I'm a little late on this, but I couldn't let pass this opportunity to write a birthday tribute to my beloved middle son. Paul turned 6 on Dec. 6. It sounds cliche, but it truly does feel like just yesterday that I was pregnant out to there (I gained a whopping 45 pounds with Paul!) and the doctor told me I would be induced the next day.
Excitement kept me from sleeping much the night before my induction. Lucky for me, the birth went incredibly smoothly. When I first laid eyes upon my boy, I couldn't believe how big he looked, hence the enormous belly, I suppose. When the nurse weighed him, at first glance I missed seeing the 8 pounds before the 11 ounces and thought for one alarmed moment that I'd given birth to an 11-pound baby!
Paul is one of those people who still looks much like he did as a newborn, as perhaps you can see in the photos above. He has these big, expressive eyes. Of course, I fell in love instantly. Paul was a mellow and easy baby, a delight in every way. I took easily to becoming a mother of two, finding motherhood much easier the second time around thanks to having much more realistic expectations after the first time around.
Over time, of course, Paul's personality rounded out a bit. Alas, he developed his own set of quirks, but if anything I love him all the more for everything that makes him who he is. Paul is the the quintessential middle child, sandwiched between an older brother who's a standout in many ways and a younger brother with a larger-than-life personality. Nevertheless, Paul has managed to carve out his own special niche in our family.
Paul has the best imagination. When an idea takes him over, his whole face lights up. Whether he's talking to a new stuffed animal and taking it on a tour of our house, or picturing what it would be like to pet a baby sea turtle, he throws himself in heart and soul.
When I watch Paul, I'm overtaken with joy wondering what each of my children will become. He is happiest when he's perched at the table with his box of crayons and markers, creating an endless stream of pictures.
Paul once said, "Ben is the biggest, Gus is the smallest, and I'm the middlest." So true. Paul, you're the bestest middlest boy in the world, and I simply adore you.
2 comments:
I adore that last line there, "I'm the middlest". What a cutie pie - I'll have to use that in conversation someday since I'm the middle child as well.
I can't really tell with Gus yet, but most definitely when I see the older boys, Ben=Mark and Paulie=YOU. Don't you agree, Paul is definitely a Ceman? Has those eyes. :)
It's funny. It's hard for me to see those similarities sometimes, but everyone says Ben looks like Mark, so it must be true. I do see it with me and Paul for sure. He looks like my brothers when they were younger. Gus is kind of a mix right now, though he tends to look more like Ben. :)
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