High Dive and Turning Five!

This Bode Boy.

Where do I begin? He has changed SO much this year. 

He's notorious for only wanting to wear p.js., NOT eating anything else but noodles, falling asleep on the couch by 6 (putting quite the damper in our social life), NOT wanting to go into Sunday school, or swim lessons, or school..you get the idea.

When you have a kiddo like this you just put your head down and go. You don't even really have the time or bandwidth to say that they're 'difficult'...you just bargain and plead and pray for people not to judge you moment by moment. But also, this is your baby whom you dearly love, so it's just them. You just go forward.

****

Well, THIS baby is now turning FIVE YEARS OLD tomorrow! Wow. We just had fun reminiscing with Mimi about what we were doing five years ago today. I had fun telling her about our special date at the gymnastics place and then how daddy and I took her to Build-a-Bear for the first time to celebrate her last day as an only child. I remember she slept at BT and Oma's (and I hardly slept at all). I was SO anxious for our 4 am alarm to go off so I could go to the hospital and finally meet our little boy. And I was scared. The thought of willingly going into surgery was a bit terrifying. The first time I had a C-section it just happened. It was 3 am, I had been in labor for 24 hours and I was barely conscious. This time I'd walk into the hospital showered, dressed and VERY alert. Yikes. 

And it was sort of awful. I had so many drugs running in my body that I could barely keep my eyes open to greet my baby boy or any visitors that came. I kept trying to tell people that it wasn't right, but they just said, "you're just tired!" I wish they realized that I know the different between tired and doozy from drugs. Anyways, I barely remember Mimi meeting Bodes (thank goodness for the pictures), but that was the moment I was MOST excited for; seeing my little girl become a big sister. And seeing our family grow into a foursome. It's the stuff all of my adolescent and adult dreams were made of.  Thankfully the next morning I was MUCH more myself (the nurse who came in said if she wouldn't have read the name plate she wouldn't have thought I was the same lady. YES. See?!?) and I enjoyed EVERY.MINUTE. snuggling and staring at my baby boy. My NINE POUND baby boy. I still remember that feeling at the hospital when you barely want to go to sleep because you can't believe that there is a new baby, YOUR new baby sleeping right beside you. I was smitten. I'll never forget a text I got from Ashley Carlucci when I found out I was having a boy (the ultrasound was on my 30th birthday!). She said, "I'm so happy for you. You've always loved little boys...just like at camp." And she was right. I couldn't help being so tickled by the little first grade boys at the summer camp we worked at in Austin, Texas. I loved how they'd come to flagpole shirtless with cowboy boots and a cape. I loved how even though they were so little and adorable, they already had a man-like swagger. Little boys take themselves VERY seriously. And I couldn't get enough. I was made to be a little boy's momma someday. And God gave me that gift.

And now here he is.

And what a 6 months he's had.

He's no longer known as the notorious p.j. wearer. He eats meatballs. He can stay up as late as anyone (and now we can be SO much more social with our fun group of friends). He builds lego sets by himself, goes to sunday school, preschool and swim lessons (with still a small whimper of protest). He's fascinated by numbers and letters and his preschool teacher mom is excited to see the spark of reading in him. And he's regular (if you know what I mean. That's actually a HUGE catalyst for creating a happy boy too). It's also crazy how this 9 lb baby chunk is just a wisp of a boy (fat has no chance on him. He jumps and somersaults it all off before it can even THINK about staying on his body. Come to think of this, maybe there's a new workout in there somewhere...the "Five Year Old Boy" workout...it needs some development, I'll get back to you). And now he's known as "Bode, the High Dive Jumper."

Three weeks ago, he was sporting floaties. But he ripped those suckers off the minute we told him he couldn't do the diving board or slide with them on.

Another new part of Bode we learned about: Determination.

On Sunday he started with the lowest diving board and within minutes was walking down this sucker...with no reservations at all. 

That's how Bode does life. Headfirst.

***

Swim class.

(I really tried to not be annoyed that he was singing "row row row your boat" in the baby pool because he went off the high dive and swam to the side yesterday. I really tried.)

..because in the end, I was really just excited that he was IN a swim lesson. IN the pool. With his friends. That would not have happened last year. Life is so much sweeter when you have the wherewithal to stop and see where you've come from and what to be grateful for. It's easy to coast into this new stage of life and forget the sleepless nights, the stressful social situations with a small child, the fights and worries. Ben and I take great delight in being at a party and commenting how crazy it is that we don't know where our kids are or what they're doing (wait. That sounds bad...you know what I mean). It just means that they're BIG kids. They are playing with their friends. They are happy. They are independent. Therefore I can take a nap or read a magazine or write a marathon blog post and the world doesn't end. And it's beautiful. (Even if around Bode's birthday EVERY year it sends me into a longing nostalgia for all of those magical "first" moments too...expecting a baby and walking around with magic happening inside of you, then meeting them and holding them and watching them hit milestones at warp speed.) But, I'm wise-enough now to know that this nostalgia is just my party favor I  get at Bode's birthday and it will pass. But it will also make me hold my babies tighter and a little longer to try to soak every single minute of them in. I am so so lucky. And I never take that for granted.

Happy "Olmost" Birthday Bode!

Every day with you is a wild ride.

XOXO

(and yes. Those are actually p.js.)