Jun. 5, 2008 - Life These Days
Twelve years ago, at this very moment, 11:29 pm I was confident I would be having a baby on June 6. After all, I had been in labor for over 12 hours by then. How much longer could it possibly take? Well, it would be about 25 hours later on June 7. I want to ask, as I do every year: Where has the time gone? Those baby days flew by so quickly. Yet I remember lying in bed begging God to please just let me sleep 15 more minutes. Please make the baby stop crying for a little bit. Then there was the intense training phase that I was so unsure about. Do I flick his hand for that? Does he understand? Will he ever understand? (I still ask that last question.) Oh, and then there's potty training. I was way stressed out. I had a friendly upstairs neighbor tell me to start training at the age of 1. His mom had 6 kids and did that. Poor traumatized Christopher. My friend and I dressed him up as a little wood elf or sprite or something like that. I'll have to scan in the pictures. Oh, and lets not forget the eating of Ben and Jerry's...oh wait, he never at that. I did that when he was napping. He ate marvi bars and home canned pears. He loved his daily bath. So did I. He was contained and couldn't go anywhere. Well, I didn't love it when he decided pooping in the tub would be fun. (He'll be so embarrassed when he hears of that last one.) Oh, he once saw a life-size cut out of Darth Mal and asked me why God made such ugly people. He used to sing in his car seat and I heard, "Dear God, thank you for the street lights and electricity so it isn't dark anymore." When my dad died, Christopher would try to comfort me when I cried, but would end up saying to my husband, "She's crying again, what do I do?" Then when we built our house he was such a hard worker. He would be so exhausted at times that he would crawl into a ball, wrap up in Kelly's coat, find a corner, and cry himself to sleep. Less than a year after moving into our house he suddenly, and I mean suddenly became a big brother and the oldest of four. (You can read the beginning of that story here.) Gone were the carefree days of going here and there whenever I wanted to. Gone were the days of showing up at births or even meeting new babies. He had to grow up a little. He had to share a room and his parents. Our lives are so different now. I thought I was busy before! Ha! And now, my son is a tad taller than myself. He steals my gender neutral looking socks. His voice is LOW. He definitely has a preference in music. I tell him to pull up his pants or put on a belt. He does love to shower, though. This evening I saw he had left some hair products out in my bathroom, but I never noticed that his hair looked any different. He loves me, but he plans on leaving me and exploring life on his own. He used to tell me that he'd let me live in his farm house with him and his wife so I could do all the cooking and cleaning. I think I'd rather him leave me out of his old farmhouse anyway. He wants to learn photography and editing. Oh, and recently he's been asking me to read, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" to him. What? He's kidding, right? Nope. Not at all. Did I mention that he really loves me. He loves Jesus, too. He's also still into legos and transformers, and I can often be caught with a glazed over look when he's talking about a star wars character or ship. He's beginning to recognize that look. Darn it! I love him. I love that he still tries to sit on my lap and will still lie down and take naps with me. Oh, and I really love that he takes care of breakfast all by himself. I love that he is so nice about the fact that I will be completely absorbed in a wedding I'm photographing on his birthday so he won't really have a celebration that day. Have I mentioned that I love that boy even though it scares me a bit...not the love part, but the whole growing up part. I love that he's getting older, but he's not too cool to kiss me and hug me in public. Last Sunday he and I were together the entire day without anybody else and he could barely separate himself from me. It was odd. He had to hold my hand or have his arm around MY shoulders or kiss me if he left me to go into the next aisle. Hey, when did it become okay for him to leave my sight in the store? That's not supposed to happen for a few more years, right? Man, that one snuck up on me. It won't be long until he's driving. I hope he'll want to be home more than any other place. I made him go to bed at the same time as the younger ones, now I wish I would've kept him up just a bit longer. I think I'll start reading that book to him soon. He loves it when I read books about how a young man is supposed to be. I asked him if he wants to read them alone and just talk about it. Nope. He gets more of me if we read it together. Well, I think I need to go kiss him, or crawl into bed with him on the top bunk, or pick him up and cradle him and sing some cheesy song.
Go kiss your kids now.
Comments
Jun. 6, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by blessedmomof10
Loved reading about your son - sounds like you have a wonderfully close relationship.
Blessings,
gloria
Jun. 6, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Rebeca
Awww...Criffy! Tell that sweet boy (or, young man?) happy birthday from me! I always think of the first time I met him, laying him on the table in the dining room at GCS. He was such a little thing then. And he's growing into such a nice young man. Come visit soon! Love, Beca
Jun. 6, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>
Posted by AsLivingStones
Oh! I'm already logged in! Gotta love my new computer, my old never remembered me :(
I didn't realize your son was that close in age to mine! If David asks me to read that book anytime soon, I'll cry! But what other good "Man" books have you read to him? I lol'd just now, reading about the glazed over look. I had to tell the boys what I was laughing at, they didn't get it. They haven't picked up on that look yet! :) Though, they might, now that I explained it to them.
Edited by AsLivingStones on Jun. 6, 2008 at 7:27 PM
Jun. 9, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by MintFlower
thanks for your note---Like you, I write a blog in my head a lot of days... just haven't been taking time to actually write. I hope to get back to it this summer! Have a great day!
Jun. 10, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by dangela1
awwww... you had me tearing up there! He sounds so much like my soon-to-be ten year old boy. I don't really want him growing up and leaving me. I love Mom and son days...
Blessings!
Jun. 16, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by lexi
Ohhh.....I loved reading this post! So many things to look forward to! I'm still in the potty-training, how do I discipline, trantrum listening, and crying baby stages. I know it won't be long before I look back on these days as just a sweet memory. I'm not ready for mine to grow up!
