Eight years ago today, I gave birth to the most amazing little boy I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. As I laid there gazing into his gorgeous green/brown eyes, with his father by my side doing the same, I just could not believe the wonder that was placed in my arms. Alexavier Daniel was the second perfect baby to be born to us, and it was just miraculous!
Alex certainly was different from the rest of us. He was loud right from the get go. He made his poor sister cry every time he did! He had the most awful reflux. He went through several changes of clothing daily (bibs were a joke compared to the spit up), cried non stop when his medicine ran out, and puked on and in everything imaginable, including my shoes, which landed me in a postpartum breakdown where I cried for hours about how I just couldn't be a mother anymore. Luckily, those moments don't last, or we'd never have any children! We also found out when he was 9 months old that he was anemic, which quickly explained why he was always cold, and therefore would not sleep through the night without being held or sleeping in a snowsuit Yes, we put him in a lightweight snowsuit, and called it his bananasuit because it was yellow and the hood was kind of pointed. We were so sad when he outgrew it. He survived what should have been deadly carbon monoxide poisoning, and made it through all the normal perils of infant-hood.
This little boy has lived in 2 states and 5 houses. He has seen it all, from city living, to rural village, to subdivision, though sadly, he only remembers the latter. He is the product of an extended breastfeeding, cloth diapering, make your own baby food, stay at home mom, and a dad who worked his butt off to provide for us. He is also the product of his grandparents who we either lived with or saw daily, and his other set of grandparents who saw him every few weeks. He went through having strange children in his home while I was a home daycare provider, then went to daycare himself when I went back to work when he was four years old. He's gone to two different elementary schools, due to boundary changes, and had friends come and go like crazy. He has played on various sports teams, some good, some bad, and participated in so many activities in school I can't even keep track. He is incredibly smart, cute, and most of all, loving. I see the best of me and his dad in him, and it makes me proud. At his best, I know we have done well. At his worst, I know his father screwed up (just kidding).
Alex is very much your typical little boy. He loves to play, and laugh, and have fun. He is way too cool to be seen hugging me in public, but when bedtime comes, he asks me to lay with him so he can hold my hand up to his face. He read books that weigh more than he does, but then asks me to read Little Critter to him. He is bold and brave, but gets his heart broken so easily when things don't go his way. He wants to be big in so many ways, but in my eyes, he is just so very little.
In short, I love that little boy! I am so blessed to have him. Every day, I try to remind myself that these days are short. Even though, in the midst of a throw himself on the floor tantrum, it seems like it can't end fast enough, his kid years will fly by so quickly. Before I know it, he will be looking down at me, and be proud to give me a hug and kiss, as he heads out the door to go back home to his own family. That will be one of my proudest moments, as I will then have the chance to see the work that we have done coming alive in him. But, for now, I'm enjoying my little boy kisses, silly jokes, and tickly feet. I'm loving his love for all things sparkly, sports balls, and trading cards. I'm trying to hold on to this very brief time in his life as tightly as I can. Alexavier will always be my baby; I am so lucky to have him!
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