2:02 a.m., 10 lbs. 5 ozs.

Adam at 2:02 am this morning.

At Adam's Birthday Dinner last night.

Eatin' those clams he loves!

My Buddy turned 14 today!

Time has soared since that day I held him in my arms for the first time. It actually wasn't that magical at the moment. I was thinking "Wow, I did ALL that WORK for this?!" Don't hate me, I'd just been up for a very very long time and I was exhausted! My birthing story is very traumatic, you can ask me about it if you really want to hear all the details! But soon the physical pain and exhaustion passed and he became my Little Man. Tender, loving, giving, smiley, with plenty of naughtiness too! He hated to be held & to nurse. He loved bananas & airplanes (still does)

But labor didn't end at his birth. It only began. Some people spend months learning how to birth a child but no time learning how to raise a child for the next 18 or so years. All that information/education for a 24 hour period, but nothing for the 157,000 or so hours after that. I've spent the last 14 years giving everything I've got to grow this human being into someone who loves the Lord and serves Him with his all and is a valuable part of society. Sometimes I wish I could just *push* for a couple hours and out would pop this wonderful human, but it doesn't work like that. When people say what wonderful children I have, I take the time to let them know that is was a team effort. Both us parents and the kids working really hard together. As he has been growing, so have I. It is true that they are little mirrors, they just reflect back to you what you are all about. Very sobering and humiliating at times & refreshing and lovely at others (thank You Lord!). The hardest part for me about today is all the questions circling around in my head: Have I done enough? Did I teach him correctly? What if....? Does he know how to do....? How have I hindered him? Did I give him enough opportunities? Did I discipline him too much or not enough? Does he.....(fill in the blank)? He's 14!!! Not too many more years with me. He IS growing into the man I hoped he'd be one day. That brings me great comfort and joy. Yet I am determined to continue the HARD work & labor of raising my son to be a Godly man. A man who is a reflection of his heavenly Father and not a reflection of his earthly mother.