Ten!
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, September 04, 2008 1:43 PM
Today is the birthday of my second son, Elliott (that’s him at the top of the chain there). Ten years ago today, Elliott flew into our lives, his fiery red hair matched only by his fiery personality.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Elliott’s first years—I don’t remember a lot about them in some ways, but in some ways I remember it all so clearly.
Elliott was one of those babies—I often described him as “high-strung.” He was not a collicky baby, just a baby who needed things to be just so in order to be happy. Elliott was annoyed easily, he tired easily. He got overwhelmed and scared much quicker than his brothers. Elliott had chronic ear infections (which probably explains just about all of the above); my mom once tallied how many infections he had by the time he was two and it was a number so high I still get teary-eyed when I think of it. He had tubes in his ears twice before he was a year old.
Elliott was just three-years-old when I had baby boy no. 4. Those were tough years in many ways, but I do remember thinking (and on particularly rough days telling others) that of my four boys, Elliott took up about 60 percent of my energy and the other three split the difference.
Why am I telling you all this? How in the world does this possibly honor my sweet son on his special day? I tell you to encourage you.
If you are currently living with a fussy baby or a difficult toddler, there is hope. What seems like a never-ending season will indeed one day be over. The child that today may be driving you to tears on a daily (or hourly) basis will not always be this way. Trust me. I have lived this.
Now, after those tough early years, Elliott is an incredible delight. This son of mine brings me such joy. He is (mostly) even-keeled. He is thoughtful and sensitive and kind. He is the boy who consistently asks how I am feeling, who kisses me every single time he greets me. He cares for his brothers and is my go-to boy for taking care of Henry.
Back when he was a baby and a toddler, I could not have predicted that things would turn out so well.
I have always loved this boy, of course, but I am especially proud to see how far he has come.
Print Blog
Email a FriendPost a Comment
By submitting this form, you give Faith And Family Magazine permission to publish this comment. Comments will be published at our discretion, and may be edited for clarity and length. For best formatting, please limit your response to one paragraph and don't hit "enter" to force line breaks.
