A birthday interview with Nate

It's after midnight, so it's officially Nate's birthday. On this night 5 years ago, I was in Labor and Delivery trying to convince myself and everyone around me that I was not in labor, but Nate wasn't listening. On June 25 around 1pm, all 4 pounds 10 ounces of Nate came out screaming. Sometimes the whole experience--the diagnosis, the fetal surgery, the bedrest, the NICU--feels like yesterday, and other times it is a lifetime ago. When I looked at Nate for the first time, I remember thinking, "So that's what you look like." I studied his face trying to figure out what he would look like when he was a big kid and what kind of personality he would have. I could not have dreamed of a more amazing kid. I would not have dreamed he would be playing T-ball five years from that day. I could not have possibly imagined that I would be working at a Spina Bifida Association chapter and going this weekend to California for the National Conference and to meet oodles of wonderful friends I have come to know on this journey. I really had no idea of the amazing life that would begin that day.

I haven't interviewed Nate in several months, and I thought that would be a good way to record what he's like right now. So I started this evening in the car:

Me: Nate, how old are you going to be tomorrow?

Nate: Five!

Me: Do you know anyone else who's 5?

Nate: Who? Who is it?

Me: I'm asking you.

Nate: Who is it?! I don't know! TELL ME! Waaaaa!!!!

Eek. Bad timing. Try again later.


Later:

Me: What are we going to do at your party?

Nate: I want to have a train birthday.

(I should not have asked that question. I had finally convinced him it would be awesome, after 2 years of train birthday parties, to change things up a bit and have a Cars party. Sigh.)

Me: Moving on. What should we eat at the party?

Nate: Uh, pizza.

Me: What's your favorite food?

Nate: Pizza.

Me: What does it taste like?

Nate: It tastes like cheese. Like the pizza cheese.

Me: What is Mama's favorite food?

Nate: Hmm. Is your favorite food pizza too?

Me: I do like pizza.

Nate: Me too. Daddy, do you like pizza?

Blake: Yeah, I like pizza.

Nate: Georgia, do you like pizza?

Georgia: I wike pizza, Nate.

Nate: She likes pizza too. So, we all like pizza.

Me: Okay, great. How tall are you, Nate?

Nate: 4

Me: Hmm. Okay, how tall is Daddy?

Nate: Is he 32?

Me: Interesting. Who is your best friend?

Nate: Andy

Me: But earlier today you said Daddy was your best friend.

Nate: Andy and Daddy is my best friends.

Me: What do you like about Andy?

Nate: Trains.

Me: He likes to play trains?

Nate: Yeah, I do.

Me: What's your favorite thing about Daddy?

Nate: Trains. I still like trains. I like train movies. I like everything about trains.

Blake: But what do you like about Daddy?

Nate: You like trains too!

Blake: Does Daddy do anything special with you?

Nate: Watch train movies.

Me: Okay, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Nate: An engineer.

Me: What does an engineer do?

Nate: It drives a train.

Me: So you're going to drive a train?

Nate: Yeah, when I grow up, after I'm 5. After I'm 5 I'm going to be 6.

Blake: How old do you have to be to drive a train?

Nate: Taller than 5. I think it's 15.

Me: Are you going to get married?

Nate: I will get married, but when I get taller! I'm alive!
 
Me: (scratches head)
 
 
Happy birthday to my big 5 year old. I couldn't love you any more.