Today is Harrison’s birthday. In fact, his exact birthday was over two hours ago, at 5:20 am. I can’t believe it’s been seven years already. I look at this child, growing practically right in front of my eyes, and I’m amazed. In my heart, he’s still the cuddly little toddler with the chubby cheeks and the brilliant smile. I have a hard time reconciling that with the leaner, taller and quite handsome boy in front of me. It makes me fearful and excited about the next seven years. What will he be like when he’s fourteen? I hope he’ll still have the same warm and tender heart he has today. I hope he’ll still have the same sense of humor and appreciation of the absurd. I hope he’ll still want to cuddle under warm blankets on a cold morning.
For so long he was our only child and I think because of that we really had some good time to get to know him and enjoy him. But I was so happy to give him a little brother. Watching him with Liam is one of my most favorite things in the whole world. Like yesterday, when I had to take a quick shower. I left Liam out in the loft with Harrison who was playing with his toys and watching some cartoons. I laid him down on a blanket on the floor, figuring he’d like to be in a room with another person and asked Harry to keep an eye on him. He didn’t have to do anything with him, just make sure he was kosher until I was out.
When I got out of the shower, I could hear Harry out in the loft, giggling and talking. Then he burst into my room and said, “Liam’s talking to me! So I’m talking back to him but I don’t understand what he’s saying.” It warmed my heart, to see Harry enjoying his brother so much. I know at the newborn stage they’re not very entertaining but Harry enjoys him, nonetheless. That? Is awesome. He doesn’t like feeding him too well, and he won’t even consider changing a diaper, but he loves to make him smile. And there isn’t a day that goes by that he doesn’t remark, “Liam is the cutest baby in all the world.”
He’s got the sweetest, gentlest heart of any little boy I know. Sure, he can dawdle to the point where I’m willing to stab out my own eyes with a ballpoint pen, but he does so without any guile (yet). He’s happy with things like watching movies and eating popcorn and staying up to watch “AFV” with the family. His little heart breaks a little when a teacher or anyone else reprimands him; he just wants that person to be happy with him.
I love this kid, so much I can’t even express it. I put together a little video montage, set to a song that used to (okay, still does) make me cry when I hear it and think of my own little boy. It’s a drop in the pan, but I wanted to do something special for my special little (big) guy. Happy Birthday, Bear.
[video]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3011829219160322856&hl=en[/video]
This is me. I'm a thirtysomething stay at home mom to three kids. For years I was a stay at home mom to one kid and trying very hard to have more. It took a LONG time (ie: 6 1/2 years), but finally Liam arrived and charmed us with his blue eyes and ginormous, round head. Then we got a shock: I was pregnant again and this time it was a GIRL. Our hearts and home are full at last and now that we're done having babies, we get to relax (snort) and watch them grow (not too fast now, you hear?). Thanks for coming by, feel free to dip into my archives, read my About and History pages (just don't do Jackson's Story without tissues!) and make yourself at home.
