Grayson,
Already another 1/4 of year has passed. You continue to change with each passing day and to be honest, I swear that you seem to have quadrupled in size since your baby brother Gage joined our family. Only the other day, my eyes teared over as I looked at the size of your hands and realized that you were no longer a baby. I guess that I have known this for a while- but it has become so much more obvious in the past few months. Your little body has begun to change from short and chubby to the leaner body of a boy who never sits still for long. Yes, staying still continues to be something that you have trouble accomplishing. Not to worry though. This summer you’ve found all kinds of ways to keep yourself occupied. Like getting over your fear of swimming. Within the last few months you have bravely learned how to jump off the side of the pool (in your “swimmies”) and swim all over the place. This is quite the improvement from last year- thank goodness. There was even one occasion a few weeks ago that you decided to jump in the pool without your swimmines (even after I warned you not too) and I had to jump in after you! For sure, you are a brave little boy!
Speaking of bravery, Grayson you have demonstrated your courage in many other ways this summer too! Such as your desire to move into the “blue truck” bedroom and your request to wear big boy underwear to bed at night. Both transitions occurred seamlessly. You love sleeping in your new room with the big bed and as of yet (please do not let me jinx it) you have not had an accident at night. And it has been almost three months since you decided to get rid of pull-ups! A few days ago you bravely faced your fear of thunder and lightening and discovered that they are a lot like fireworks- only made by “Jesus and God”. You experienced fireworks for the first time on the 4th of July this year and LOVED everything about them- especially the loud boom. You love all things loud- especially fire trucks- and so it was no wonder that you enjoyed your first NASCAR experience- Pole Night at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. You could identify all your favorite drivers and was amazed at how fast and loud the cars were.
Grayson, I guess of all that you have accomplished in the past three months, I have been most proud about the way you have welcomed your little brother Gage into our family. For the past 9 months I have been worried about your reaction and how it might make you feel to share your time with me and Daddy- but as usual, I had nothing to worry about. YOu seem so pleased to have a little brother and often proudly introduce him to strangers. “Here’s my baby brover!” YOu look for Gage every morning as you bound down the stairs and will often stop playing for a moment to swing by, “pet” him on the head, and then go back to playing. YOu always help give Gage a bath when you bathe together and often ask to hold him while Daddy reads you a story at bedtime. I am sure that it helps that you still go to school over the summer and so Gage’s arrival hasn’t upset everything about your life. But I also think that you truly do love your brother and that you are happy to have him in your life. Now how long will this love affair last? Who knows- but I give it at least until Gage is big enough to start messing with your things!
Now most of what I have shared so far has been the happy, positive notes about the past three months. However, I think that it is also important to point at that you haven’t been all sweet and nice this entire time. Apparently, as you turn into a three year old, a glimpse of your “thirteen year old” personality is then allowed to surface every now and then. For you these glimpses most often surface when you have been put in timeout. At those times, you shout out things meant to make me and your father as sad and angry as you feel for being punished. Most often you shout out things like: “I don’t like you Mommy.” or “You’re not my friend anymore Daddy.” Inside I chuckle, knowing that at the end of your three minutes your will wrap you sticky arms around my neck and again proclaim your affection for us. So while you shout these angry comments, I usually just ignore them- which makes you even more mad. The question I have is where did you figure out these hurtful things to say? And how did you guess that it would get our attention? I guess that these are the types of things that give this age the term “terrible threes”.
Finally, my sweet little boy, as I reflect on the last three months, I am can’t help but think about how lucky I am to have you in my life and how this magical time of “parent adoration” will not last forever. I was espcially reminded of this a few weeks ago when you saw a couple of 6 year old boys playing and you said to me, pointing at the boys “Mommy, can I go over there?”. I said yes and then you looked at me and said “By myself. Can I go by myself?” I told you yes, but as you walked away I fought back tears. It was at that moment that I realized that you were ready to make friends on your own and that you no longer needed me to make you feel comfortable or to take care of you in new situations. I know that this is what I’ve been praying for as your mom- to make you confident and independent. But still there is a selfish part of me that wants to keep you just for myself. I enjoy all the time (or at least most of the time) that we spend together and I know that the older you get the more I will have to share your time with others.
So, Grayson, with each passing day I often look at your smiling face and feel so lucky that you have become one of the happiest kids I have ever known. I dream that you will always look at life with the energetic curiosity you now posses and I pray that you will never lose you love of life and your ability to make people laugh. You are an amazing little boy that I am proud to call my son. Thank you for the memories created over the past three months and for all the ways you have made my life better.
I love you more and more each day!
Love, Mommy
Gage,