My precious little Neek, as we call him, has turned 3. At exactly 3:30 p.m. three years ago today, this little being came into our world. Before he emerged, I knew he was tough. Our time together during the pregnancy was a little hard, mostly due to the fact that I was chasing after his toddler brother most of the time. When I went into labor a week early, I was ready. Nico, as we already knew we would call him, was at that point estimated to weigh almost 10 pounds. I was huge. So after 12 hours of mind-alteringly painful Pitocin contractions, he emerged. But before we could lock eyes on each other, they had to unwrap the umbilical cord which had wrapped itself twice around his neck. He also had a serious knot in his cord, as though he'd spent 39 weeks learning to tie his shoes. I'm downplaying it now, but it could have been very, very bad. No one knows how long that knot had been there. But he endured and soon he was folded into his loving mama's waiting arms. There were audible sighs of relief from everyone in that hospital room. 

Since that day I've known that Nico is pretty extraordinary. Indeed, as I've watched him grow, he is strong in every way I know a little boy can be. He can hang tough with his big brother and his his big friends. He eats tough, he plays tough. But at the same time, he's also very easy and quiet. There's no need to keep Neek entertained. He was lucky enough to find a passion from the earliest months of his life–cars, pretty much anything with wheels–and they continue to transfix him for endless amounts of time it seems. If I see a dozen Matchbox cars lined up, I know he's been there. 

So as his third year begins, I know this little one will continue to amaze, amuse, and beguile me. It's just his way. Each year with him is a gift, that literally fills my heart each day. Happy Birthday, my beautiful boy!