Tomorrow my first and oldest baby will turn 5 years old. I literally do not know how that is possible. Tonight I laid with him at bedtime and we talked about the exciting weekend we have planned to celebrate him. Then in one swift movement he turned towards me, put his arm around me, and dozed off. I remember wanting so badly to be a mom that I couldn’t function. The months of negative pregnancy tests, lying in bed crying with Liz, and resolving to try again because it wasn’t yet our time. And then finally, a positive pregnancy test followed by more tears, just joyful ones instead of heartache. 40 weeks and 5 days later this little man came into our lives with the famous Bisland scowl on his face and changed the entire landscape of my life. I have tried to describe this extreme change to people before and it’s almost impossible to put it into words. But it’s true…EVERYTHING changes…your view of the world, your place in that world, mortality, and everything you thought was ‘important’ before.
Watching him grow up has been tough but extremely rewarding. It’s tough because time seems to pass in dog years when you are a parent. But on the flip side, watching this little person grow into who he is becoming has been so unbelievably cool. Liz and I used to call him our 3rd best friend because we dragged him around everywhere with us. He was a regular fixture on the sidelines at our flag football games in Baltimore and then at Claddaugh’s Pub with us after the game. I can prove it. Here’s a picture of him napping in his stroller in the corner.
Liz and I coined the phrase ‘double mommy kiss’ with him. We would each kiss one of his cheeks and say, double mommy kiss. Now he says, um, mommy’s, I think I might need a double mommy kiss. I’m sure Freud would have a field day with this one and I’ll save this post for his future therapy sessions. LOL!
McKay is of sweet but stubborn and determined, confident but sensitive, intense and competitive but incredibly funny. He has a secret toy drawer where he stashes his most precious toys. The problem being that he doesn’t actually play with them. We have a running joke that he’s a hoarder…he’s in on it and even calls it his hoarding drawer and giggles after he stashes something there for ‘safekeeping’. He’ll say something like “Mommy, I just put something somewhere…” and we all know what he’s talking about. He and Liz have an ongoing battle with the hoarding drawer which usually results in tears. I remember when I was younger being teased about keeping my 1st communion money…I was frugal even when little. I had a spot I kept the money in and I would check it at regular intervals but never spend it. I know, apples and trees. Gabe will have to show him how to loosen up a bit and enjoy his life…just as Liz has helped me do. And believe me, McKay will be a positive influence on Gabe!
He’s a ravenous eater but he isn’t a chicken nugget/French fry kid. We can’t even get him to eat that stuff when we are on a road trip and we just need to put calories into his belly. We typically have to order off of the adult menu for him and can rarely talk him into a restaurant if calamari are not on the menu. His favorite foods are steak and pizza, he can eat his weight in fruit, and he’s completely obsessed with anything that has sugar in it.
He’s can be the sweetest big brother. Don’t get me wrong, they are like any pair of brothers and fight like cats and dogs but he’s genuinely happy and prideful to help his brother learn his letters, turn on the bathroom light when he’s scared, or let him play with his hair. He can make friends with literally anyone and seeks out friends at the park, at school, at the pool, or wherever he is. He’s a natural leader so much so that when his teacher started assigning jobs to the kids in the class this year she kept him as the leader for two weeks straight because he was teaching all the kids how to do it right. I know you are probably reading this and rolling your eyes…yeah, every mom thinks her kid is naturally take charge, confident, etc…but he has ‘grown up’ so much this year and his social confidence has surprised me. For a kid who has been put into a different daycare or school setting every year of his life he completely embraced California and his new school. He is in a Jewish pre-school and he’s totally into all of the holidays, traditions, and values. He’s educating his two mommies who were raised Catholic and are completely clueless about Judaism. His Thanksgiving project that’s hanging in the hallway at school says, “I’m thankful for my family, my teachers, and God” – McKay. Proud mommy moment noted.
Every night I’m home I get to snuggle with him. He normally comes into our bed during the middle of the night or early in the morning and my side is closest to the door. He pulls himself close into me and snuggles up. I know he won’t always climb into bed with us but for now I’m eating it up and not taking it for granted. Again, I’m sorry to whomever McKay falls in love with in the future…it’s our fault #canwesnugglemore #twomoms
There will always be something incredibly special about this boy, after all, he was the one who made me a mom. He is the one who changed everything the moment he came out of my belly and was laid on my chest. Oh my God, I thought, the whole world was exactly as it should be in this very moment. Happy 5th Birthday Mr. Man! If I die tomorrow I know that you are hands down the greatest thing I’ve ever done.
