Our 3 year old little man

Three years ago today, Jason and I became parents.  What an amazing three years it has been.  Michael Rory is such a sweet blessing to both of us.  We're thankful that God has given us such a funny and wonderful little guy.  There is not a day that goes by where we are not laughing at something Michael has done or said.  I really wish I would have taken the advice of many and written down the things that have made us laugh over the years.  They're just too priceless. 

When we have stopped to think about our little guy's personality, we can't help but think how perfect of a name he has been given.  Jason and I had picked out many boy names and several girl names when we were pregnant with Michael.  However, the top 2 or 3 names are not what we ended up choosing for his name.  I clearly remember minutes after giving birth to Michael my mom asking us what we were naming him.  Jason turned to me and said, "I think he looks like a Michael Rory, what do you think?".  I could only nod my head as I blinked back tears.  We had discussed naming him after both of our fathers, but we weren't sure what order to put the first and middle name plus we would be breaking my family's tradition of giving our first born son the middle name "Michael".  Anyway, after many discussions we ended up putting the name to the side because it almost seemed easier to pick a random name.  But, in the end our son has the perfect name to suit him.

If you knew my dad, Michael, you would know he was a relatively quiet guy, sometimes serious, but often had you laughing out of the blue.  He was an electrical engineer and was good at problem solving and analyzing how things worked.  He was lovable and had a very distinct smile that you could just see in his eyes.  This is exactly how our little Michael is too.  I often see my dad in Michael and I can't help but smile or laugh every time.

Jason's Dad, Rory, is also a very well-loved guy.  He loves being outside and can play pretty much any sport he has ever tried and plays them all well.  Also another quiet guy, he loves reaching out to others and helping them when they are in need.  Both he and Michael know how to enjoy and appreciate the little things in life.  They also both have a great laugh.   

Michael Rory is truly a sweet little boy.  A story from this past year that really shows his loving nature comes from the assistant preschool teacher of his class.  One of the very first weeks in class, she stopped me to tell me just how much she adored our little boy.  She then went on to tell me that one of the little girls was crying during class because she missed her mommy.  Michael went over to her, put his arm around her, and softly said, "It's ok, your mommy will come back soon." 

I truly think that Evan would not be as happy as he is if he did not have Michael as an older brother.  Michael looks for Evan every morning when he wakes up and can't wait to cuddle him.  He loves playing with him (most of the time ;)).  Nothing makes him more proud than to be able to show Evan how something is done (i.e. - brushing his teeth, walking up the stairs, etc.).  His goal in the car is usually to make Evan happy when he gets fussy.  He turns into our little comedian and you'll quickly hear belly laughter coming from both of our boys. 

We are blessed beyond our imagination and are so thankful these three wonderful years of parenthood!  Thank you Michael Rory for being our joy, our comedian, our cuddly boy, our monkey, our wild one, and so much more.  We love you more than you can begin to imagine!!!!