Two days before you turned 13 months old, on Sunday May 22nd, a massive EF-5 tornado ripped through a the neighboring town of Joplin, Mo. That night your dad and I were watching the news and knew a tornado was on the ground, but no one could have predicted the devastation that this storm produced. It directly hit a hospital and ripped through 6 miles of homes and businesses. Even with a 26 minute warning these people had no chance. Stories poured in of people missing, including a story about a 16 month old boy named Skyuler Logsdon who was ripped from his mother's arms. This story has haunted me since the second I learned that this little boy was missing. I prayed and prayed for the safe recovery of baby Skyuler, but sadly he was found not far from where his mother was found. His mother is in the hospital and will never hold her baby boy in her arms again. I think about how his mother laid in a hospital bed for days, not knowing where her baby was or if he was ok. I cannot imagine the sadness this mother is feeling over the loss of her son.
Emery Jack we are so very blessed to have you in our life. You are the light in our eyes. I thank God every day that I was picked to be your mommy, and I know you're daddy feels the same way. You are the most precious little boy, full of life, you're personality is shining through and it is brilliant. You've started dancing when we sing to you and you're favorite thing right now is wrestling with daddy. (You love to carry around baby spoons, and if you ever figure out how to use utensils as weapons you're dad and I are in trouble!)
This week we toured some schools for you to attend when we go back to work in August and when we looked at the room that you'd be in you went straight to the other babies and started playing and didn't even look back at us to see if we were still around. It made me feel good that you felt secure and were able to go off on your own, but in the back of my head I was so sad that you were growing up so fast.
You've started sleeping a little longer during the nights, and even when you do wake up and I'm exhausted, I thank God that I have a baby to wake up for. I cherish every moment I have with you Emery, because any moment could be our last.
I love you to the MOON and back!
Love,
Mommy
