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Nov 19 2007

Five

Posted by: terrance in adoption, family, parenting
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Parker's 5th BirthdaySo, Saturday was Parker’s fifth birthday, which — appropriately enough — was also National Adoption Day. And tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of the day we found out his birth mother was considering us to be his adoptive parents. And Wednesday will be the fifth anniversary of the day we found out she’d chosen us to be his adoptive parents. And Thursday — which, appropriately enough, is Thanksgiving — is the fifth anniversary of the first day we laid eyes on our son and walked out of the hospital together, a family.

Five years. I look at Parker now — the active, healthy, curious, silly, playful, empathic little boy who screams “Daddy!” and runs to greet me when I come home — and I can still see the baby who was waiting five years ago for us to arrive, hold him in our arms, and take him home with us. Now, he’s such an amazing kid that at times I look at him with nothing but wonder, incredibly thankful that we are part of each others lives, and daring to hope that I’ve played, will yet get to play some role in helping him become whatever his talents and his passions make possible for him to become.

I remember someone told me once that being a parent is like having your heart walking around outside your body. It is, and I embrace it, with all the joy and worry that comes with it, because I know what happens to him also happens to my heart, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I wouldn’t exchange the job for any other, and I know I’d sign up for it again and again. No question. And then I’m thankful again.

And I know I always will be — beyond being “proud father,” which I am, I will always be a deeply, deeply grateful one. Always.

Happy Birthday Parker,

Love Daddy.

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This entry was posted on Monday, November 19th, 2007 at 2:22 pm and is filed under adoption, family, parenting.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

10 Responses to “Five”
  1. Joan says:
    November 19th, 2007 at 4:46 pm

    Happy Birthday! And Happy Fathers Day T :)

  2. brownfemipower says:
    November 19th, 2007 at 7:30 pm

    awwww….happy birthday and happy days in general for all around!!!!

  3. Robert Jones, Jr. says:
    November 19th, 2007 at 9:41 pm

    He is absolutely ADORABLE!

  4. Lucas says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 6:43 pm

    The sweetness of family, yours, melts my heart and makes me wish I had parents like Parker’s and a loving family as sweet. Happy thanksgiving and your sweet family in the making. :)

  5. Lisa Harney says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 9:33 pm

    Happy Birthday, Parker.

    He’s soooo cute. :)

  6. The Brian says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 8:39 am

    Happy Birthday little man!

  7. Tim Who? says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:03 pm

    Happy birthday Parker!

  8. The Captain says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 3:03 pm

    God bless the children…

  9. OPBAD says:
    November 22nd, 2007 at 4:17 am

    He is absolutely ADORABLE!

  10. ronn says:
    November 24th, 2007 at 5:20 pm

    Happy Belated Shorty!

    And many more to come for the entire family.

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