Noah turns 6!

Noah turned 6 last week.  We sat together the night before and I told him all about the special feelings I had the night before he was to be born.  The excitement of meeting him and the joy at the thought of loosing some of the water I'd been retaining in my legs(I kinda mumbled that 2nd bit to Brod on the side).  He was our first boy and it was going to be a whole new experience for us all. 

We were all so excited! And it's been an honor and a priviledge to be his mommy.

Noah is loud.  He has a big mouth, that he opens and uses A LOT.  We call him our white Zulu.  When you visit the local rural villages you can hear the children laughing and calling to eachother - from across the valley.  Noah's voice projection is that good - that it really carries.  He loves to greet strangers, friends and everything and everyone.  He waves and says 'hello' constantly.  Asks people's names, what they do.  And everyone loves him to bits.  Strangers face's light up, and he leaves happiness in his wake.  This is a gift of his.

He only started speaking when he was 3 years old, he used his own special sign language to communicate with us all.  That was hard.  And to this day, when I watch the video footage of him at a young age, I remember clearly the feeling of claustraphobia that I carried for 2 years - feeling so frustrated for him, and anxious. Like I couldn't breathe sometimes.  Because he couldn't speak.  And I knew that Heavenly Father knew that I was worried, and I couldn't understand why he wasn't performing some mighty miracle in loosening Noah's tongue. And then it 'hit' me, that I needed to pray and actually ask him for the miracle and tell him what I wanted and what Noah needed.  And voila.  The miracle I sought unfolded and he has not stopped communicating since.  His speech is still a struggle - but I'm just so very grateful that he has it, and he uses it.  This a true gift.

Noah had a birthday party on Saturday night.  The house was full of folk who love him and care about him - and if my house was bigger - there would have been even more people.  He loved having his first real birthday party - with not only his family, but a few special friends as well.

Happy 6th year on earth Shnopesy Popesy.