Happy Birthday, Connor!

Connor turned 6 years old today!

May 3rd will forever be the day that changed me from an ordinary woman into a Mom. That alone makes it one of the most special days of my life. Add to that the arrival of my firstborn, the sweetest and chubbiest little baby I'd ever laid eyes on, my precious Connor Morgan Courtright, a.k.a. our Conman.

I love this kid more than words can say. He delights me in more ways than I could ever imagine. He has such a tender heart and loving nature. He is smart, inquisitive, gentle, fun-loving, talkative, creative, and has such a joyful disposition towards life. He can also be stubborn and try my patience in so many ways, but what 6-year-old doesn't do those things? ;-)

Connor at 6 is such a neat kid. It's no surprise that he has an overwhelming passion for football and the Houston Texans. Sometimes I get frustrated with his insistence on wearing his Texans jerseys to school all the time, but a wise fellow mother reminded me that a kid's passion is a good thing. He loves sports of all kinds and knows way more about the NFL than we ever give him credit for. He sat mesmerized watching the NFL draft all weekend last month and commenting on each team's picks. What kid does that?!

Connor is also an incredible reader. His tests show that he reads at a 2nd-3rd grade level, which we couldn't be more proud of. We can no longer "hide" things from him by spelling them instead of saying them because he always figures out what we've spelled. He is a very conscientious student and definitely a people-pleaser and rule-follower. When he has school homework, he sits at the kitchen table, reads the instructions, and completes the assignment without any assistance.

He is a tall kid but very slim, making it hard to find clothes that fit right on him. He also has huge feet, already wearing a youth size 2 shoe. He still hasn't lost any of his baby teeth yet. Every single morning, he eats a bowl of instant oatmeal for breakfast (the cinnamon and spice flavor, nothing else!) and he sometimes even eats it for dinner. I have to buy 10-15 boxes at a time from the grocery store to keep up with the demand. He is an extremely picky eater. We often have difficult evenings at the dinner table due to his reluctance (refusal?) to eat dinner with the family.

Connor is not a very affectionate kid except when it comes to his mother and sister. He often lavishes hugs and kisses on us but rarely doles them out for anyone else. (No complaints here!)

Before Connor was born, someone told me that having a little boy was the start of a lifetime love affair between Mom and Son. I just loved that and didn't understand it right away, but boy do I get it now.

Newborn Connor with his beloved blue blankie, still a bedtime necessity.

Happy 6th Birthday, Connor!