The Second Blessing.
Making the decision to have a child-it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. – Elizabeth Stone
This morning I saw this quote posted on a friends’ Facebook page. I felt its truth in a hundred different ways.
Today it struck me deeply because 15 years ago I gave birth to child #2.
Slightly less than 18 months after the birth of my first son, God graced me with another little boy.
Since he is not publicly on social media and prefers his privacy, there is not much I can share except that I think that he is amazing.
Yes, I’m biased.
But that’s okay.
Everybody needs a cheerleader in their corner and I will always champion my children.
You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they’ll turn out to be heroes, even if it’s just in your own eyes. ~Walter M. Schirra, Sr.
I laugh and tell everyone that he named himself.
He does not believe this.
But I picked the name Reed, which it turns out means “red-haired”. My husband didn’t want to pick this name because he might not be a redhead (our first son was a complete towhead for his first 6+ years). We didn’t choose this name but ended up with a name from a similar heritage that had never entered my mind prior to choosing it.
I say he picked it.
But…guess what?!
He is a redhead!
He got his dad’s green eyes (and supposedly his IQ. However, I like to claim that one!)
He is so many things.
Intelligent….adventuresome…. and one of the precious lives that I have been lucky enough to see changing and growing daily.
You are braver than you believe, Stronger than you seem, Smarter than you think, And loved more than you’ll ever know. -A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh
I still can’t believe that 15 years have flown by.
Some days it seems like I blinked and here we are.
From nightly dances with legs around my hip to me looking skyward just to be able to see your smile.
From waking up to my bed filled by you and your siblings to waking you from a deep slumber at noon.
From a time that I thought would never end to the days looming on the horizon when you will spring from my nest and I will hope that we have given you all the necessary skills to be successful in that journey.
Someday when the pages of my life end, I know that you will be one of its most beautiful chapters- Unknown
Little boys should never be sent to bed. They always wake up a day older. -Peter Pan
Today, a day older.
Today, a day closer to a man.
My mother’s heart is overwhelmed.
Always my children.
Always my loves.
But always growing closer to the day when they will venture out on their own.
….and she loved the little boy very, very much- even more than she loved herself. -Shel Silverstein, The Giving Tree
That’s what this is about though.
This circle of life.
Loving them.
Growing them.
Sending them.
I’ll love you forever
I’ll like you for always
As long as I’m living
My baby you’ll be. – Robert Munsch, Love You Forever
Let your light shine!
Amy
Oh, how I can relate to this one! My oldest son is about to turn 14, and I am sitting here, marveling at what a marvelous young man he is turning into, while also wondering how on earth time has passed so quickly!
They always warn you that this is how it will be, but in the daily grind of life it’s easy to forget how quickly the time is passing!!
I loved reading this post. My kids are my world so I could totally identify with what you were saying. Some days I could cry because I wish they were babies again – safe and little. However they are not. Time goes by so fast when you look back. From one mom to another 🙂
Thank you 🙂 The days do go rushing by and you can’t believe they once were tiny!
This post literally made me cry…so beautiful. My son is 20 and it’s so weird to look at a man yet still my baby in there. It’s a very strange thing. I love you forever was read a million times in this house. <3
Shared this in my Posts of Note today. <3
I can’t even count the number of times I read that story, singing the poem part and choking up before the end of the book each time!! I gave a copy to some of my friends who had boys because it is so beautiful!
They’ll always be our babies!
Beautiful post! I can relate so well… my two little girls grew up way too fast! I keep wondering how they can already be in their 20s? My sweet babies forever 🙂 Time just races. Take care, Jenny
Thanks so much! They do just keep growing, no matter how much we want to slow down time! -Amy 🙂
I know! I used to tell my girls maybe I should put a brick on their heads to make them stop growing! Obviously, I was kidding, but that’s how I felt. It was going way too fast! 🙂
Hi! I came over from Nikki’s blog- AKinderWay. 🙂
This is a beautiful post…I also have a 5-year old daughter who recently celebrated her birthday. I always tell her that she will always be my baby even when she grows up. 🙂
Thanks for coming over! And I’m glad that you enjoyed the post. Our children will always be our babies. I should know this since I am still my parents’ baby, but it still takes my breath away when I see mine growing up. -Amy
Right…I think we’ll always going to have that feeling…even when they will have their own babies too ☺
Oh Amy, this is marvelous. Your love for your children just shines through. That touched my heart. 💜
Many blessings,
Debbie
Thank you so much for your kind words!! 🙂 -Amy
💜
I remember the day you found out you were going to have another boy, the joy of seeing him when he was only several minutes old and holding him in our arms. He has always been a pride and joy in our lives and we are so proud to call him our grandson. He is growing up so fast and just like that he is not the little boy anymore but a young man, and a young man that you can be proud of. I hope he has a great birthday. Nana & Papa
Tears… xoxo
A powerful post Amy…
Galen
Thank you so much Galen 🙂 -Amy
Oh, this post is so sweet it made me teary eyed. Your quotes are on point. I am a mother of sons so they resonate deeply with me.
Thank you. I loved those quotes as well. Our children grow up way to fast.
This is such a heartfelt and beautiful post. Tears, as I can relate, even though our eldest is only 12 it still feels like the years are going by so quickly, and it won’t be that long until they are fully grown and I can imagine that this will start to feel very real soon.
It happens in the blink of an eye. Sure there are some hard, long days, but it really does fly by!
A lovely post 🙂 What a great tribute 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂 -Amy
I have two daughters, one of 16, and one now twenty! So proud that they have grown up to be such lovely young women. Must have been doing something right! Children certainly bring us great joy. It must be lovely to have sons too.
It is interesting seeing the differences between sons and daughters with having both. They brings lots of love and excitement, that’s for sure! 🙂
Definitely! 🙂
PERFECTION
Thank you! 🙂
This pinged a heart string or two. My first born is a man now with one son and another on the way. I miss my baby but I get that baby again with his…but it will never be the same.
It will be an interesting transition when I get to that point. They grow so fast!
Take your time! The first grandson told me he is going to a dance soon…with a girl! Nana is not ready for this!!!! 😉