Oliver is currently asleep in our bed, taking his midday nap. I didn't have any work hours or classes today, and the weather is almost 20 degrees warmer today than it has been the last two weeks or more, so I decided to keep him home from daycare and have a fun day together. We cleaned up the backyard this morning and refilled the bird feeder. (He helped by climbing up the step stool behind me.) We strolled with Lucy to Sevier Park and spent a full hour on slides, swings, and other such distractions. Oliver got a very brief haircut so his hair would lay against the sides of his head instead of over his ears. We played with the snap beads, read The Five Little Ladybugs and Are You My Mother?, and had lunch. I put him down for a nap at the usual time, but an hour later, he was still upstairs telling stories to Lovie. So I finally caved and went to get him. I knew he needed a nap, though, especially if we were going to continue our fun this afternoon, so I took him into our bedroom, which is always a little warmer and a little darker (due to the drapes) than the rest of the house and snuggled him next to me. I was surprised he didn't try to pull away, but he stayed there, wiggled a little, and kept chatting. And finally he fell soundly asleep. I gave him a few minutes, then crept out. If I were at all sleepy, I would have stayed, but I'm not, so I just enjoyed my fifteen minutes or so snuggled next to him, breathing in his smell.
Oliver has been, without question, the greatest thing to come into my life and Wes's in the last few years. We are both pleased with our respective career paths, proud of our accomplishments, and focused on our futures as professors and researchers, but we are ecstatic about our son. He is, to use the most cliched expression possible, more than we ever dreamed of. I knew growing up that I wanted kids -- several kids, maybe even six of them. When Wes and I got married, I tried to focus on enjoying our life as newlyweds without rushing into parenthood. I definitely got impatient at a point and was ready much sooner than Wes, but all of that melted away when we finally decided to try to conceive and quickly got pregnant with Ollie. My pregnancy was wonderful -- easy and uncomplicated, much like the delivery. Ollie was a pretty easy baby, with the few expected challenges, and despite his developing sense of independence and occasionally defiance, he's more fun each day than the last.
I get scared sometimes when I think about Oliver growing up. I know he will -- all too soon -- stop puckering up his lips for a kiss (a new and delightful development), crawling on me for a hug, and giggling with delight when one of us comes into the room for him. Fortunately, I'm not too focused on that and really do enjoy my moments with him. He is such a joyful child, and his exuberance for life is seriously contagious. It's hard to stay upset with him for long (something Wes and I both have to work on when dealing with his tantrums -- we have to stop ourselves from laughing). He's a social kid, and everyone always comments on his pink cheeks, inquisitive blue eyes, or smile when we go out. Grocery shopping takes twice as long with him, only because we have to stop and talk to every woman (and many men) over sixty who wants to say hello. And I'm all too pleased to do it. I'm popular by way of my son.
Wes and I are really looking forward to the next few years with him -- watching him start to talk (soon we hope!), run, play with other kids, and hopefully -- at some point -- see him become a big brother. I heard someone say once that you have to have kids not for yourselves, but for your children -- to give them a chance to experience life. It's a hard concept. Most of us have kids because it fulfills some need or desire in us. We want to be parents, to have and raise children. We don't think when they're young about those children as independent of us. I do believe, though, that if Oliver's personality stays true to who he is now, he is one who will experience life. He is not a daring child necessarily, but he is curious and watchful and almost always excited for something new.
This week, more than almost any other week of his life, I am thankful for my son.
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