Happy 10th Birthday, Alex!

I have seen this day coming from far off but I am still in disbelief that Alex has really been alive for a whole decade. He is ten years old! This is huge. I feel like every day he is making a memory that will last the rest of his life. I worry we have not done enough to help him realize his potential. I often underestimate him and I am starting to recognize that 10 is a lot older than I think it is. But I am also not trying to rush him and make him be more mature than he really should be, even though he is my oldest. He just moved out of his five-point harness carseat. He never complained about it or thought it was weird. He is well under the weight limit so we just kept him in it. Then when the baby came along Alex needed to move to a smaller booster seat to allow all of the carseats to fit into our van.

Alex reads almost nonstop. He tries to bring books to the table during lunch and dinner. He stays up for hours beyond his bedtime reading by nightlight in his bed. He cares for people so much, but those feelings are not always reciprocated and I hope and pray he can find friends who invest in him also. I worry about him because he has a soft heart and things hurt him deeply. A little more confidence and a little less perfectionism is just what he needs, but don't we all. He is figuring out who he is and it is so exciting to watch.