To Brigg on your 5th Birthday

Dear Brigg,
On Friday th 13th of July, 2001, our lives were changed forever. With the biggest smile I have ever seen on his face, your daddy exclaimed "It's a BOY!" and we have never been the same. Even during those first days in the hospital, we knew you were going to be an amazing baby. You cried very little and slept like a rock. You seemed to be a pleaser from day one. Your daddy and I would just look at you in wonder and I would say "Can you believe he is OURS? That we created him?" It STILL amazes me. I am sure that before you arrived your daddy had held very few babies and he had never changed a diaper. Those first 2 days in the hospital it was hard to pull you out of his arms and I did not change a single diaper! He took a week off work and got up with me every feeding and just watched as I fed you. The day he finally headed back to work, I practically had to push him out the door. He called and checked in several times and finally I decided to load you up and drive the 45 minutes to his office during his lunch hour! It was well worth it.
You have always been a thinker. As I look back through the millions of photos of you over the past 5 years, you can see it in the majority of them. You would have let me read to you 24/7. Always a curious one, but very cautious. One day I walked into the computer room to find you typing away on the keyboard. (Like mother like son!:) Sometimes even today if I cannot find you, you are usually up on the computer all set up and playing your Spiderman or Thomas computer game. Definitely my thinker and so very much like your daddy! Your dad has always included you in all of his many projects and you have loved it from the time you could "help" him. You have built things, fixed things, painted things and created things together. You imitate everything he does and just recently while he was working on the patio you looked outside and said very matter-of-fact, "When I grow up I want to be a worker, like dad!" I can only hope that you have that trait in you! You love to be with family and always have. You were the first grandchild on both sides and the center of attention at every family gathering for over 2 years. It made you into a little adult. You talked early and knew your alphabet and letters before we even thought it was possible! You amazed us with each passing day and are still amazing us today. At each milestone your daddy and I say "This is the best stage!" But it just continues to get better. So as you turn five I am just hoping you can feel what our hearts feel for you but what I cannot even begin to put into words. I hope that some day you read this and know that we love you from a place in our souls that we didn't even know existed until you arrived. I pray so very hard that you will have a faith that is deep and true and that you realize that every decision we have made is based upon our love for you. I pray that you see in us a faith in God that is strong and real and you want to have a relationship with him and do all that you can to be more like Him. I see you becoming a man of honor and integrity like your father and I am so very proud of both of you. My heart aches with the hope for your future. So tonight as I go to bed I will be praying for you Brigg. Praying that I can be the kind of mother that you need. Praying that I recognize your heart's desires and that I can find a way to encourage them. Praying that God fills your heart with strength and courage to do all that you can to glorify Him. Praying that you become a man of character and loyalty and courage. And most of all thanking God over and over for giving us the honor and priviledge of being your mommy and daddy. Happy birthday buddy...we love you!!