"My Son"

Today Jalen had his first check-up. When I was checking in with the receptionist, I told her the appointment was for "my son." It was the first time I had said those words. It sent a thrill through me and I kept thinking over and over "my son, my son, I have a son." For some reason, saying it out loud made it feel more real. I have always wanted a boy and this little man fills a special place in my heart.

He is gaining weight quickly. He was born 8 lbs. 3 oz. and now weighs 9 lbs. 8.5 oz. He was 21 inches at birth and is now 22 inches. I hope he keeps growing and becomes a great athlete. He'll probably be his father's son and become a great piano player instead. Maybe we'll both get lucky and have a David Robinson (for you non sports fans, he was a concert pianist who played professional basketball for the San Antonio Spurs - and was a graduate of the Naval academy).

There are also some concerns since he has a hematoma on his head from delivery, has a heart murmur and one of his hip sockets hasn't fully formed. We'll have to go back in two weeks to see if these things are correcting themselves. We hope for the best.

Baylie is still doing good, but has needed some extra cuddling lately. I think we're going to modify her crib into a daybed so she feels like a big girl. She mimics everything we do, which is cute but a little bit humbling (i.e. don't say "crap" in front of your kids).

As for me, I've decided to let my gray hair grow out and not color it. I'm hoping it will be white like my Grandpa's was and not dingy gray. We'll see. Wish me well as I'm sure people will tell me how cute my grandchildren are (I've already had a couple people assume Baylie was my granddaughter instead of my daughter. Sigh.)