would love and cherish you every evening and weekend!
 
  Of course when you were born, we never expected the Doctors to rush you away and then tell us they heard something in your heart.  Turns out you had a few valves that didn't close before birth.  I was so worried and upset because they wouldn't let us keep you in the room, and only Daddy and I could be with you in the nursery.  Your visitors had to meet you through the glass windows of that quiet nursery.  So many people loved you from the moment you were news to them but they had to wait.  Finally after tests and a lot of monitoring, the nurses brought you in to us, but we were told to watch you closely.  We had to watch for labored breathing, a different color to your skin, your temperature change...  Thank goodness everything continued to get better and better and finally we could take you home.  At your One Month Check, the holes had closed and your heart was whole!   I like to think that your heart wasn't ready to close because it was trying to get all of the love into it that it could hold.

Playing with Tina at work!

14 Months Old

  Two years later you are everything Daddy and I could have ever hoped for.  Such a fun little guy!  You spend time growling, playing with cars, chasing after your sister and hugging and kissing your family!  The amount of love that you have for such a little guy surprises me every day. Daddy and I are the luckiest parents in the world to have you as part of us.

  Happy 2nd Birthday and We Love you!