I remember the weekend before Hudson was born;  It was a beautifully mild Sunday morning and we were driving to church.  The roads were empty and the bright sun beamed down on us from above.  As I looked out my window, I saw a set of parents pushing a stroller in the distance.  I rested my forehead on the window and without the least bit of notice…I just began to cry.  I cried so passionately and so unexpectedly, that I even surprised myself.  My sweet husband pulled over onto the side of the road…held my hand…and tried to lure out of me the source of my tears.

By this time, Hudson was now two days overdue and though we had had nine months to prepare for meeting him…the reality of it was suddenly hitting me.  Right there, on the side of the road.  Right there, in the bright sunshine.  Right there, on the way to church.

So, instead of going to church…we just kept driving that morning.  We found a beautifully quiet trail out in the woods…and we walked.  We let the snow crunch under our feet…and we walked.  We walked until the tears stopped…we walked until our hearts calmed…we walked until the trail ran out.

On that walk, we wondered about the little boy that we were about to meet.  We wondered what he would look like.  We wondered what he would be like.  We wondered who he would be like.

And four days later…we would begin to answer those questions.  And as it turns out – our beautiful baby boy – would end up being a whole lot of things…

He is determined and he is ambitious.  He is confident and he is kind.  He is a lover of trains and bananas for breakfast.  He is inquisitive and he is hilarious.  He adores his books and his baby sister.  He feels excitement like no one I’ve ever known and has the most contagious smile you’ll ever see.  He is addicted to being outside and cuddles before bed.  He loves new words and anything that flies.  He is gentle and loving and more thoughtful than I ever could have imagined.  He jumps more times in one day than most do in their entire life.  He laughs…he loves…he believes in having Christmas trees for every special occasion.  He is brilliant and he is handsome.  He is wonder struck and he is curious!  He runs like the wind and he speaks with such sweetness.  He is everything that we anticipated and so much more than we ever expected.

And today…he is four…