I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted. It seems like the weeks are just zooming by – I must be having fun. Despite all of life happening around me lately, which I can’t complain because it’s all really, really good, I especially wanted to take the time today for this very special post.
Today my son Zackery turns seven years old. I am getting all teary-eyed as I type this. Maybe it’s the PMS contributing to my heightened emotions right now, but maybe it’s also because he’s growing up. My big snugglebug is getting BIG!
I remember the day, seven years ago, like it was yesterday. I remember not sleeping well the night before (now I know it was early contractions, but I thought it was just something I ate that was making my tummy rumble all night). I remember getting up in the morning, right around 8am, going to the bathroom and noticing some spotting. I remember a feeling of excitement, coupled with nervousness. I remember telling Will and then calling our Doula to ask if it was still okay that I go to my scheduled pre-natal massage later that morning (and her reply: “Yes, go, and have her hit all those previously forbidden pressure points!”). I remember driving home from my massage with pretty regular contractions, but feeling relaxed and ready. I remember having Will call our Doula again, this time to say we were ready for her to come over. I remember laboring at home for several hours, listening to my music and affirmations, and then heading to the hospital around 6:30pm. I remember the wonderful nurses and the quiet room. I remember at one point begging for something to help with the pain, but it was too late, and it really wasn’t what I wanted (and I was glad that Will and my Doula helped me through that transition – pun intended).
I remember Zackery Gendebien Zimmer born at 9:17pm, 19-1/2 inches long, 7lbs, 7oz. and absolutely perfect!
There is so much more I remember, and I literally could go on and on, with seven years worth of stories and memories – both good and bad – but I’ll skip ahead to present day, to the memories we created yesterday at Zackery’s birthday party.
It was a Lego themed birthday – which is no surprise for anyone who knows anything about him. Zack loves Lego’s! He doesn’t call it playing, he calls it building. I have a hard time persuading him otherwise, and I have to admit I would much rather prefer him to be obsessed with building Lego’s than sit in front of the screen playing video games.
So, for his party, we did all things Lego. We had The Amazing Lego Race (complete with Lego minifigure head-shaped clue cards), then we had a Lego build competition (which Zack completed first, but I gave the prize to the 2nd place winner since Zack would be getting a lot of presents anyway – and he graciously understood and agreed… see just another example of how big and grown up he’s getting!), and we played Lego Hot Potatoe. The party concluded with a giant blue Lego brick cake and then opening presents. 
If Zackery had his way, he would have stayed up all night building every single new Lego set he got. We let him pick one – and encouraged him to build the one Grandpa gave him, since he was here and could watch. Zack is quite proficient in reading the maps and building the sets, and we can’t really go by the recommended age on the box anymore – he’s surpassed that! It only took him two hours to build a pretty complicated, over 600 piece set for ages 8-14 yesterday. Grandpa was quite impressed!
Dinner, bath and then off to bed so Mommy, Daddy and Grandpa could relax and return the house to it’s “normal” state. As if right on cue this morning, “Daddy, can I please build the Lego that Brayden got me? I know I can do it really fast!” And no doubt he could probably do it in less than ten minutes, but not on a school day before getting ready. Yep, he was bummed, but he also knows that he only gets to build one new Lego set a week, and only after all his homework and reading is done – finally I have a good motivator for him to read!
Yes, seven years has passed, and I can only imagine the wonderful man he will grow up to be. For now, however, I want to keep him snuggled-up with me as long as I can. He’ll always be my baby, and I will always hold him in my heart and love him forever and ever and ever.
Happy 7th Birthday Zackery!
Love, Mommy.
Then…
… and now.