Three? Yes, three. How did that happen exactly?

Three years ago today, at 9:52 a.m., I became "Mama."

Where does the time go?

It flies right by.

It's madness, really.

This was my baby on July 17, 2008. All six pounds, seven ounces of him.

Wrapped up tight in his hospital gown, hat and blanket. He slept right next to me in his bassinet the first night. It was lovely and very normal. I was a new mother with all the jitters and awe that come wrapped up in that moment. I inspected and re-inspected him -- his little nose, that red stork bite on his cheek, his tiny fingers. I couldn't sleep, could barely breath when I looked at him.  

How could he be mine? 

The next day, "normal" ended when Luke was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect that needed imminent open-heart surgery to correct. It ended when he was flown by helicopter to the children's hospital in Ann Arbor, and when we raced home in tears without a baby in our arms to pack and get ready for a medical journey we didn't expect.

It's hard not to think about those first, scary days each time his birthday rolls around. Here's Luke at six-days-old, immediately following his surgery.

Isn't he cute, even amid all those wires?

That all feels like a long, long time ago. I guess it was. Three years is a pretty long time. A lifetime, in this case.

Now my "baby" has friendships. Favorites. Dislikes. He talks in full, complex sentences -- paragraphs sometimes. He is strong-willed, curious, brilliant in my eyes and oh so sweet.

Now I look at him, and think, How did he get so big?

Happy third birthday, Luke. Thank you for bestowing me with the best, most cherished title I hold, that of your Mama. I love you to pieces, little boy.

P.S. Post have been slow to come, because I was busy crafting my brains out for his birthday party. I'll share the party this week, as well as the second part of my vacation series!