Today Mason turns three. I can't believe he is three already yet, at the same time I can't remember life without him in our family.
My pregnancy with Mason was a trying one. My water broke and Dan rushed me to the hospital when I was four months along. My doctor told me I was probably going to deliver the baby and the outcome would be grim. To say the least we were terrified! It turned out that there was a small high leak which had the possibility of sealing back up if I stayed completely still. I was put on bed rest for the remaining 5 months of the pregnancy. I didn't know how on earth I was going to be able to be on bed rest for that long with 4 kids to take care of ages 2 - 7. It's amazing to look back and see the different ways things happened and worked out.
On the days I thought I was going to go crazy, I had to constantly remember my mom's advice to me, "other people can take care of your kids, your house or whatever needs to be done. You, Wendi, are the only person who can take care of that baby and you have to stay down to do it!" Talk about motivation! She wasn't kidding either, we had so much help! My mom came out to help almost daily, my dad came and took the kids to school almost every day, friends brought meals in, my good friend Theresia McMorris came over on many occasions and took my kids on fun outings for hours at a time, my mother-in-law and my sister Evi came to clean my house. These of course are just a few of the people who helped. It just wouldn't be possible to name everybody who helped or everything that was done for us. I know that I couldn't have stayed down if it weren't for all of the help we received. I am still amazed and so grateful!!
Mason has had some physical struggles over the first three years. There have been weekly visits to physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. He is progressing though and has been able to stop the O.T. He has always been such a good and happy kid. He smiles all of the time, really, he does!
I've had so many different thoughts and feelings since Mason was born. Especially over the past year. I knew he was going to be our last child and part of me was really looking forward to getting rid of the baby basics that have been around our home for so long (stroller, crib, highchair etc.) I was excited to get these items out of my house and start the next phase of our life, the phase where you focus more on raising kids instead of having babies and toddlers. While it has definitely been good getting rid of the baby stuff, and I am enjoying this new phase of life, I also find myself on some days wanting to just dig my heels in and force time to stand still. I find myself just staring at him and his chubby little hands and feet, that will soon loose their innocence as they morph into little boy hands and feet. I get teary when I see him get so excited and happy, the way only toddlers do, over the simplest of things. I hang onto every cute little thing he says or does, things I've seen done four other times, but things I still enjoy as if I were seeing it for the first time. I find myself holding onto him a little tighter and a little longer when he wraps his tiny little arms around my neck. There is some definite spoiling going on over here. Not for the sake of over indulging him or giving him what he wants, but rather, for my sake. For the sake of just trying to hang onto these precious years that go by too quickly.
My three favorite things about Mason at this age are:
1. He constantly cracks himself up! When he does or sees something he thinks is funny, he full on belly laughs to the point of loosing his breath. It's so fun to watch!
2. He clearly finds comfort in resting his little face on my cheek. He will come up to me at any random time of the day and want to just hug me and press his cheek next to mine. He will want to stay like that for quite a while too. If I'm not holding still, he will grab my face and hold it in his hands with our cheeks pressed together. I absolutely LOVE it!
3. Mason's smile. Mason has always been a thumb sucker and because of this he has developed some "rabbit teeth". We thought they were called "bucked teeth" but we were informed by his nursery leader one day that they were too cute to be "bucked teeth", she called them "rabbit teeth". He flashes his huge toothy grin at people all of the time. I have gotten so many comments about Mason being such a smiley kid. It's so fun to see him make people smile just in response to him smiling at them.
4. I know I said three, but we'll just call this the "one to grow on". Mason loves to watch movies. His current obsessions are Mary Poppins, The Grinch (with Jim Carey) and Hocus Pocus. He LOVES these movies and will rattle off a long quote from one of them quite often! We find ourselves laughing hysterically at least a few times a day because of Mason's spontaneous outbursts of either quotes or reenactments from his favorite movies.
So, today I say good-bye to the Terrible Two's, that really never were terrible, and hello to the Terrific Three's. I love being a mom and I do love watching my children grow. I love these few short years when a child thinks his parents are his heroes! I'm looking forward to having a couple of more years with Mason all to myself, at home during the day for some one-on-one time while the others kids are at school.
Mason, you have sure been a blessing to our family. We love you more than you could ever know!
