Happy 5th Birthday, Wes!

Was was born the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, so each September since his birth, we look forward to the extended weekend as a celebratory event.  Five years ago, however, it was both the scariest and most wonderful weekend of our lives as we welcomed our tiny preemie into the world six weeks before he was due.  We already knew we had a lot to celebrate when we heard his first (healthy) cry. In the days that followed in the hospital, struggling with some jaundice as well as a baby who wasn't gaining quite enough weight to go home, I mentally set age 5 as a milestone: if we could make it five years without any developmental hiccups, then I knew it would all be alright. And this birthday, we certainly had a lot to celebrate.  Wes is healthy, ridiculously energetic, and the center of our hearts.

We began the weekend by going to our final Cornbelters game of the season, and then stepped out of our sporting-event comfort zone by attending a preseason Bloomington Thunder game.

On Sunday we celebrated Wes' birthday as a family.  "Baseball stuff" was on his wishlist, and he once again wanted a baseball cake.  He was wonderfully excited, in the way that only kids are, about blowing out the candles.

We closed out the weekend by having our annual neighbor birthday party with his buddy Ben who was born a day after Wes.  These kids are the best :)

Wes started his second year of preschool the following week, and although he seemed hesitant in the weeks leading up to it, he seems to genuinely enjoy it this year.

September in Central Illinois usually brings a lot of warm afternoons, so even though the pools are closed, we have still found ways to splash around to cool down.

Uncle Brian and Aunt Jodi found the most "Wes" bday present ever.

Willie the Water Bug has been in our family for probably close to 40 years.

There is a part of me that will always see Wes as my preemie, but he is far from that now, and I love it.