My Little Man

Last summer Ty and I made the trip to Destin with the Wilborn women and kids for their annual trip. What a difference it is to go to the beach with a kid vs. when I used to go AS a kid. He was the first one up every morning and the first one to bed every night.
Each morning I'd close the sun room doors and we'd play until it was safe to venture out and make the noise that accompanies a little boy.
I don't remember how old he was here but it is still one of my favorite pictures of him. My parents are huge influences in Ty's life and this was at their house I think soon after Charlie was born. He was walking but didn't have much endurance yet so instead of trekking back to the house to get a stroller they just put him in the wheelbarrow and it worked. In fact, I told myself I'd invest in one for our house because it was so nice to have all of their toys/drinks within their reach!
Oh this brings back lots of memories. This was in our old house in Lewisville and I think he was around 11 months old. Ty didn't walk until 13 months, (back then I thought that was late--this was clearly before Charlie set the new record,) and we'd get so excited when he pulled up on his crib. He loved to sleep at this age already so he was usually pretty happy to be in there. You can't see them in this picture but his crib has little teeth marks in it because when he woke up and was bored or mad he'd chew on the rails. He took the varnish off he did it so much.

5 or 6 months old, and this was his first taste of some kind of baby food. From even earlier than this he showed a strong preference about what he was eating. And he didn't like much. He still doesn't but we're hoping he will start branching out in his old age.

He looks so small in the high chair and I must say that high chair has never been as clean as it is in this picture. Maybe I can work on that this week? His hair had just started really growing at this age...he was born with dark hair and lost it ALL by 4 months. Like he was totally bald and then it started growing in a totally different color. Mom says we were all bald at birth so I expected my baby to be the same and was surprised to see hair when he was born.

We just got back from an ice cream trip with friends and I was thinking about this post and nearly started crying. I watched him play and remember the nights when he was a baby when I thought I wouldn't survive on how little sleep I was getting. I remember how afraid I was to go home from the hospital and then once his Daddy started travelling how afraid I was to be alone with him in the house. I remember how elated I was when he slept his first long stretch and how proud of him I was when he first got excited to get in his crib. Whew was I relieved!

He made me an adult in a lot of ways, though I was 27 when he was born. I am bursting with pride every time he learns something new and it "clicks." I love that he knows and loves all of his grandparents and that he now can remember who goes with who. I remember laying on the operating table and seeing him come over the sheet for the first time and thinking, "What is that stuff all over him?" I had been up most of the night before, cut me some slack. Then I remember Dr. Greebon saying, "You're a momma now." Man was he stating the obvious but man was he right. From that second on few moments go by without me thinking about this little man. He made me a Momma. And life will never be the same.