Cody Garrett Hasekamp

Today is Cody's 14th birthday. I searched through the very few digital pictures that I have on my computer, looking for one to add to this post. But nothing truly encompasses our first born in one photo. So I decided today to write about him, which I hope I can draw a clearer picture than any camera could capture.
After being married a few years, we decided that it was TIME. After several months of 'practice' we managed to get pregnant. I suspected that possbily I might be in Dec. of 1993. I was working at Blattner Furniture and we had such a busy several weeks at work, I had finally been too busy to worry about it not happening, so I bought a PG test. Of all the potentially dumb ideas, I took the test Christmas morning and after looking at these tests several times before and nothing, there was finally that second line coming into focus, not that I could see it for the tears. But there it was proof our miracle had happened. So, then how to tell David. I found a small box and wrapped the test up and as we concluded unwrapping gifts we got for each other, I said I had one more thing and gave it to him. Somewhere there's even a picture of his shocked expression upon opening the box...... We were expecting our first of four bundles of joy. We kept it our little secret for a while, but not long, we told our family about two or three weeks after we knew. I had hideous morning sickness, horrible heartburn and swelled up like a tick before Labor Day weekend 1994 managed to get here. Cody was due at the end of August, but if I had listened to myself instead of medical calculations, I would have realzied that he was right on time. My water broke and sort of trickled and I messed around with contractions off and on all day Sunday the 4th. We went to bed Sunday night after one more round of nesting (I did that ALOT TOO, probably the cleanest my house has ever been!) At 1:15am I woke up to not feeling so well. By 3 I was in the recliner. Nothing helped. Told David go and feed I would let him know if anything changed. By 7am I was in tears when he came back in to check on me. Per the labor and delivery nurses advice, we started walking, and after maybe an hour of that, we decided to get ready and think about going to the hospital. Contractions were cruising along like clock work every 5 minutes, all the way to the hospital. We got there and they all but stopped. When the nurses decided that contractions or not, I was certainly in labor, they started giving me pitocin and away we went...... that progressed slowly all afternoon and into the evening. Finally my brave front was over as I said those words known to most moms........... BRING ON THE EPIDURAL!! After that everything got complete in about 2 hours, well after 2 MORE HOURS OF PUSHING, at 11:37PM, we finally had our son. So I spent all but 38 minutes of Labor Day 1994 in labor. But it was well worth it.
OUR son is someone who it absolutely chokes me up to think about how proud I am of him. (Yes the bragging is starting now) He's such the typical oldest child, he has a strong work ethic, he's very mature and responsible and does most everything we ask, yes he's still a boy and sometimes we have to ask more than once. But he is a pleaser and does what he can to please us and others around him as much as he can. He's smart as a tack. The gifted class in school is just one of the many places he shines. We received his school acheivement test scores in the mail yesterday and once again, he did so well. And regardless of how he did, his reaction last night when I told him was 'YES!' he had pushed himself he said to try and do better than before, which considering this is a kid who ranks in the top 5% for the state, that is a proud momma moment in and of itself.
He cracks me up. He's a funny kid. His deadpan humor is mind blowing...... When he was 6 and we were on vacation and he had asked David for about the 8th time is this the town we are stopping in (because we had promised to stay somewhere with a pool) and his father said the next time you ask, you're getting out and walking home (because we are so tough, ha!) Cody didn't miss a beat and said matter of factly, 'Well I will need a map' This left us in hysterics for miles (probably till we finally got to the town!)
He's my little 'Linus' with his 'Bobby' (blanket) and the cute hair that stuck out from every direction and still does if he lets it get that long. He's the skinny kid who needed 27x32 jeans for school this year. The kid who says after a week of summer break we need some new books, I've read everything in this house. He's the kid who would rather eat fruit than chocolate. Who has committed to memory every little known fact about all the presidents, and delights in playing his own personal game of presidential trivia, whether or not the other person wants to play. He went from this teeny little guy with hands that you could feel the delicate little bones as there wasn't any fat in the palms of his hands yet, to this guy I look up to now physically and continue to emotionally with these hands that are bigger than mine and these fingers that could probably palm a basketball if he wasn't a dedicated wrestler. He's me, he's David, but mostly he's Cody, our son who we love so much.
There are many more stories, but I won't bore you with a mile long blog. Besides I have birthday gifts to wrap, and something to cook towards a birthday treat (my unpicky kid won't care, so I have to figure something out!).
Today is the first in my next two months of birthday 'season' with three more very special days coming up. I remember as a kid thinking my birthday was the greatest day in the year outside of Christmas. That was until I became a mom, now there are four other days which overshadow my own day, without even trying. So I must close now so that I have time to look at baby books and albums before my first baby gets home this afternoon.
From Tulip~
Cody's Mom~
KH