There aren’t many times that he’s not by my side. He’s been like that since day one. Of course I thought it would always taper off, but so far that doesn’t seem to be the case. Last week when he was sick, he wouldn’t let me go more than a few inches away from him. The closeness of me next to him gave him comfort in his time of need. As I write this he’s sitting next to me and grabbing my face and kissing it. He’s affectionate and needy and incredibly challenging. But he’s my little boy. And today he is three.
I never thought that a baby’s personality could come through while they are still in the womb, but looking back at my pregnancy with Macks, he definitely gave us a preview on what was to come. He’s always been my most challenging child. Even three years in, I can never predict how my day will be with him. He’s my wild card. It’s him that I can thank for making things interesting.
At three, he’s still in diapers, still in his crib, still cries on most days when I drop him off at preschool, and still ends up in our bed at some point during the night. But that’s Macks. He’s in no hurry to grow up and embraces being the baby of the family. And perhaps that’s one of the things that I love about him the most. He does things his own way no matter what others say to him or about him. Just as my OB said three years ago that he’d come early just like the girls did, he proved her wrong. He’s been doing it from the very beginning.
While Macks likes to do things his way and in his own time, those include his hugs, kisses, and “I love you.” He loves to show his love and he doesn’t care who knows it. When Macks likes you, he’ll let you know. Just the other day as I was picking him up from school he told me that his teacher told him he couldn’t kiss his friends in class. I laughed at the statement. He’s never heard that you can be too affectionate.
Macks and I spend two mornings together while the girls are in school. Most of those days I try to take him on dates (which usually just include grabbing a muffin and milk for breakfast,) but all he cares about is being with me. He’ll go out of his way to sit on my lap while he’s eating the muffin, or make sure that he’s holding my hand while we’re ordering. He just wants to know that I’m there. He’s clingy. And I know that. But even when I just need a minute to myself, I remind myself that he won’t be like this forever. I’m so blatantly aware of how quickly these past three years have passed. And perhaps it’s because there hasn’t been another baby born after Macks was. But it’s not me to embrace each stage. And not just with him, with the girls too. Take the good with the bad, because 10 years from now I know I’ll look back and the bad won’t be so bad after all.
So for now my clingy and affectionate little boy is affectionately known as my sidekick. And I’ve been able to relish in his cuddles, kisses, and hugs for the past three years. And I cannot wait to do the same for many many more.
Happy Birthday Macks.
