EGKJ SCHULLER: "I'm Not Five Anymore"

Left: Kaleb at 11 month (love the sun on his hair), Right: 6 year old Kaleb

"I'm not five anymore," declared Kaleb in the early morning hours of his birthday. He was pretty excited to wake up and open 3 presents that came in the mail from Namo and Papa. We made him eat breakfast first and display a little of that six year old patients before we dialed up Face Time to video chat and open the three gifts.

There was something magical about June 22. I'm certain Kaleb felt the magic. It wasn't because we threw an elaborate party or had a bunch of people over. Because this year, we didn't. It wasn't because we bought him the $50 Leggo shoes he wanted, because we instead bought the $15 Dispicable Me shoes from Kmart that have minions all over them. (Much cooler anyway in my opinion)

It wasn't because he had the coolest Star Wars cake, because it waned in comparison to last year's Angry Birds cake. No, it was something immaterial and more special.

You see, we had taken the time to dig out the very bottom box in the garage that contained the scrap books and we reminisced through the pages of Kaleb's first book about that amazing moment he came into this world. We laughed and told stories about being in the hospital, him pooping on the wall and mommy and daddy being SO happy that he was born. Our child knows and is getting old enough to understand how he was conceived.

We never intended to hide the details of his conception from him - how we tried so very hard, spent an incredible amount of emotional energy, money, progesterone shots, 2 weeks in Spokane going through invitro fertilization. His scrap book spells out some of the details for him through pictures. And this year I beleive he understands that he was grown in a dish for the first 6 days of his life. Because he told us that he was so very, very tiny (using his fingers to show us) and that he grew in a little dish and then they put him in mommy's tummy to grow big. Yes, I think he has begun to understand that the beginning of his life is undeniably special and purposeful.

Top left, 6 day old embryos. Both were put back in for implantation - one is Kaleb.

Top right, just minutes old

Bottom left, 5 days old

Bottom right, 5 years old

After reflecting on where I was 6 years ago and thinking about what we went through to achieve pregnancy, I believe:

It was WORTH every shot, every tear, every dollar. God blessed me with this child and I love him more than I could have ever imagined.

We are all created by God, regardless of how we came into this world. Psalm 139:13 declares: "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb." My study bible says that hast possessed= Did Form, meaning to acquire by creation. Reins= Inward Parts and Hast Covered= Did Weave. God creates all of us the same way!

And finally, trials make you a far stronger person - even though at the time you are at your very weakest.

It's such a neat story - to tell, to remember, to teach - and it's a part of Kaleb so why would we not share it with him in celebration of his 6th birthday!

BIRTHDAY PHOTOS:

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