Oakley's Number One Fan

One year ago, Oakley Kolden entered my life and promised to change me forever; and he did just that. Even before he took his first breath, he taught me that life would from now on be lived on his terms. He quickly taught me not to be selfish and to put anyone, and everyone before myself- that was his gift.

On that day, not only did I receive a gift, Oakley did as well- my love and a part of my soul.

Everyone else watched, and listened, and learned, as this beautiful baby boy unfolded his personality and too his distinctive place in this world.
There are certain traits about Oakley that make him special. From the beginning it was love at first site with Oakley. He has always been a happy boy. He rarely cried when he was little unless he was hungry or needed to be changed. For the first couple of weeks he never opened his eyes, just laid there and cuddled. He hated his first bath, but today it’s hard to keep him away from the bath tub. We would have long conversations just between the two of us. All that we needed in life was each other, and we were both happy.
He loves the trees and being outside. Once he got old enough Grandma Shelly bought him a swing for outside. He loves sitting in it swinging as high as it can go. He is a typical boy, scared of nothing until he gets hurt or falls. He will climb up on anything, then cry for help down, he is fearless.

Mornings are my favorite, especially the mornings when it is time to go and he is still sleeping. When I wake him up his eyes always slowly meet mine and I get that smile from him I always love to see. He knows he is love and that is enough to bring him ultimate joy. Through Oakley, I learned to love deeper and more truly. For as much as one can love their parents, siblings, and friends, the love I have for Oakley stands apart.

He taught me how to smile wider, laugh louder, and value life to its fullest. He taught me to see that life’s possibility was endless and how to pay attention to the details. He was the bond that brought me to be a better person in life. This last year has been the most exciting year I have experienced and there is only one person to thank for that- Baby Oakie!

Oakley brings a focus to me that has touched all aspects of my life; at home, at work, and with my friends. He has inspired me just by being himself. It seems so surreal that is has already been a year with Oakley, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. There will be many life lessons we will cross together and ups and downs, but I will always, always be Oakley’s Number One Fan. We all have dreams-some big, some small. No matter how hard we try not all our dreams come true. Still that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to make them a reality. You can never reach that for which you don’t achieve. My advice to my little chump is to Always Dream Big…!