Seven

a post that's just a month late!!

He's SEVEN today.  Our little Cole Franklin.  I have to be careful - he won't be "little"much longer, although I have to say that I think he loves being the youngest in our family.  This boy is full of fire  - everyday, all day long.  He's been that way since he was in my belly.  The day he arrived was a celebration for all.  It ended my life as a pregnant woman - huge as I was (51 lbs heavier than normal)!

Seven years of fun began on this 24th day.  He was due on Halloween, but I convinced the doctor that I really wanted to be home from delivering long before the 31st! Caro, Brooks and Reed couldn't wait to meet our "boo baby".  What would he look like and when would he be able to walk and talk?  

Cole, you are a blast!  People always say you talk with your eyes and you laugh all of the time. 

 I watched those eyes change from blue to green as yellow streaks emerged around the age of 1.  I thought for sure you would join your sister as a blue eyed child, but at the last minute, you surprised us all and now your eyes are green.  Yes, you have filled our lives with surprises.

Cole, you might be my fourth child, but you have provided many firsts.  You were the first to insist (with incessant crying) that I drive around in the middle of the night until you fell asleep.  I always said "I'll never do that!".  You were the first to refuse all baby food.  How could you eat real food when you had no teeth and were less than 1??  You surprised me and mashed everything with those little gums.  You were the first to write on my walls with a  Sharpie marker and the first to play in the dishwasher detergent.  Maybe I should say you were the only one.  You were just trying to help at the age of 18 months - dumping the gel in the dispenser, right were it belongs.  'Cause "I can do it BY MYSELF"!  You were the youngest to jump off the high dive in Houston and the youngest to jump from the 2-story deck at the Robinson's lake house.  I thought for sure that jump would end your bravery, but no, you came up out of the water announcing that you were going to do it again!  You did a flip off our diving board at 2-1/2 - your water wings flew off and you began to sink. Once your dad pulled you out, you just giggled and hurried off to do it again! 

You never like to be alone.  You are absolutely attached and in love with your brothers and sister. 

 Any day they are gone you ask me multiple times when they will be home. You coined the phrase "BrooksReed" - "when will BrooksReed be home?"  

You are the master at keeping up.  You can ride your bike as far and as fast as they can. You can discuss movies and play games as well as those big brothers.  Your memory is like your sister's.  You can still remember details from life in Mississippi - and we moved away when you were 2-1/2.

Cole, you are a loving, silly, smart, fearless, delightful little boy. 

 You bring joy to my life.  I love to snuggle with you in the mornings and I love to hold you on my lap.  I wish I could bottle you up and keep you at the age of seven forever and ever, but then I wouldn't have the chance to watch you grow into a man.

  My heart swells when you say, "Mommy, I really missed you!" or "Mommy, I really love you!"  It thrills me to hear you read and to watch you smack that baseball. 

You've had a lot of firsts this year.  You lost your first tooth, in fact you lost 6!  You completed Kindergarten, and learned to read.  Math is fun for you - especially counting money and telling time.  You also began taking piano lessons.  I love to hear you playing "Spooky Halloween" and "Jingle Bells"!  You are a Tiger Cub although you've already been camping with the scouts for 4 years!  This year is exciting because your best friend, Nate, is a scout, too!

You are the light of my life and I am so thankful to have a boy named Cole Franklin to call my very own.