Three years ago today...

My world became infinitely brighter and happier! Isaac Zane Freedom was born at 4:02 p.m. weighing 8 lb, 6 oz, and at 22 1/2" long. The first glimpse I got of him was the nurses running him across the delivery room, upside down and holding him by the ankles. The first thing I said about him: "Wow! He's huge!" I still say that all the time, for this kid is still huge.

We were in thrall watching all the doctors and nurses around him and we didn't realize that usually there weren't so many. He was a bit listless at first, so they had called up the NICU team. It wasn't long before I heard his first cry, a little mew like a kitten. My heart melted and I knew my world had changed forever.



We were a family.
It's a wild feeling, leaving that hospital with your first child. The nurse dropped me at the corner and turned and left. Chris and I were shocked that the hospital had just entrusted us with the life of this tiny little person. We finally got him all installed in the brand new car seat and I sat down in the backseat with him. As we drove away, the first song to play on the radio was John Lennon's "Imagine." Imagine, indeed.



Izzy was six weeks and one day old when I went back to work. It broke my heart. My sister kept him that first day (she and my mom took turns keeping him for the first few months) and I got out of the van sobbing, barely able to get the carrier and the diaper bag out of the car. She calmly took him without a word and I cried all the way into work. It quickly got better though, but only because I didn't know what all I was missing.

He was such a good baby. Rarely cried and was always happy whether in my arms or rolling around on a blanket on the floor. I treasured every single moment I had with him, since I missed him so badly during the day. It didn't take him too long once he became a toddler, to develop into the the energetic and lively little guy he is now!

I was laid off when he 17 months old, and I was five months pregnant with Sophie and sick as a dog. He was so good. When I was sick in the bathroom, he'd come in and stand beside me and pretend to be throwing up with me! He's always been a riot. He kept me laughing through the next four months. Chris was getting home around 6:30 or 7 at the time, and he'd come in every evening to me and Izzy curled up in his chair together, watching Rachel Ray on the Food Network. Life was, and is, very good.


After Sophie was born, I got to see a new and wonderful facet of Izzy's personality: big brother extraordinaire! He's a more loving and gentle big brother than I could have dreamed of. To this day, he's still not wanted to be apart from her for even a minute. When she cries, he's the first one there, telling her, "It okay, baby."

Izzy is an amazing little boy. He's imaginative and hilarious. Right now, he's hanging off my arm tweeting like a baby bird. That's my cue to end this ode to Izzy and go feed him a worm.

Happy Birthday, Izzy!!! You rock, little man.