Happy 5th Birthday YB

I feel sad... today is YB's birthday and we are all sad and/or sick. Not much celebrating is going on here. I am just thankful for the two days of fun we at at Great Wolf Lodge over the weekend before we learned of a tragic family loss.

As down as we all are, I did not want to let the day go by without saying Happy Birthday YB! Five years ago today we were at the Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego having our scheduled c-section. Blunoz had been back from deployment for a mere month. Though Blunoz was not around for much of my pregnancy with YB, YB was instantly a Daddy's boy. A genetic bond I suppose, versus recognizing the familiarity of his voice from hearing it in for 9 months in the womb.

My mother had come out to San Diego to look after ES while we were at the hospital but we thought it was important that Blunoz be home at night to put ES to bed. While Blunoz was hanging out in the hospital room with YB and I, YB would sleep and sleep. As soon as his Daddy left he would be wide awake. I just figured that this was some sort of phenomenon related to the hospital. No such luck. We got home and YB quickly got on a good sleeping schedule but Blunoz was called back to the boat for an underway. Suffice it to say, I did not get a lot of sleep. (Thanks Mom for staying and helping out for longer than you had planned!) This continued for many months. YB would sleep well at night, Blunoz would go back to sea and YB would not sleep. Isn't it amazing what a little baby can pick up on? Thankfully the sea stint was near its end and that summer we moved to Virginia.

YB continued with his Daddy's boy mentality. If he would get hurt right before Blunoz was due home from work he would take me as a consolation but as soon as Blunoz walked through the door it was Daddy he wanted. Maybe he was just trying to tell me it was time to go make dinner. :-)

Of course as life normally does. Things do change. He isn't so much a Daddy's Boy as he used to be. Probably something to do with 10+ months of geo-bacherloring/deployment that ensued two plus years ago and growing up of course. I am proud of YB for adapting so well to what life has thrown at him. My mom and I were really worried about how YB would handle things when Blunoz left for 3 months of school, never having any idea that Daddy would be gone as long as he was.

Today we celebrate the blessing God gave us 5 years ago. A blessing I know we will never take for granted! It is hard to be sad when you have a face like this in your life!

Go hug your kids today and thank God for the joys and blessing they bring to your life!

Happy Birthday YB!!!!
We love you!!!