You came screaming into this world on a clear August
morning, and the sound of your cry is something we will remember for the rest
of our lives. From the moment you breathed your first breath, your
determination and passion shone through. The first time we looked at your
perfect face, your mop of black hair, your tiny fingers and toes, the shock
that you were finally here coursed through us. Life would never be the same.
The first few months were challenging. You were so tiny and
so hungry. We had had so many years
without you that it was like we had moved to an alien planet filled with crying
at all hours of the night, endless dirty diapers, spit up and exhaustion. But
through it all the only emotion we felt was this overwhelming love for you,
washing over us in great big waves, crashing down around us and filling us with
the most unspeakable awe: you were part of US, flesh and blood. Such a miracle…
Each
month-really each day-you grew and discovered something new. At a month old you
wouldn’t go anywhere without your binky. Our trips out of the house were short
and our snuggle times in the leather recliner were long. You were lifting your
head at 3 days old, so we knew you were going to be strong.
At two months old you
liked to be wrapped tightly in your swaddle because you were colicky. You got
very sick with a bad virus and Mama had to sleep in your room with you to make
sure you were ok. You sounded like a little pig when you slept.
At three months old you
discovered “the baby” in the mirror and how to roll yourself over. You started
smiling and giggling when we kissed your tummy. You started sleeping through
the night! You also got dedicated to the Lord at church, and we pray every day that you become a man who is passionately in love with Jesus.
At four months old you got your first bottom two teeth and
drooled all over the place. You had your first plane ride to grandma and
grandpa’s house in Idaho for your very first Christmas. You loved to babble and coo and
smile at everyone wherever we went. You started sitting unassisted without
toppling over.
At five months you started noticing Kona pup and getting
really excited when she came in the room. You loved to go outside and play with
your toys on a blanket.
At six months you were rolling over from back to front and
front to back, babbling like crazy, laughing, grabbing mom and dad's faces along
with anything you could get your hands on to put in your mouth, getting close
to crawling and loved your jumparoo. You used to get going so fast that your
wild hair would get even wilder. The joy we felt at seeing you enjoying
yourself with reckless abandon is inexpressible. Sock monkey was your favorite
stuffed animal and you loved your bath!
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| 6 Months |
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| 6 Month Cake Daddy brought home to celebrate |
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| Snuggly after your bath |
At seven months you were standing unassisted against the
back of the couch and you laughed so loud when we tickled your tummy. You liked
it when daddy threw you in the air. You had your first haircut and looked even
more like daddy when your wild hair got buzzed off! You started scooting on the
ground on your tummy, reaching for toys and bouncing like crazy in your door
jumper. You played like a good boy in it during dinner time.
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| 7 Months |
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| You and your Kona pup |
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| Door jumper fun! |
At eight months mama had to have surgery to get her back
fixed and grandma and grandpa visited to help out. You started running around
the driveway in your walker and loved chasing grandpa around in it.
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| Playing around with Grandpa Hazard |
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| 8 Months |
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| Outside in your walker |
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| First Easter |
At nine months you were officially crawling…fast! You were getting
into everything and discovered the dog food bowl…and the dog water, which ended
up all over the floor if we weren’t fast enough to put it up out of your reach.
You started to understand who mama was and you let the world know you didn’t
like to be without her by crying if she left the room. Your smile got bigger,
and got filled in by 6 more teeth!!
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| 9 Months |
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| On a date with sock monkey |
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| Fun at the park! |
At ten months you were standing up and cruising along the
furniture, taking the falls and bumps like a brave boy. Your favorite foods
were (and still are) scrambled eggs with cheese, green beans and sweet
potatoes. Your favorite toy was an empty plastic water bottle and you got
another haircut. You also flew on a plane for the second time in your life to
the Hazard family reunion in Colorado and you did great!
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| Having fun in Colorado |
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| Handsome boy |
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| 10 month scrunch face |
At eleven months you were “walking” with assistance, loved
to growl like a dinosaur, your first words were “mama”, then “hi” then “dada”,
you started using sounds like “eh” and “ah” to communicate what you wanted,
loved playing with Kona and chasing her around the yard with daddy. Your
favorite toys were your story books. You would sit and “read” them quite
contentedly.
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| 11 Months |
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| Playing with your books |
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| Playing in the sunbeams |
At twelve months, you had your first birthday with your very
own cow cake, which you devoured by smashing your face in it. Grandma and Grandpa Hazard came over from Idaho and helped with your party. Mama and Dada got
you your big bear as a gift-Gus-Gus- which you looked at with love and awe. You
visited him in your room (and still do) often to have wrestling matches. You had your first
trip to the beach to visit Grandpa Dan and Grandma Aelese and were scared of
the sand, but you were content on daddy’s shoulders and loved smacking daddy’s
head. Grandma Browning, who just went to heaven, got you your very own John Deere tractor to ride around in...when you're old enough to understand how to drive it. She loved seeing you smile and hearing you say "dada."
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| Devouring your cake |
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| First Birthday |
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| Cow Cake |
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| Grandma and Grandpa Hazard |
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| First time at the beach |
Our days this last year have been overflowing with miracles,
morning story time, middle of the night snuggles, visiting the library, pj’s with
giraffe and dinosaur feet, giggles, tears, new discoveries, new milestones,
race cars and stuffed animals-your “friends”, teething, new foods, and adventures
in your car seat running errands with mama. Our lives have never been richer.
We are so proud of you-how smart, kind, funny and passionate boy the Lord has made
you to be, our little “bug.”
Before we had you, I wrote a letter to you, even though in
those days I sincerely believed that the dream of you would never become a
reality. But I still wanted to dream…and hope. We thought you’d be a girl and
we would name you Sophia, but the Lord had other plans. I was sitting in our
living room one day, watching the dust mites float in the beams of sunshine
streaming through the window and feeling the bone-deep ache of emptiness only
those who aren’t able to have children can relate to. I let myself hope and
imagined that someday, the desire of my heart made flesh-YOU- would be playing
in that very spot.
After a long, trying, faith-testing journey, you are here.
You have overcome so much already in your short life and we owe it all to
prayer and the faithfulness of God’s healing. You are our miracle baby in so
many ways and each milestone is a celebration. So when we see you crawl, stand
up, start to walk (as I write this you are 14 months and WALKING!!), talk,
laugh, we are overcome with so many different emotions-wonder, awe,
thankfulness, joy. I think back on that lonely day watching empty sunbeams and
marvel at how my life has changed since then. Our hearts, our lives, our house,
and even the beams of sunshine streaming into our living room window are
brighter than they’ve ever been…because you are in them all. We love you our
precious Samuel Alan! God has BIG plans for you!
Love your Momma and Daddy
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