Happy Birthday Ryan

September 10th was my first born 17th birthday... I can't believe it sometimes that I have a child that old I still don't think it has hit me.... We celebrated his bday at Chief's with the his friend Zack Hewitt and his family and his friend Roger. We are sending him to the August Burn Red concert in Atlanta with 2 other boys in October giving him his ticket and spending money.

I was so excited when I found our I was pregnant was him. I had a great pregnancy expect for swollen beyond recognition feet and ankles and him being stubborn not wanting to come out.. His due date was September 4th but I was induced with him on September 10 he was 9lbs 3 oz and 21 1/2 in long. His name is Ryan Yates his dad and I could not come up w/ a boy name we both agree on and the girls names were Allison Yates or Samantha Ryan so we took the 2 middle names and named him. Yates is my mom maiden name and my grandmother died while I was pregnant with him so I wanted to honer her. Our first 4 weeks were heck and I wonder what was I doing but I found out he was starving my release glands did not work so he was never eating and I was hurting as soon as I gave him a bottle w/ formula in it he has slept through the night ever since... He was honestly the most perfect baby never cry unless something was wrong, he was always happy, would entertain himself for hours.From the time he could talk he was interested in cars and trucks when going down the highway he would say " biiiiiiiiig truck mommy" it would be in a deep low voice. He knew all the race car drivers by sponsors and # by the time he was 4 if it has anything to do w/ cars he can tell you about it for this reason I hate that we didn't name him the name I wanted to give to him Cam (a car part). He has try sports but by the end of elm school he realize that was not his calling. He is a wonderful artist well he can draw any kind of car or truck you want him to, he loves playingthe bass, acoustic guitar and wants to start I think it is called electric. He loves God and is not scare of dying cause he looks it as a win/win situation he dyes he gets to go home to his Savior, he can tell you anything you want to know about the bible. The kid is SMART but as most teenagers he does not apply himself he just gets by with what he can. I guess all those car games and his love has given him a need for speed and I pray for him every day when he is driving (I did this before he started driving alone).. He is not a big social kid, he doesn't care about the going ons of people around him. His thing if you are asking questions you are being nosey and it ain't your business. He is 17 now and I have to be honest our last 6 months have been the hardest on us. Me and Ryan have always been close but the last 6 months we have been at each other throats. I am praying it is a stage and maybe now he will grow out of it.. He will do anything for you and not complain, he can be the greatest friend an encourager. He has the world in his hands and my prayer is that God will use him to do work in His kingdom, he will put his all into his last 2 years of high school, he will continue to go on w/ his dreams even though they are not mine or what I would choose for him (he wants to go into automotive technology but I want him to go into Engineering (the kid has the brain to do it)). Right now he is taking automotive tech 1 and next year will be II then he will be certified to work in a shop. He goals for that is to work while he goes to NGU for Mass communications. He is taken a 12th grade Alg. If he will do after school classes for Spanish if they have it then next year he can leave school for his math and go to Wofford for college credits. He has always been a good kid never any partying, drinking, drugs or anything and he is NOT tempted to do those things and I stand up and applaud him for that, he know his Lord and he stands firm on his faith. I know that we will make it through this hard teenage years and one of these days we are going to laugh about everything. I just pray it soons... Happy Birthday to my first born baby boy Ryan Yates Shelton lover of God, youth group, Day6, Ready to Rise, hard core christian music, guitar, snickers, cars, video games, money, mission trips and food....