every mother's dream

It was his 9th birthday last week and the boy we thought would never talk couldn't stop saying "HAPpy BOOday, HAPpy BOOday". This year, the year he was eight, he learned how to say his name, ("Way-yun") and how old he is was ("Ett" No Waylon, you're nine now! "Ett". Agggghhh). He even learned his birthday ("Decembuh Tenny-Sedden"). And he was so excited for Christmas, walking around the tree every night repeating "Pesents? No pesents til Kissmus!" 

I used to freak out about his birthday. I hated the number increasing with lightspeed each year while his developmental age crept along at a snail's pace. "He's growing up too fast" I'd say, so cliche on the outside, but panicking on the inside. Time is running out! He has so much to learn! Where will he live? Who will take care of him?

I laid all these feelings out at a support group meeting a couple of months ago. Most of the parents said they share these feelings too, but for the sake of their sanity, they have put these worries to rest. Live in the moment, they said. Enjoy it.

So, while I will never truly stop worrying about and planning for Waylon's future, on his ninth birthday I decided to enjoy it. And we had so. much. fun. From the look on his face when the piñata burst to his bashful face when we sang Happy Birthday, I could see how lucky I really am- because I have every mother's dream. While my other children are "growing up too fast", Waylon is not. He's growing up perfectly.

I wanted to get him the life size plush Mickey Mouse I saw in a Black Friday ad. Travis said, "It's almost his 9th birthday. You're not buying him a Mickey Mouse."

He would've totally loved that Mickey Mouse, almost as much as I would've loved snuggling him with it. But I must admit-
I think I've loved teaching this big guy how to play Xbox even more.