Six.

On April 21, 2006 I sat with my very large and very taut belly pressing against the side of our dining room table. My husband and mother sat across from me, pretending to be interested in their own activities as they gave me side-eye glances. For three weeks my mid-wives had been telling me I was 3 cm dilated--I could go into labor at any minute.

"At any minute" turned out to be a cosmic joke; my 3cm dilated cervix and I walked around for close to a month with no further signs of labor. I carried my 19 month old daughter, wandered the aisles of Target, and watched hours of television. Waiting for my boy-child to make his debut.

Finally, eleven days past my due-date, I called my midwives in tears. I was trying so hard to avoid a hospital birth and if I made it to 14 days past my due date I would have to be admitted. My midwives, knowing that I had exhausted all other "natural" means of induction, brought out the big guns: castor oil. One midwife recommended 2 Tbsp in a blueberry smoothie. The other recommended 4 Tbsp followed by a glass of wine. They told me to expect a lot of gastro-intestinal movement, follwed by labor--5 or 6 hours after taking the castor oil.

I went the smoothie route. Nothing happened. Hours passed. NOTHING HAPPENED. I began to weep and panic. My husband took our daughter out for a treat at the coffee shop, so that she could escape the oppressive atmosphere in our house.

15 minutes after they left I began to pace and pant like a caged tiger. Sean hurried home from the coffee shop and handed Miss A over to my mom. I got into the car we drove as fast as we could to the birthing center.

The midwives met us in the parking lot and escorted us into the birthing suite. I complimented one of my midwives on her cute shoes and began to push. 40 minutes later my son, my love, my heart, came into the world with a full set of wild dark hair.

I love this child SO MUCH it is physically painful. At almost-six-years-old he is the most amazing creature. His limbs have suddenly grown long--while still shorter than most of his classmates he is at least 75% leg. His face has thinned out and his bone structure is becoming more apparent.

He is hilarious. His comedic timing is enviable. He is nurturing and a dedicated friend. He loves his big sister best out of anyone in the world, and this love and admiration make him want to be the best big brother to YH possible. He is sensitive to other people's feelings and if he thinks he hurt a friend it will break his heart.

He wore a princess dress over his "street clothes" for a year. Slowly he added different pieces of a Darth Vader costume to his standard ensemble (starting with the cape) until finally he transformed fully into the Dark Lord.

He loves to build ships and castles with his Legos. He loves his cat. Over the course of a day he went from being a pre-reader to a child who reads books out loud with fluency. He is an asthete. I always ask him for sartorial advice because he appreciates a bit of fancy.

In preschool he was friends with twin girls. The girls gave him a straw fedora for his fifth birthday and he wears it all the time. It suits him perfectly.

He is a cuddler. He is still content to sit in my lap and I dread the day that he stops wanting to be wrapped in my arms. He inherited my monkey-like feet (long knobby toes and fallen arches), but somehow on him they are adorable.

For his birthday he wants to do the following:
1) eat chocolate chip pancakes, followed by dessert
2) Play miniature golf
3) Eat lunch, followed by dessert
4) Take a bath with his new rubber ducky
5) Open presents and play with them
6) Eat dinner, followed by dessert
7) Sing happy birthday and blow out candles--but not on a birthday cake; he wants a pork pie

Sweet boy--I will move heaven and earth to make your dreams come true tomorrow and every day that follows.