Happy 5th birthday, Camden

Five years ago today, a much-anticipated little boy made his way into this world and changed our lives with his very first breaths. Over the past five years, we've experienced sleepless nights and days that felt like they might never end. We've held napping babies on our chests and given countless baths. We've cheered the wobbly first steps and braced ourselves for the inevitable falls. We've kissed boo-boos, dried tears, and considered buying stock in Band-Aid. We've listened to sleep interrupted by fits of laughter and read hundreds of books. We've watched sibling relationships form and grow into a remarkable bond. We've put on our brave faces for first days of school and we've breathed sighs of relief upon seeing smiles in the carpool line. We've witnessed the growth of friendships and answered the endless strings of "why?" questions. We've cheered first at-bats and celebrated runs scored. We've seen so much growth-- in height, in understanding, in confidence, in strength, in curiosity, and in compassion. And we've grown ourselves-- in empathy, in patience, and in our ability to love completely devoid of conditions. Happy 5th birthday to the little boy who made me a mom. You're so loved, Camden.