* artwork done in 2004, by Thomas, 4 years old
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Ten years ago, Mike and I were madly preparing for the birth of our first baby. We were painting and putting up wallpaper borders and assembling baby furniture and hanging cute matchy-matchy decorative items all around the nursery. Well, Mike was doing all that stuff (except for the matchy-matchy part) because I was too HUGE, too tired and too absent-minded to help. I was busy researching what to eat, what kind of car seat to buy, what kind of stroller worked best... and washing and folding teeny, tiny baby clothes.
<sigh> That seems like a long time ago.
Today, my firstborn, Thomas, is growing taller and bigger each day. The top of his head is level with the bottom of my nose. His feet are the same size as mine, something that came in really handy yesterday when I was out on my own, shopping for a pair of Crocs for him. He can run almost as fast as I can (or maybe faster!) for the first 25 metres of a race. Yes, he's definitely growing up. :)
Physical changes aside, I am even more impressed by all the growing up he's doing on the inside. He is definitely a work in progress, like most of us are for our entire lives, but I'm really enjoying the person he's becoming. Apparently, he is very polite and well-behaved when he's outside our home, and every now and then, I get a glimpse of that sensitivity and thoughtfulness that people keep telling me about. He doesn't agree with everything I say or do, but he's getting better at expressing his opinions or desires without blowing up. His ability to concentrate is getting better, especially when it comes to things he loves, like reading on his own or playing tennis. He's even getting better at getting along with his brother, although that's something that requires the efforts of two people, not just him. lol! Seriously though, this is all really big stuff for my guy.
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Today, my almost 10-year old boy reached another milestone. He lost his first molar. Wow! It's one thing to have your kid losing those front teeth... kids are still little when they do that. But to start losing those big teeth... somehow, that makes him seem so much older. I'm not sure I'm ready!
Then again, pictures like this make me think I don't have to worry about him growing up too fast any time soon. :P