Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Happy Birthday, J.

Nine years ago today seems like a long time ago.  That's the day we went in to the hospital and I gave birth to my second born son, only 13 months after I had the first one.

He was different from his brother, right from the start.  I had to have an emergency c-section with him because his arm was stuck up over his head, and they were afraid his arm would be broken on his way out.  The c-section was awful.  Seriously, awful.  I highly recommend avoiding them if at all possible.  But in the end I was given a beautiful little cherub that became my little cuddler.  J was a mommy's boy right from the start.  He's an extremely affectionate little guy, and he wanted to be attached to me 24 hours a day.  Which was a nice change, because his brother is not the most affectionate little dude, and I wanted a cuddler.

J has the brightest blue eyes I've ever seen.  They're like a royal blue.  I love them.  And he was a chunky little guy.  I used to call him "Chunkalicious."  He was buddies with his big brother right from the start.  They are still so close, I have become dependent on their relationship.

They fight, they argue, they pick at each other.  They're brothers.  But they also play together, joke with each other, laugh together, and look out for each other.  When one of them is hurt, the other one is upset for them.  It's amazing how sweet they can be.

Raising boys is messy business.  And raising a boy like J has it's own challenges and rewards.  He is brilliant.  When he learns something for the first time, he knows it forever.  As he gets older, he keeps getting smarter, and my challenge is to keep him challenged.  He is a very physical kid--not only is he affectionate, but he loves to wrestle and monkey around outside.  He LOVES bugs, creatures, plants, dirt, anything from nature.  He is truly fascinated with rocks, minerals, and gems.  As a 3rd grader, he already has a passion for science.

J is an adventurous eater.  He (like his mommy) has a love for food and food culture.  He will try any food, and he likes almost anything.  Sushi, guacamole, shellfish, anything.  It's really fun to feed him.  And he loves food television.  Bizarre Foods is one of his favorite TV shows.

He's funny.  Super funny, and it's awesome now as he's getting older, his sense of humor is maturing, and his jokes are getting funnier.  And he has developed a love for card tricks and magic tricks, and it's stunning how good he's getting at the card tricks, and card handling in general.

J loves music and he's a good dancer.  Unfortunately, he's shy about dancing in front of people, but I am lucky that he will dance for me.  And he's very good.  He has his iPod loaded up with everything from 80's hair bands to Bruno Mars and Pink, and a good helping of Christmas music in there too.

J has a lot of friends at school.  They're a goofy bunch, with special handshakes and weird voices they use to joke around with together.  He makes friends easily because he is sweet and outgoing, and he obviously enjoys being with people.  But his very best friend is his brother, and his cousins are all incredibly special to him.

I'm very proud of my goofy, smart, cuddly, adventurous little man.  As I have said before, I have no idea how I can be so lucky, how I am raising such an amazing human being.  I have loved watching him grow so far, and I can't wait to watch him grow each year, and to see the man is to become.  He is a blessing from God.

Happy Birthday, my 9-year old Little Man!  I love you like CRAZY!

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