My Boy Turns 2

December 20, 2014

My Boy Turns 2

Many people celebrate the birth of a special baby boy in December. It's a grand celebration, with lots of bright lights, festivities and gift giving.

But there's a December birthday that I hold even more dear to my heart, because it's the day my heart grew more than I ever thought possible, the day my second child came into my life.

It's been a swift 2 years since that day, but of course it's one I'll never forget. A scheduled induction, my doctor (and friend) there to deliver the baby whose gender would be a surprise. It's no secret we all wanted a boy. A boy to even things out, to carry on a name, to fulfill to his father's dream, to complete the ideal picture that had been brewing in my head since a very young age.

I'm afraid my special child won't always get the celebration he deserves on his birthday. And I'll always feel some guilt that my daughter gets the big party, elaborate theme, amazing cake, that we celebrate for an entire month because, on her actual birthday she'll probably always be on the beach, building sandcastles and splashing through waves with beloved cousins.

Nope, on his birthday, Collier will be toted along on errands (or worse, taken to get a tortuous haircut), he'll get joint Christmas/birthday gifts (let's not go too crazy now because Santa's coming in a few days) and if he's lucky enough to have a family gathering at the house, the main dish will most likely always be something similar to Stouffer's lasagna (and that's if his mom thinks to look at the heating instructions at least 2 hours before…otherwise it's take-out). But there will always be cake.

(photo bomb)

There are so many things about this child at this age that I want to remember forever. I know that the days and weeks go by faster and faster each month and I've seen how quickly my daughter turned into a little girl, so I'm afraid of forgetting the way he talks, the things he says, the precious soft baby skin that I can still snuggle up to.

Well, lucky for me, that's what this whole blog is for.

Now that my baby is transforming quickly into a little boy, I'm really understanding who he is becoming. I love his gentle, sweet nature. He is (often) kind and patient and I can see that in the way he handles begin a little brother.

But the best way I can describe Collier is passionate. I used to call it stubborn or strong-willed. Sometimes I call it exhausting and it is often challenging. But this passion is also what keeps me endlessly amused. Collier's motto could be "go big or go home"…in everything he does, he goes all out.

Collier is passionate about food. He has been known to have a voracious appetite, but he is also my most picky eater in the family. He eats what he loves, and he loves what he eats. He is passionate about blueberries and cheese, and a few other foods, but those are the big ones. I am certain he could win a contest in consuming either of those foods in record time.

In relation to the first passion, he's also passionate about pooping. He does it a lot. But apparently that's just normal for the male species.

Collier has always been passionate about his pacis. From day one when I first let him suck on that thing, there was no turning back. Big sis was also a paci lover, but nothing quite compares to this boy. I started my rule of pacis only in the crib at 6 months old. Collier would sometimes do whatever necessary to get to the pacis. He still cries for his paci in the car throughout the day, even though he knows the only chance in getting one is nap time or bedtime.

Collier is passionate about his trucks. I always heard about the boys and their trucks, but wowzers, seeing is believing. The kid is obsessed. Firetrucks, buses, cars, planes, trains, dump trucks, taxis, excavators, tow trucks, combines, tractors, ambulances, police cars…I mean you name it and he lives for it. We "read" the same truck books over and over (if reading includes pointing at picture books). He pushes his trucks around, carries them everywhere and sometimes cries when he has to part with them at bedtime. We talk about them everywhere we go. Even while driving around town without him, I catch myself yelling out, "school bus!" or making siren noises when I see a firetruck.

Collier is passionate about his people. He went through an extreme mommy phase during the better half of his life. He was very attached. Cried when we were separated, then when reunited, he'd run to greet me as if he'd just been let out of prison. Today Collier is in an extreme Daddy phase. When dad's not around he'll put up with mom, but still cries for him the second mommy has to torture him with a diaper change or teeth brushing. And usually when we're both at home, he'll run from me like the plague, into daddy's arms, saying "no mommy! no mommy!" I have to admit, it's pretty amusing...on those days I'm quite productive!

He's always been such a lover, hence the word passion came to mind quickly. He learned to blow kisses at an early age, he loves to settle into laps, rest his head on your shoulder, and he's super snuggly.

Collier is extreme when it comes to the things he hates and the things he loves. He hates the doctor and has an extreme ear sensitivity. Ear infections are a nightmare to diagnose and when we finally scheduled a visit with the ENT to get severely impacted earwax removed, it was a horrific experience. His pediatrician told me he'd rather give a child a spinal tap than look into my son's ears! He also hates to get a haircut. Somehow I cut his hair this first year, and now that it's thicker and he's hard to keep still, we take him to the pros…where he clings onto me and screams. I end up holding him and it's a miracle we both get away without scissor wounds. And a few hours ago we added Santa to the list of things he passionately dislikes.

This sweet thing has many other ways of showing his passion and I'm learning about them more and more each day.

How could this kid hate anything?!

Collier also has great passion for the older men in his life, his grandfathers. He is drawn to both of these special men and I see it every time they're together. I think the feeling is mutual.

Granddaddy and Collier