Our Five Year Old

Carson is five years old today. I cannot believe that our 2nd born is already 5! It just doesn't seem like he should already be 5. I remember his birth vividly like it was yesterday. I remember my water breaking at home at 5:00 A.M. and being scared wondering if we would make the drive to Tulsa. I also remember Joe almost getting stopped because he was speeding through downtown Tulsa. All he did was point to me and my belly and the cop waved us on. I remember standing in the elevator at the hospital totally embarassed because I was getting the floor wet, and thinking this has got to be the longest elevator ride ever! I remember thinking I was having strong labor pains and knowing that our baby boy was coming any minute and the doctor telling me, "You're not quite dilated to a 1 yet." WHAT? Not even a 1? That couldn't be! I remember how much he looked like Katelyn when we first saw him and how much he didn't look like her by the time we left the hospital. He had black hair, yes, black hair! It didn't stay long, but it was black for a while. He was and is our laid back child. He was an easy baby and, for the most part, he is an easy kid today. He doesn't have to be the center of attention, but when he is he has that shy little grin on his face. I love his smile and his eyes. He could ask me almost anything with a sweet smile and those eyes and I would say yes. He tells me at least 4 or 5 times a week that I look pretty or that I am beautiful. He has also started telling Katelyn and Ainsley how pretty they look when they are dressed up. I love that about him. He also reminds me often that he loves me so much. Back when school first started, he was having a hard time, and it seemed like every day I was getting onto to him about school. After a few weeks of this, he started telling me "Mommy, I still love you." It just broke my heart because I knew that he was needing some positive reinforcement. He was feeling like he was a constant disappointment. He loves shiny objects, sharp objects and small objects - basically all those things he's not supposed to touch. I don't know how many times we've been walking through the mall or Wal-Mart and I'll see something in his hand. It's a screw or a bolt and he has taken out of some clothing rack somewhere. He loves video games and cars, and he also loves to play BINGO. His best friend is Noah, but he fights with Ainsley and Adam about why Adam should be his best friend. He loves to have secrets whispered into his ear every night as we tuck him in, and he loves it when Joe tells stories where he is the hero that saves the day. He has touched my life in so many ways. He has made me smile many times when he brings me a fist-full of flowers. He has made me laugh when he tries to break dance and do the robot in our living room. He has made me chuckle when he walks in from outside with a dirt mustache. He has made me proud when he writes his first and last name on the menu at Monterey's. Carson Riley Mann. Our first little "Mann" is now our big boy five year old. My, how time flies. Thank you God, so much, for Carson.