Happy 16th Birthday To Cody! (and his cat Boo)

He's my 32 hours story...a real-life 32 hour, giant head suctioned out, umbilical cord wrapped around neck story. He was the baby I was seven months pregnant with when one afternoon watching Oprah, saw patients of my OB who delivered Niki and would be delivering him. They were telling Oprah about how he was being investigated for hypnotizing and molesting his patients. Mmmhmm, that's right. Murphy was my friend even back then! Because we had already paid him and had no maternity insurance, I had to keep seeing him (he was like 80 years old too, ewww!). But John didn't miss a single appointment from that point on! :) He was his Papa Poirier's first grandson. Dad couldn't GET to the hospital fast enough to see for himself. A man who had three girls and one granddaughter, he resigned himself to girls girls girls and more girls. More than that, as the years went by, his Papa Poirier grew to really like him. My dad was a great influence on Cody and saw the amazing child in him that John and I saw. There was a unique connection between the two of them. When at ten years old he lost Dad, he took it quite hard. We struggled when Niki and Cody were young; we did without 'stuff' so I could be home with them. Cody took this in stride, and never complained that he didn't have nearly as much as his cousins or friends had. He always accepted no if I didn't have quarters for the gumball machine at the front of the store, saying 'that's okay, maybe another time' (kid you not!). He really did wear the 'jean' shorts I sewed for him out of faux jean fabric. I think that's why now, while he doesn't want to have a lot of clothes, he picks his clothes carefully and won't buy something he 'might' wear. I think he'd probably like a pair of faux denim shorts for his birthday, don't you?
Now things are different, yet we truly wouldn't trade those formative years for anything in the world. I didn't think I'd say that back then, but I am. And I mean it. It helped Cody develop an appreciation for what he has and empathy for others who don't have. Cody takes his dedication to God seriously and I sometimes find I learn from him, not the other way around!So rather than list all the accomplishments Cody has made with his grades, sports, whatever, I'm just gonna tell you he loves God. He respects people. His Papa Poirier would be unbelievably proud of this boy's life so far. John and I are humbled by his character. We won't take credit for him, he's definitely a product of God's amazing work. So we thank Him for the gift of raising Cody--how lucky we are!

Cody dancing with his sister! (Kathleen! pshh!)