happy birthday nathan

two years old today. wow. cake, ice cream, family, 1000 cars for gifts, a good night for a little man. i'm thinking tonight about your first moments in the world, the first time i held you, the first pictures i took, the first time i kissed you, when you met your brother and sister, the day you came home, those early days of rice cereal, rolling over, crawling (well, ok, scooting), first steps, first words, first teeth. crazy monkey, buddy booya, monkey man, big man, little man, silly man. baths and your obsession with duckies giving way to riding around and an obsession with cars. a million smiles and giggles and scowls and tears and diapers. and now you are sleeping in a big boy bed surrounded by friends, dreaming of who knows what, sleeping off a sugar high from the icing you ate.
all of the things that are facts in your life. the cubs are always good, the sooners never lose, the world is yours to run, "W" is always in charge(?), daddy is always home, we go to church in different places, there has never been a world trade center, everyone loves you, nothing bad ever happens. i wish i could keep that true forever.
i can't wait to teach you to ride a bike, play catch in the yard, cheer you on from the sidelines, help you learn to read, teach you more about Jesus, baptize you. . .i can't stand to think any further than that.
i love you. i love who you are already and who you will be one day. happy birthday little man.
daddy