A Hymn To Him

I just wanted to dedicate a post completely to Ethan, because he doesn't get a lot of love when it comes to pictures and posts on this little blog.  It's probably because he doesn't sit still long enough for pictures, or the fact that he's the middle child, or the fact that Elliana and Emsley demand the most attention these days.

The truth is, Ethan makes me smile daily. Actually, several times a day. He is sometimes so serious, and other times as funny as they come.

I often feel like people don't get him as much, or they don't "fall in love" with him as easily as they do/did with our girls. 

I so want to tell people just spend some time alone with him, even an hour or two and you will see why he makes me smile every day.

And so I want to give you a little glimpse of our lives with Ethan James. 

I won't lie, I was terrified when we were expecting baby #2 and discovered we were going to have a boy. I grew up in the girl world. I grew up with 3 sisters and my first born was a girl. I knew what I was doing with girls.

I had no clue what to do with a boy. I knew I was in for a lot of surprises. 

What surprised me most was how quickly I fell in love with him.

His smile. Oh, how I love his smile! His smile is mischievous and wonderful at the same time! He doesn't smile all that often. Not because he isn't a happy boy, but because he's serious, pensive and introverted.

Ethan is ALL BOY in every way. He is full of high energy, extremely curious, loves to run around (naked at times), loves to growl and scream, he loves cars, trains, dinosaurs, balls, sports, Toy Story, etc. If you were to name any cliche thing a boy should love, Ethan loves it.

BUT, what I love just as much is his tender side, which is SO sweet! He won't let me leave him, even for just a few minutes, unless I've given him a hug and kiss goodbye. He is the first to notice when someone from our family is missing (like when Caleb is at work or Ellie is at preschool) and once he notices he'll be the first to say "I miss ______ (whoever is missing)." He is the one that asks me to pray with him and sing "Jesus Loves Me" every night before bed, and as I leave his room every night he never fails to say "I love you Mama."

He is incredibly loyal, almost to a fault. He has a stuffed Winnie The Pooh bear that has to go EVERYWHERE with him. This stuffed bear is DISGUSTING because it has gone everywhere and sleeps with him every night. Ethan won't have any other toy, and believe me, we've tried. He has other favorites, like Toy Story and Elmo and when he gets stuck on something, nothing else will do.

He loves his sisters. SO much! He likes to help with Emsley by giving her toys or sing to her or give her her pacifier when she's upset. He and Elliana can play and laugh with each other for hours. I can't wait to see what he'll be like as a teenager when his sisters start dating. 

In no way is Ethan perfect. When he melts down, he MELTS DOWN! He falls apart quickly. Sometimes he enjoys screaming in Emsley's face to get the response (a crying baby) he expects. Actually, I think he just generally likes to bully his baby sister. He'll often wake her from her naps even though he knows better. Like any toddler he is a challenge when it comes to eating, or sitting still for long periods of time, or well, a lot of things. He likes to push the limits to see what he can get away with.

I'm continually in awe of his love for learning. I know all parents like to brag, but I think he is a bright kid! He already speaks in full sentences, knows all of his letters (upper and lower case), can count to 20 and likes to be challenged by puzzles.

So now you know a little more about the boy. I love him dearly. I'm not afraid of boys any more. They are so much fun! And dare I say it, even easier than girls in some ways.

The only thing I'm afraid of now is watching him grow into a man and having to hand him off to another girl/woman when he's ready to fall in love. She better know how lucky she is. ;)