In three days.....

We move in two days.
Which means our computer will probably be packed up tonight.

But in three days, somebody will be two.

So I'm writing this blog post early because I don't know when the internet will be up and running at the new house and I don't want to miss Owen's birthday post. Heaven forbid he ever have the opportunity to say, "I was just the third kid. Nobody cared about me. I didn't even get my own 2nd birthday blog post and for Christmas that year they got me some pillow pet I didn't even want."
We just can't have that, so here it is:

Two.
Owen will be two.

I find that hard to believe.
(Except when he's throwing temper tantrums and then I find it easy to believe.)

Honestly, it is hard to put into words what the last two years with Owen have been like. On one hand, they've been extraordinarily difficult; the kind of years you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. The kind of years that were full of a baby screaming because he's in pain, too many doctor appointments, procedures,medicines, and therapies to count, too many nights laying in bed awake and worrying, and too many tears shed because as a mother, one of the worst things is seeing your child in pain and not being able to prevent it....Seeing your child in pain and fervently longing to take his place.

On the other hand, these have been the two most life changing years of my life. Owen has stretched me in ways I didn't know I needed stretching. I've been blessed with a great marriage, but these struggles have made it even stronger. I've been blessed with a great family, but these struggles make me appreciate them even more. I look around and realize some parents would give anything for their child to have his issues. Some parents are watching their children go through much worse and so now I hit my knees for those families like I should have been all along. I've had faith in God for a long time, but this past year has made me rely on Him like never before. And even though Owen's not out of the woods yet, I have more hope and trust in God than ever before because I've learned He will take care of you. His timing might not be the same as yours, but He will not abandon you; even in your darkest hour. And I've had some dark hours.

So happy (almost) 2nd birthday to my bright, blue-eyed, life changing little boy.
I'm so thankful for you.
You're my scrappy little fighter....
And I thank God for that.
And I pray that your bad days continue to get fewer and farther in between.
And I'm so glad you came along and made our little family even better.