On the day the little one was born...

Five years ago today, I was in a hospital room in a very cold Jackson, Michigan, on a cloudy, dreary day.  And then, a little bit of sunshine came with the birth of our little B-man.  :)

I was induced into labor on a Monday morning, and after a long day and night, he was born on Tuesday morning with an unplanned and very quick C-section. He got stuck on his way into the world, with his head wedged in what must have been a very uncomfortable and, I'm sure, painful position. With a big goose egg, a scratched up nose and a bit jaundiced, he entered the world looking like he had been in a fight somewhere along the way.  But he was feisty even at the very beginning, and was a healthy 8lbs, 5 oz.  He ate like a pro, but sleep was elusive until he was 2, and even now the boy is restless.

B lived in three States and four homes by the time he was 20 months old. Pair all that moving with the lack of sleep and no wonder I have trouble remembering details from that time period. (Also, no wonder I still can't find a few things - wonder which State I left them in? ha!)

So here's to Grinner 2, some of his quirks, favorites, and things I adore about him:
Favorites:
Food: mac and cheese
Color: dark blue
Thing to do: ride his bicycle  (the boy asked for his training wheels to be removed at the age of 3 1/2!  And then proceeded to ride off down the street!)

Irritations:
Baths, friends who don't share, big brothers (sometimes), and any vegetable that isn't a cooked carrot. He also does not like to be helped. At all. By anyone. With anything. Very independent is this boy.

Lovely quirks:
The way he sticks his tongue out when embarrassed, unsure, excessively happy, very sad, or very tired. The position of his tongue is like a mood ring.

The way he cocks his head, narrows one eye and looks at you kind of sideways when thinking about something. (And yes, we've had his eyes checked to make sure this is a cute quirk rather than an eyesight issue!)

The huge grin and dimples that earned him his nickname - Grinner 2.  (His Dad was nicknamed Grinner when he was little. Such a mini-me!)

The fact that he will still occasionally ask me if he can take a nap after lunch when he's feeling really tired.

The way he 'asks' if he can have something. For example: "I can't have this lollipop, Mom" *Looking at me with semi-hopeful eyes* or "I can't buy a toy, Mom." or "I can't have candy before dinner."  It sounds like a statement, but he will make that statement until I say, "No, you can't" or "Sure, you can!"  :)

We have a low key birthday planned - including a meal of baked chicken strips, mac and cheese (of course), broccoli (for me), and salad (for everyone except B). Also chocolate cake with icing and sprinkles per orders from B.  A birthday party with friends is planned for Saturday.

Watching children grow is such a bittersweet experience - it's so exciting to watch them learn and grow, but it happens so quickly that sometimes I just want them to stay little a bit longer. Luckily my B-man loves to snuggle, hug and kiss this sentimental mommy, so it's all still good. :)