Happy Birthday, Andrew!!

I was going to start out his blog with something sweet - something loving - for my first born. Then he answered the phone this way - "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!!!!". Thankfully it was just my mom and not someone important!
Last night as I was driving him to birthday party (Happy Birthday, Jay!!!), Andrew reminded me that he gets breakfast in bed on his birthday. Huh? Since when? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, yeah!!!! Since I get breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day, they figured they should get breakfast in bed on their birthday! Oh yeah – and they heard that Princess Sofia got breakfast in bed on her birthday. Thanks, Chris and Jennifer! Anyway, somehow it turned into breakfast in mom and dad’s bed so he could watch TV and lounge like a king. Originally, he was going to graciously allow Timmy to join him for breakfast. As long as Timmy sat on the floor. Wasn’t that nice of Andrew? Well, once it was changed to MY bed, I allowed Timmy to join Andrew on the bed - as long as they both had cookie trays under their breakfast plates. (Hey – I like my new quilt!) To thank me for letting him join Andrew, Tim asked where his half birthday present is. I told him he just had it – breakfast in my bed.
If you had asked me last year if he would ever be eight years old, I would have laughed. Last year was all about pushing buttons and testing limits. It was all about seeing just how far he could get with annoying his brother (and therefore us) and still live another day. Last year was all about seeing how independent he could be without buying his own house and moving out.
Wait . . . . . . that is this year, too.
And those are the reasons I love Andrew. He has ALWAYS been independent - almost to a fault. He is caring and a cuddlebug. He watches out for people that might have a harder time at things and he makes sure that they are OK. (well, except his brother – then he beats him into the ground) He finds the good in everyone and will always remember it – even if that person doesn’t deserve the second or fifth chance. He is loyal – to a fault. He is sensitive and tough at the same time. He has one of the best senses of humor I have seen - he can make me laugh with one look. He mastered sarcasm by age three. He is logical and thinks about all possible outcomes before doing something - even if it is all in his head 2.3 seconds before he does anything - and even if he KNOWS the possible outcome would mean time in his room. He is careful and cautious. He is good at anything he tries - even if it means he has to overcome his cautious nature. He is also a perfectionist – and stubborn. You would think that a cautious, stubborn perfectionist would be a terrible mix. For Andrew, it works. It makes him want to do well and try even harder at things he KNOWS he can do but might be nervous to try. He is smart, funny, stubborn, caring, sweet, funny, stubborn, adorable, stubborn . . . . .
He is Rich. He looks like Rich, walks like Rich, smiles like Rich . . . . . and I love that. I married Rich for a reason – and to have a child that is the spitting image of him makes my heart happy. I can’t wait to see Andrew grow even more and become the amazing man, husband, and father that Rich is.


Happy Birthday, Andrew!!! I love you!!!!!!

King Andrew