My son, my first baby, the boy who saved my life in so many ways is almost 13 years old. I still can't believe how quickly this time with my precious boy has flown by. He's a young man and not a little boy anymore although to me, he will always be my baby.  He brought home his school pictures yesterday and it literally made my day.  It's amazing to me how fast he's growing up and how wonderful a young man he is becoming. He's in 7th grade now, his feet are as big as mine and he's almost as tall as me.  Where did the time go? What happened to the days of my baby boy wanting to run in the yard with no shirt and just a diaper on? I miss those days where he'd have food on his face while he was learning to eat or when he was so excited because he figured out how to use the potty. Now he's this young man independent in many ways but still so much my baby.  He has his grandpa Peter's looks and his grandma Teresa's smile and he lights up my life with so much love and joy.  My boy Alaka'i which means The Leader, the one who leads the way in Hawaiian, has waited so long for a sibling and now as he's on the brink of 13 he is finally about to have one.  He will be the best big brother ever.  He's already an amazing big cousin to my nieces and nephew.  I'm really excited to see how he interacts with the baby girl when she makes her debut. Thank you Jesus for this boy I love, the boy I prayed for who would love me no matter what, the boy who saved my life, the boy who gives me so much unending joy, the boy that I will love until the end of time and beyond, my son Alaka'i.