My Baby!

Well, my first born is 4 years old today. He had an interesting 4th year. The following is a bit of what he experienced being 3.

*moved from an apartment in the Friars' apostolic center Casa Guadalupe, Comayagua, Honduras to an apartment of Opa and Oma's house, Fredericksburg, Texas, and then to a house in the Big Apple.

*climbed Enchanted Rock, Texas, as well as some hills near the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Colorado.

*road in a pantoon boat around Lake Livingston and in a huge touring boat around the island of Manhattan and floated down the Llano River in an inner tube with his daddy.

*stuck various things up his nose including a piece of glue (the hot glue gun kind), a green M&M, a piece of paint he scraped off the wall, and a tiny screw from Uncle Fr. Brian's bicycle. I thought he would have stopped after the first one since it entailed Uncle Brent and myself “surgically” removing the piece of glue.

*developed an neurosis/psychosis (not sure which) which leads him to run and “hide” whenever someone enters the room he's in, comes down/up the stairs to the floor he's on, or opens the front door. It all started when I told the boys to hide so we could surprise Daddy on his birthday. Now he can't stop himself...I've tried to stop the habit by ignoring him, telling him “Don't hide!,” or punishing him when he does it. But none have worked. The main reason I want him to stop is because it's dangerous, since he literally jumps up and runs under the nearest table and has several times knocked over Emmanuel on the way, or wacked himself in the head as he goes to the table or door. He'll outgrow it eventually, right?

*saw his baby sister only minutes after she was born at home and has since learned how to make her laugh and fetch her toys when she starts to fuss.

We've had a fun and blessed year with our "little baby" and look forward to so many more. God is so good to give us His children as loans here on this earth to help us grow in virtue, most especially selflessness, patience, and compassion, so that one day we may all rejoice in Heaven with Him.