There was a time in your life where you weren't the biggest fan of water, but then three times in one week, you and your mom visited your friends the Aemmers to go swimming in their pool. Besides slipping and hitting your head on the deck two of those three times, you really seemed to enjoy it. 

There was a time in your life when your mom doubted you. She had watched Emery destroy towers of toys and blocks and laugh so much, but yet when she tried to build a tower for you to destroy, you just wanted to take one toy or block at a time and play with it. Your moms thought, "Well I guess he just won't like to build and knock things down."

Do you remember the ball out your parents got you for your first birthday? Basically is was just an inflatable pool and 100 plastic balls that barely covered half of the bottom of the pool. But you loved it. 

After such a tough winter, your parents were ecstatic when spring finally arrive. They are typically outside people, but a rough Ohio winter will make you crave being in the sunshine and warm air. Once the weather was nice enough, your mom seldom let a day go by without spending at least a little time outside. Even if it was just a small walk past the neighbor's house and back. 

The day was beautiful and your mom didn't want it to be wasted, so after the mall, you two set out for a random park your mom found on her phone. As you got closer to the park, your mom realized it was a neighborhood park--which was awesome because there was no one there! You chased birds, swang in the swings, and briefly played on the play set there. Most of all, you just liked being in the sunshine. 

You, of course, were exhausted after this. You quickly fell asleep in the car. But the day was just too nice to not be enjoyed by the whole family, so after your dad was done with practice, the three of you went to Portage Lake State Park. 

The sun was getting hot, so you walked around a bit more and then headed home having fully taken advantage of the day. 

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."

U2

Do you remember your first concert?

You, your mom, and your dad traveled all the way to Columbus to see one of your mom's favorite bands, The Apache Relay, and to take your dad to one of his favorite restaurants, Jason's Deli. Your mom and dad were so excited to take you, but as you know, "the best laid schemes o' mice an' men..."

Let's just recap this unexpectedly adventurous trip. First, there was the gas station. You were getting mighty comfortable on your mom's bladder just as the car needed more gas. At the gas station, your mom went in to pay because they had a coupon. Coupons for gas don't come along very often, you know, so you definitely have to take advantage when you get the chance. As your mom came out of the store and started walking to the pump, a car began backing up. She saw it, knew she still had plenty of room and kept walking. The only problem was the car wasn't stopping. But neither was your mom.

Her thoughts at the time, "They won't hit me. I'm pregnant."

Your dad's thoughts as he watched from the car, "That car is going to kill my wife and son."

Your dad blew the car horn just as your mom stepped out of the car's path, who I think may have still be backing up. But in the end, everyone was safe. Your dad was just a little shaken up (also because he had just been shaken down for money from a sketchy man in a van...).

Back on the road, everything was going well...until...traffic. Backed up as far as either of your parents could see. At no point was it stop-and-go traffic, but it was slow and lasted for a while. The time of the concert was creeping close, and your parents still wanted to eat at Jason's.

After making it through all the construction and a switch from 3 lanes to 2, your parents finally made it to Columbus, and they were so excited about dinner (Jason's has free soft serve. Who wouldn't be excited?!?). It was a little after 7:00 and past time for the doors at the concert to open as they rounded the corner into a fairly new shopping/parking/office area. They quickly noticed that there was no light inside the Jason's. Your mom ran up to the door, and sure enough, this was some sort of fancy Jason's that closed at 4:00 on Sundays. Lame.

But not all hope was lost. You, your mom, and your dad wouldn't be able to eat Jason's before the concert, but possibly after, as the next closest one closed at 10. (Fortunately, Apache Relay only had one album, so they weren't expecting to miss much, even if they had to leave the concert early).

After getting a snack, you headed to the concert—late, but your mom and dad didn't care about the opening band anyway. But when you got there, the first band had not even started! And didn't start until 8:00. And then they played for an hour. Putting Apache Relay on after 9:00. The hopes of going to Jason's were fading fast.

Adding to the mix, as the opening band played, your mom began having contractions. They were small, painless ones, but then your mom started questioning her decision to bring you in the first place.

When Apache Relay finally began, your mom was excited. And they were great. Your mom sang and bounced along with the music, taking breaks to sit down with you every once in a while. Your mom felt bad that your dad didn't get to eat at his favorite restaurant, but he wouldn't let your mom leave the concert early to make it before the next closest Jason's closed. He really loves your mom.

It was getting late as the concert ended, and your folks were tired and hungry, so you left pretty quickly. And the last part of the adventure began. After getting lost with the outdated GPS on one-way streets and being flicked off by a crazy driver, your parents finally made it to a Steak 'n' Shake. But while in the drive through, your mom forgot to order her hotdog without mustard. You know how much she hates mustard. But again, your dad being the amazing man he is, took it inside and got her a new one.

As you all finally headed home, your parents were exhausted. It had been quite a day. A rough day. But in the end, they really enjoyed getting to spend time with you and each other, even if it wasn't the perfect outing they had hoped for. When you are with your favorite people, even the roughest of days aren't so bad.

Your mom has some pretty amazing friends. Friends that love her and loved you even while you were in her tummy. About two months before you entered the world, Aunt Jessica got a bunch of your moms friends together, and they planned a baby shower for you and your mom.

And get this—it was book themed.

And it just happened to be on Dr. Suess's birthday, which your mom thought was quite appropriate.

So you know how you have the greatest library of any kid on the block? Well, a lot of that is thanks to your baby shower! You got so many great books. Too many to even begin to list.

And the blessings didn't stop there. You and your mom shared one of the best meals you had eaten since you first entered your moms tummy. Your mom says she thinks it was even the best meal she had eaten since moving to Ohio. No Joke. Pulled pork, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, black-eyed peas, green beans. Plus, puppy chow and cake balls. And even a fruit pizza.

There were fun activities. People guessed what you were going to look like and exactly what day you would be born. There were even a few mad-lib stories about the day of your birth. In addition, your mom's friends blessed her with words of encouragement and love.

Then to top it off, everyone brought things to help your mom and dad take care of you.
There were:
Clothes...so you wouldn't always be naked.
Bowls, cups, and bottles...so you would be well fed.
Tubs and soap...so you wouldn't smell bad.
Diapers and wipes...to help keep you clean.
Blankets and swaddles...to keep you warm.
And so, so much more!

It truly was an incredible day that solidified in your mom's mind that God had brought her and your dad here to Ohio and that no matter what, you would always have people to care for and love you.

You hanging out with Hylan and Emery.

Your personalized bookmarks made just for you by Beth.

Elise, Sarah, and Lindsay came to hang out with you.

Do you remember the first time you met your grandparents? It was a week before Christmas when you first met the Murrays. They flew into town with your Aunt Jordan, and as soon as your mom got off work, the two of you headed home for you to meet them for the first time. And they were so excited to meet you! 

Many people may not count it, but your first Christmas was spent in your mom's tummy. And it was quite a first Christmas.

It was a surprisingly cold the day you got your name. "It's suppose to be sunny," your mom told your dad.

It's you!

Your first onesie and outfit.

It was the day after your mom helped to throw a large fundraiser for her job that she first felt it. It felt like a few small bubbles in her tummy, and she had no idea what was going on. "It could be gas," she thought, but she just wasn't convinced. She grabbed her phone and began to search for what it could possibly be. Blogs and forums all said the same thing: it was YOU.

It was another week or so before she felt you again. You weren't super consistent in the beginning, but with each day that passed, you became more and more active. You were kicking, punching, dancing, having fun. Again, it was becoming more and more real to your mom and dad that you were on your way.

After a couple of weeks of you being more active, your mom noticed that you had specific times that you liked to move the most. First of all, there was your morning shift. Between 9am-11am, you would stretch and start waking up. You'd move a little throughout the day, but then, between 10pm-midnight, you would get crazy! You'd start moving all over the place. You're mom says it even felt like you were doing flips in her tummy. Your mom and dad thought, 'Well if this is any indication of our future, looks like we'll be having some late nights!'

Now, its understandable that you may not remember many of the things you, your mom, and your dad did together while you were still in the womb, so let these stories jog your memory...


About a month after you were discovered in your mom's tummy, it was time for her birthday. Your dad, being the great husband that he is, wanted your mom to be able to do whatever she wanted. So you all went to the Cleveland Zoo. Your mom loves animals, so she was so excited! Plus, she knew that you would probably love animals one day too.

Next, there was the time that you went with your mom, dad, and their friends Sarah and Steven to Beard Con. Your dad had been growing out his beard for over a year, and Steven had been growing out his for quite a while too. Your mom and Sarah went along to support their husbands as they competed at the illustrious facial hair festival/convention in Columbus. Your dad and Steven were fantastic, but there were lots of good beards present. Beards that had been growing for much longer. Though they did not place in the competition, they had fun and began scheming for next year. Your mom and Sarah began scheming too, for, as you know, there was also a kids' bearding competition and a women's bearding competition in which you and your mom would compete the next year. 

Then, you went with your mom and dad to hang out with their Bible study one Saturday. It was a fun day full of fall festivities. You went through a corn maze (both your mom and dad found hidden toy hydrants that they got to turn in for a prize!) and went for a hay ride to pick pumpkins! Plus, you were there when your mom got to hold a baby bunny. It was so warm and fuzzy, and it made your mom excited to have a baby of her own—YOU! Then everyone returned to Sarah and Mark's house for finger foods and hot dogs cooked over a bonfire. After eating, everyone carved their pumpkins they bought. It was quite a fun time!!

So after your mom and dad allowed the news about you to sink in, they began to tell their friends and family. And the responses that followed were quite entertaining...

And baby, know that you are loved. Family and friends alike were so excited for you. They, like your mom and dad, loved you already, even though they had never met you.

Your mom felt sick. She knew it was a possibility that you were in her tummy, so she wanted to make sure before she took any medicines. She showed up at home for her lunch break. "I just have to know," she said to your dad.

The test was unclear, but she was pretty sure it was a no. Your dad was too, but then your dad, being the man he is, decided to read the directions of the test to make sure. He came into the room with your mom. "Where's the test?" he asked.

"In the trash," she replied.

He explains that even if the test shows a faint second line, you might be in your mom's tummy.

They are excited, but decide to wait a couple of days and then take a test again. Though it was still slightly unclear, the second line was there. That's when they knew. You were here.

Fast forward five weeks, and your mom and dad are at the hospital, getting ready to see you for the first time. Up to this point, everything seems unreal. Your mom has been a little sick, but nothing compared to your Aunt Jessica, making it difficult to comprehend that you're really here.

But then they see you. Your moms eyes start watering and won't stop. Your dad just smiles. They don't know what to do or say. They see your tiny heart beating. It beats so fast. Then, as they keep watching, you move, as if to say, "Mom, its too early for this. Let me sleep." It is real. You are here, and the Murray family grows to three.