Grateful for 'P'arker

P is for Parker

You had to see this one coming, right? My little helper! He's a joy and a half. He's also a ton of work. Six months of bedrest to some hiccups at birth to a challenging first couple of years to a busy little boy leaves a very tired but grateful mama writing a post on her littlest boy.

I always tell people who are not sure if they are going to have more kids that you will know when your family is complete. Before Parker we had two healthy kids. A beautiful and happy girl and a sweet handsome boy. Our first few years were busy with them being under a year apart. We didn't rule out other children but we didn't have much energy to consider adding more to our plate either. And then, at just about the same time, we thought perhaps our family had room for one more. After he was born we had a wonderful feeling of wholeness and we were assured that our family was complete.

He is the baby of our brood, but don't tell him that. He has that 'can do' attitude and holds his own with the big kids. I find myself finally (as I emerge from the fog of the past few years) savoring his rites of passage a little longer. He is, afterall, the baby. With my older kids, I celebrate and embrace these moments. With Parker, I realize he is the last to share them with us and they are so sweet.

He, on the other hand, has some hyped up agenda to get through as much as he can as fast as can (which must explain why he hasn't ever felt the need to sleep like a normal human). Somewhere along the way, we reconcile his sweet transition to a preschooler...and beyond.

I am so very grateful for all that he has brought out in our family. The completeness we all feel and the appreciation we have for his life. There were many moments where we weren't guaranteed anything and that lesson is not lost on me.