Well, years, really, but the alliteration didn't work. Please ignore his deep need of a haircut.

Elijah is seven years old today. Seven years ago, we had our first c-section, the most complicated, to deliver this little boy:



He has been a miracle from before we even knew him. Had he been conceived even 10 years before, we never would have caught the tumor, because mid-term ultrasounds were not standard care, he would have died during labor, if not earlier, and my life would have been at risk as well. Elijah has faced the most challenges and complications of all of our children. And he is overcoming them. He is the most challenging of our children to us, too, and we are getting through that as well.

As hard as the road has been bearing him, delivering him, raising him, I cannot imagine a world without him and don't want to. I forever lost my figure so I could deliver him and I wouldn't take it back if it meant not having him in our family. He is almost always other people's favorite of our children, which I think is God's way of covering the difficulties he can have. Everyone who meets him loves him.

Rich and I grew and aged through bringing him into this world. He has changed us in ways that we never could have foreseen or chosen, had it been up to us. Going through that difficult pregnancy, during a tough time for our family exposed some things about each of us that didn't exactly thrill us, either. It forced those things to the surface for us to deal with and the ways that has changed our marriage and us as individuals have been some of the most important and valuable growth we have experienced. I do not think we could have loved each other and our children as well had we not gone through this together. That is something for which we are indebted to Elijah.

He has many namesakes around the world, as we published his birth story and it began to be circulated among other families who dealt with this kind of tumor. His success has been inspirational to many of whom he has never even heard. Although he doesn't remember the tumor or the surgery, we have talked about it with him and he deals with the repercussions in his life now. Perhaps because of this, whenever he hears of a child in the womb who is struggling, he is especially faithful in prayer for that person. He will bring to memory people we forget to pray for during our daily prayers. We named him for the Old Testament prophet, who never died, and for St. Joseph, the patron saint of all children, born and unborn, whose prayers, I'm sure, sustained our son in the womb. He is living up to both those great men.

Seven Spectacular Surprises about Elijah

• 1. He is kind and compassionate to weaker children.


• 2. He is the most affectionate child I've ever met.


• 3. He has an amazing talent for music.


• 4. He is a sensitive soul.


• 5. He is almost a blonde.


• 6. He is always willing to help.


• 7. He has boundless energy.

Happy birthday Elijah!

Labels: Birthday, Family