Happy 4th Birthday Gabe

4 years ago, Gabe came into our lives. That 4 years seems so distant now. But the memories are all there. The struggles, the challenges, and most of all those surgeries. But we`ve come so far, we`ve overcome all those struggles Gabe. Here we are 4 years later, standing tall and proud.

Yes, I`m very proud of Gabe. Down Syndrome, heart defects n all. You are one damned cheeky, funny, stubborn, IPAD loving boy. Not a day goes by without you getting scolded. Not a day goes by without you doing one of your funny dance moves. I love it all.

Years back, if anyone had told me i were to have a child with Down Syndrome, I`d be so freaked out and terribly scared. How i wish before that I knew what this meant, so that i could have been better equipped and prepared for you Gabe. And i wish i knew then that this wouldn`t be a dead end filled with sadness. I wish I knew that my days would mostly be filled with tears of happiness.

You are by far my biggest accomplishment. Bringing you up in a foreign land, where we couldn`t understand a damned thing the doctors and therapists told us, getting past those horrible mushy feeding days where we would both end up in tears, hauling our asses to those therapy sessions where I probably worked harder than you and going through those surgery days. I shudder at those thoughts. But we made it. Life is good now huh, Gabe? Yeah, your days are filled now with everything chocolate, Anpanmam, Mickey Mouse, IPAD and play times.

At 4 years old, you`re tiny for your age. But that`s okay. You`re still as fussy as ever about your food, that`s NOT okay since it`s torture for Mummy to cook for you. You can speak many many words, but not sentences yet. That`s okay, we`ll get to it sooner or later. When you walk, you look like you`ve drunk a bottle of something strong since you still wobble here and there. That`s okay too, you`ll get stronger.

We`re more than OKAY right now folks. We`re happy.

I love you to bits Gabe, and I`m sure Daddy feels the same. Lucas, well, maybe if you stop hitting him, he may feel the same. And I`m sure back in Singapore, you`re very much loved too.

Mummy wishes you many more Happy Birthdays to come and that life will always be filled with kindness and sunshine for you lil one. For as long as i shall live, Mummy will be here to protect you as much as i can and make you feel loved.

Carry on with your funny moves and expressions Gabe, I`m always a step behind you, watching you and hearing you.

I LOVE YOU