Happy 7th Birthday Mr. Smiley!!

Another birthday is here this week.
Mr. Smiley has turned 7 years old as of today.
Yes, we have 2 birthdays in the same week.
Sweet sweet Mr Smiley is just that--smiley.
He was a quiet happy baby from the get-go (after he got over the 12 weeks of colic where he screamed for 4-5 hours every evening).

fI spent most of my days walking him around the house with him strapped to my chest hearing his piercing wail in my ear. Precious Jewel was just 16 months old when he came along and was not entirely happy about the interruption to her life. She spent most of his screaming time wrapped around one of my legs letting her own wails be added to the bedlam.
Ah, motherly bliss.
They just don't tell you about this in the baby books do they?
At about 12 weeks, a switch turned off and in about 4-5 days time he stopped crying and became the most contented baby I've had.
I just had to make it through those first 12 weeks of what I affectionately call BABY BOOT CAMP.
You gotta love them, but you sure wish at times you could stuff them back inside and enjoy the quiet again.
His was a pregnancy I was not initially happy about.
Precious Jewel was just 8 months old when I found out I was expecting again and was still not sleeping through the night. We hadn't even been married 2 years and had already had 2 job changes and a big move from another state to our current state.
I cried. I cried a lot.
I cried for weeks.
It wasn't until I was about 5 months along and after praying desperately for God to change my heart that I grew to accept that we were going to welcome another child.
The moment he was born, I was totally in love and have been ever since.
He has been my snuggler, cuddler, Mr Affectionate little guy since the moment we welcomed into this world.

When he was 6 months old and Precious Jewel was 23 months, we flew to Mexico to visit my parents.
Lets just say to blond haired and blue eyed babies caused quite a stir.

His 2nd birthday was celebrated by bringing home his baby brother. We ate cupcakes, sang and shortly everyone went to bed. I was glad he was too little to know the difference.

His 3rd birthday he was all-things-Thomas the Tank Engine.
I got a big washing machine box and painted it like Thomas and decorated our house like a train station.
Thomas lasted 6 weeks and then one day disintegrated when I forgot to bring him inside from the rain.
Oops!

We celebrated his 4th birthday a little later due to chicken pox. He and Good Lookin' were a still a bit scabby when we held the party, but no longer contagious.

Happy Easter!
(just before his 5th birthday)

Age 6 was the year he played his one and only semester of soccer. He seemed to enjoy it, but when asked if he wanted to do it again this past fall, he asked, "do I have to run again?"
"Yes."
He decided the only thing he liked about soccer was kicking the ball and since he didn't really like the running part that he didn't get to kick it enough.
We opted out of another year of soccer.

Happy 7th Birthday Dear Mr. Smiles!
You bring a smile to my heart every day!