happy birthday to the boy

nine years ago today the hubs and i were on our way to the hospital for a scheduled c-section to deliver the boy, my last baby. (it was a scheduled thing because the girl's delivery was....horrific? and ended in an emergency c-section).

we knew he was going to be a boy; we picked this day, oct. 28 because it was my maternal grandma's bday. i think his due date was actually sometime next week.

this delivery was so very different from the girl's. i was lucid the whole time, because it literally took a matter of minutes it seems. i talked to the doctors during the surgery, the hubs was in there with me, as he was w/ the girl, and voila at 11:21 am ben came into our lives. he was 9 lbs 7 oz and 21" (exactly the same as heidi).

i fell in love instantly.

aside from the fact that we didn't have the health issues w/ ben that we did w/ heidi, i think the second time around we were much more laid back about the whole thing.

heidi openly loved her brother back then (and she still does, it's just not as obvious) and initially the only problem was that he had a pacy and we were working hard to get her to give her's up, though she didn't take it as much at that point. she wanted us to call her benny's sissy (we called him benny until a few years ago when he decided he was way too old for that).

and now he's 9. he's taking guitar lessons and growing his hair out. he is so much like the little boy i imagine the hubs was. he's kind and thoughtful and happy. he's tenacious like his dad and has an empathetic soul (like his dad, who of course would deny it). he's artistic and loves music, like me. but, he has the ability to be a much much better artist than i ever thought about if he keeps it up. he struggles with math (like me) but he shows no fear and no pain (like the hubs). he loves babies and nurturing; he's a pig--seriously, he is the messiest kid i've ever known; he's friendly and outgoing and loves to make people laugh. he's a momma's boy, though he's been pulling away from me as he gets older, seeking out the male bonding w/ the hubs instead. it's ok, i know it's part of growing up, but even he tells me he will always be my baby.