Unexpected realisation

Granny and Bumpa brought our firstborn son to visit his new little brother in the hospital Saturday morning for an hour or so before heading back to their place, lunch and a nap.

Upon greeting my son, not having seen him for a day and a half, and having spent the intervening time with an eight pound infant, I marvelled at how thick, strong and sturdy he was.  And heavy!  I could fit almost four infants into my nearly two year old son.

This Sunday evening, as he was finishing the last of the corn off his cob, I grabbed a wipe to clean his face and, in the midst of swiping the kernels from the corners of his mouth, casually told him that I was no longer going to be able to call him my baby boy; that he would never be quite so small to me any more.

I stopped dead for a very brief moment.  He is so very many things to me: all marvellous, miraculous things. 

But never more that.

Comments

[Paul]

My son is twelve. I swear those moments never stop. And really, why would we want them to?

[Linda]

Simon you made me cry (again, I'm used to it). Made me remember when I brought JuJu home from the hospital and Michael, my once-baby-boy scrambled over to check out the new bundle. He looked huge to me as I had not seen him for three days and, by this time, was used to fussing over teeny JuJu. Something changed just then and I was filled with an overwhelming sadness for a bit because my Baby Boy was now the Big Brother. Catches you off-guard, huh?

[TerriTorial]

Beautifully said.

I remember when my daughter came to the hospital to see her new baby brother. She was now a little girl. It's bittersweet.

Congratulations again.

[marian]

Never thought of that! I have only one son, so even though he's eighteen now, I can still think of him as my baby boy....

His dad was the oldest of 10 kids and I remember his mom introducing me to the youngest of them, a strapping teenager when I met him, as 'her baby.'

Lovely post. We're looking forward to more pictures when you catch your breath.

[Jenn]

Man, you're going to make me cry. Lovely post. So happy for you.

And now that there are two boys, it works out really well for us. Two arranged Canadian-American marriages. I'll get the papers written up.

[Mark]

Each time Ben insists on doing something himself, I know a little more of our little baby fades into the background, never to be seen again (until he calls home from college wanting money).

[the Mater]

What a beautiful reflection on fatherhood and firstborn son! Simon, you are quite the philosopher.

Congratulations to the happy family - it seems that hoojackapiffies rule at your house!

Did you name the little guy yet?

[geogirl]

That was lovely Simon.

Just remember this though, no matter size, age, or geographic location...to him you will always be Father.