Not sure how it happened, but my “baby” is 12.  How can that be?  It wasn’t long ago that he was born, just the blink of an eye really.  Yet here we are.  I tried hard to find a few photos of him as a baby, but we lost so many to hurricane katrina.  I managed to dig up a few that had been in the attic and were somewhat spared.  Some have water spots, or are printed on regular old paper.  But it’s what we have.  I look at these and every one makes me smile.  He was a sweet baby.  A cute toddler and active, fun little kid.  He came into this world ready to party.  At one, he had been walking and running for over 2 months.  At two, the terrible two’s were nowhere to be seen, he was busy, but so well behaved.  At 3 his personality started to really shine through and he mixed things up a bit.  And four, pre-k and friends and buzz lightyear.  That was also the year we met Jase.  Five, he started school and loved every minute of it.  At six we spent that year planning a wedding, talking about Hawaii, traveling and taking lots of road trips, he loved every minute and every hotel.  At seven we made the trek to Hawaii, got married, and he was so, so happy about that.  Eight, the year Taryn was born, they year Jason adopted him, the year we lost everything to a hurricane.  Nine, the year of struggling in school, rebuilding, making friends.  Ten was more of the same plus moving to Austin and a new baby brother.  Eleven, loving the freedom of life outside of rebuilding, new friends, new school, new life.  He’s kept me on my toes, since day one, that has not changed.  He’s fun and warm and kind.  I look at these photos and it feels like both yesterday and a million years ago, all at the same time.  I see a lot of me in him, yet I see glimpses of Kevin in him too almost daily.  I can’t help but wonder, if he were alive, what would he think of the young man Ty is today?  I’d like to think he’d be impressed by him.  I am.  And I think he’d love it that Ty has his silly laugh, and his eyes.  I also see so many layers of Jason in Ty too.  He’s a great kid.  I’d be so thankful if he got the best parts of all three of us.  And I’m so thankful that he’s mine.

A few images from this past year….

Happy Birthday Ty, I love you.

ps…..is it just me, or do some of the baby shots of Ty look EXACTLY like Teagan?!?!  I always say he reminds me of Ty when he was little, but wow.