ONE

Dear Ethan,
HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!! If I teach you anything I want you to know to relax and have peace in the arms of God. He has an AWESOME plan for you- one I knew the first second I laid eyes on you. Gods plan are different than ours a lot of the time- I know your life has not been what I thought- from your very arrival, to your stay in the NICU, to your ridiculously fast development... nothing has been as I have thought it would be. But I wouldn't change ONE SECOND.

You were an answer to prayers. Mommy wanted you her whole life and God knew just the baby for her. A strong, stubborn, independent, funny, sweet young boy- you my sweet boy. YOU! This year you have proven us all wrong by bypassing all our expectations. If the doctors thought you would be 2 months behind, you were two weeks ahead. If you were suppose to be small, you were outgrowing your clothes.

You love listening to the wheels on the bus. And often the way to calm you down is to sing Jesus Loves Me, Be Careful Little Eyes, Jesus Loves the Little Children. As I sing these songs to you, I continue to pray that God sets up home in your heart. Your daddy and I pray for you each night. I pray that God lives in and through you, that you stand up for your faith, that you search for truth and find it.

May you continue to grow, learn, and love. Your daddy and I love you all the way to heaven and back again!