It all seems like last week.

Seven. Our first born is seven! It isn’t news to anyone with kids, but the years just fly by. I clearly remember going into labor, yelling giddily to our neighbor that we were heading to the hospital, and the exact moment of Alex’s arrival. What I don’t remember is life before kids.

Alex was born on Memorial Day in 2002, and the hospital was like a ghost town, because no one schedules inductions on a holiday. We had the run of the place and five labor and delivery nurses.

When I look at pictures I’m dumbfounded by how young we look. I had just turned 26 and Brandon was still 25 when Alex was born. With our genetic issues, it was recommended we close up shop by 30, so we dove in head first.

As with all first-borns, Alex is the guinea pig. We stumble through parenthood and learn as we go. We used to eat dinner with him sitting on the table in a bouncy seat, so we could stare at him. We took him to Disney when he was just over four months old.We were so excited to share with him all the things we love. He was the star of the show, and we have thousands of film pictures to prove it. Had we had a digital camera, we could have set aside the money used for film and development and paid for a year of Bradley.

Alex is a tough nut. He’s very stubborn and far mouthier than we’d like, but I think it came with the genes. At seven, he still throws temper tantrums and shouts ridiculous things like: “I’m going to saw my bunk bed into a thousand pieces, set it on fire and roast marshmallows over it!” I don’t worry too much because his mother shouts ridiculous things more often than she cares to admit too. “I swear I will pull over on this highway and leave you by the side of the road if you open your mouth one more time!”

Underneath it all, he is a good boy, with a kind heart and empathy for others. He is smart and is far better at math than his mom will ever be. He is inventive and entrepreneurial and tells me what the Dow did every evening. He isn’t the most athletic or coordinated kid, but has a ball playing whatever sport he’s into at the moment. He knew nothing about Star Wars six months ago and now finds Star Wars spoofs on Youtube and saves them to his favorites. He changes every day.

We are so proud of Alex and are anxious to see what God’s plan is for him. I just wish, like every mom does, that I could keep him little forever. The years are ticking by and even on “one of those days,” I try to remind myself to enjoy the moment, even if it is threw tears of frustration. If the last seven years are any indication, the next seven will go even faster.

Happy Birthday Gator! We love you very much!