My baby turns 7 today!

I can't believe 7 years have already passed since Max was born. This is me the morning of my scheduled c-section! Look at that belly! This kid was breech through almost my entire pregnancy and I thought I'd die before I got his little dancing body out of mine. He stood facing my spine with his little butt poking straight out at my belly button. I only gained 28 lbs. with him but they way I carried him, it looked like a lot more!
And wasn't he beautiful? He still is. Each of my boys are special to me for different reasons. Max, was a gift from God to show me what it feels like to be in an unconditional love relationship where you are noticed, special, and affirmed. I get this from a little wild boy who rarely stops moving. He's incredibly affectionate. He was my monkey child. He's tender and sweet. He's giving and thoughtful. He affirms me in my role as a mom and as an artist. He's quick to forgive me. He's the first one to pay attention to my artwork and talk to me about it. He notices. He's an introvert, like me, but not shy. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. There is no guesswork with Max. What you see is what you get. And he makes me laugh like no one else can. These are all the things that I hold so dear to my heart about my baby who is no longer small enough to hold. He is also challenging and can make me want to pluck each strand of hair from my head, one by one... when I'm not squeezing him and relishing the embraces of his arms wrapped around my body like velcro. Yes, this one is a blessing straight from Heaven... this one, this wild little one, shows me a bit of God every day, straight from his heart.

I snapped this picture of him before he left for school this morning. Isn't he a character?