A birthday is so many things to a parent. It’s a celebration, a milestone! Another year of memories made, and a fun kickoff to the next. Birthdays are also emotional. A gentle reminder that time, (and childhood), is oh so fleeting. And, as a mom or dad, the “can someone pleaseeee find a way to pause time” feeling is inevitable. If you’re anything like me, you spend the days leading up to the big day looking back at photos of the past few years, replaying videos of their first steps, their first words, their first adventures, and all the sweet, silly moments when their big personalities seemed to overflow out of their tiny bodies. You’ll tear up as you re-live the feeling of every ‘yesterday’. I know everyone warned me, but... seriously. HOW does it go by SO fast? Birthdays are also a celebration of the parents. 3 years ago, Kenny & I became parents!!! Our best chapter began, one filled with more love, more adventure, more challenge, and more joy than we ever could have known was coming our way. And, for us, this day is also a tender reminder of just how fiercely we were thrown into the throes of parenthood. June 2 marks the day that we entered the most painful, formidable time of our life, our new parent hearts spilled open, broken into a thousand pieces on the NICU floor. You see, Harrison didn’t come into this world quietly, or easily. (Continued in the comments...)