Skipping the HDSF to wish The Matt a happy birthday

You can hardly see the little mite in the picture below, but I just wanted to remember Matt as a tiny tiny (at least compared to my other babies) bundle of future volume. And to remember Paul and Jimmy as little boys too.
We had just moved into our house three weeks before and as I was unpacking a few more boxes, I had to lie down for a rest because I kept having contractions. The next morning, after one panic attack, one submission to an EKG, fighting one nurse over an IV (none for me thanks), after being told I was going to hemorrhage to death because this was my fifth baby by that nurse (she was mad at me), after a knotted umbilical cord, the little mite was born and I was done with birthin' babies. I can't believe I haven't had a baby in a decade.

Here is Matt at about 18 months, sleeping off his lunch--as much lunch as he was able to make it through awake.
And here he is after finding a pan of broccoli on the table (I hadn't cleaned up lunch yet) and helping himself to it. He stuck that whole broccoli spear in his mouth. I let him do it because, hey, it's broccoli and who knows how much longer he will want to eat it.
Here is the birthday boy at age 10. People still think he's six or seven because he's really short, but Matt is used to being called short, and I think he embraces his lack of height. He used to say, "I may be short, but I'm loud." And I always say (with an embarrassed smile) that what he lacks in height, he makes up for in charisma. He was a late talker, but since he started, he hasn't stopped. His propensity for talkitude is always mentioned by his teachers, but they follow up with "but he's such a great kid; I love having him in class."

Jenni, this is for you because I know you'll ask. Matt wants a cake in the form of a pond with a monster's head arising from it. And there must be a lily pad on the cake. Pictures later when I complete it.

Happy birthday, little boy who only until recently I could carry around like a little baby.