Happy 9th Birthday!

Today, DS#2 turns nine! I remember going to the doctor on the morning of Friday, June 18, 1999. I was 38 1/2 weeks pregnant and on my exam the week before I was dilated to 4 cm. That day I was hoping that my doctor would put me in the hospital and induce me. Well, I was at 5 cm, so she decided to do just that, but the hospital was full and we didn't go in until 3PM. I could only have clear liquids until then and I was SO hungry! Jello never tasted so good! We didn't get into a room until 4:30PM. I had felt some non-painful contractions starting around 3PMish. When the doctor examined me at about 4:45PM, I was at 6 cm just before she broke my bag of water. The nurse didn't start the Pitocin until around 5:30PM. The contractions started hurting soon after that, and I had DS#2 at 7:34PM without ANY pain medications. That wasn't exactly done on purpose, and boy, did I feel every bit of that 8 pound 11 ounce, 22 inch body coming out, especially that big ole head!

Today, DS provides DH and me a lot of happiness mixed in with a little frustration. You see, DS is like an open book. He calls it like he sees it. Sometimes, that info comes out at us very rough and unfiltered. In other words, sometimes what he says seems a bit rude and disrespectful, but he doesn't usually mean to offend. As I stated before, he just calls it like he sees it. That's when he actually talks. Often, he has trouble expressing himself verbally whether it's out loud or in writing. DH and I are trying to help him with at least the writing part of that this summer, but that belongs in another blog entry. He is also like many 9 year olds in that he doesn't listen to instructions very well. He tends to be stuck in his own reality, whether it's in the video game he is playing, the TV program he is watching, or even the book that he is reading.

At least in the last year or so, DS#2 has developed a firmer grasp on what activities he enjoys. He loves playing more competitive soccer in the same club that DS#1 plays. He has continued with Cub Scouts and really seems to enjoy all the scout activities. He enjoys the camping, the skills teaching, and even won the Pinewood Derby for his den this year. He also, like many boys his age, loves video games and has been logging in lots of playing time on the Nintendo Wii (his favorite) and his brand-new Nintendo DS. DS#2 enjoys games of all types, whether it is board games, laser tag, or simply playing in the pool. However, despite being a social animal that likes to be around others, he is still very shy.

Speaking of social, DS#2 still claims he does not like girls. He wouldn't even watch the female American Idol contestants. The girl that liked him three years ago is still fond of him, but he claims that he doesn't care. He grumbles and turns away from kisses on TV, and flees from kisses and hugs from me, at least in public. I can usually "bribe" him to let me kiss him in public, or better yet, "bribe" him to kiss ME in public. The latter occurs when he wants me to get him a shake at one of the local ice cream shops (yes, he loves shakes that much). He knows now THAT is my price. ;-) At night he still wants his parents to sing to him before bedtime, and he lets me hug and kiss him then. Last night, without any prompting, he even told me, "I love you, Mama" as I left his bedroom. I think that just summarizes what DS#2 is all about. He is still my cuddly child, but he's trying to grow up. Happy Birthday, Baby Boy! :)