About a boy...

Three years ago today, I was a witness to the arrival of the beautiful baby boy known here as Baby Hurricane. For those who don’t know the story – a little background. This little boy came into my life just a couple weeks after Ron and I left our youngest daughters for their freshman year in college. I can’t begin to express how difficult it was for me when our girls went to school - Jenn in 2004 and then Mandi & Beckie in 2006. Let me be clear about something…our girls were NEVER given the choice about whether they would go to college or not – they were going! It was part of our parenting mantra to them…”When you go to college...” “When you live in the dorm…” “When you choose your major..." "When you graduate…” Always WHEN – never IF. So, they went. I wanted that for them with all my heart, but I also wanted to have them close by for me. They were all accepted into a great school that happened to be a 5 hour drive away. I still remember those trips back home from Santa Barbara - Ron trying to comfort me as he drove (nothing makes him more upset than seeing me cry). I felt broken. It was as if there was a big hole right in the center of my being.

And then came Viliamu Keopulani Baker-Kline, my precious little Hawaiian-Samoan-Mexican-Irish savior! I had been lucky enough to be at every doctor appointment with his mama while she was carrying him. She always thanked me for going with her as if I was doing her a huge favor. The truth was that she was giving me a gift that I would never be able to repay. I was so thrilled when she asked me to be in the delivery room for his birth. Aside from the births of my own children, watching Viliamu emerge into the world and take his first breath was the most amazing moment of my life. On October 16, 2006, Viliamu was born and I fell completely and helplessly in love. He has been like medicine for me!

Over the last 3 years, we have gotten to have him over on Sundays and for occasional sleepovers. It is such great fun! I must sound like a grandmother or auntie when talking about him, (far too young to be a granny), but he is the most terrific boy I know! He is a beautiful, energetic, loving, energetic, intelligent, energetic, charming, mischievous, and hilariously funny child. Oh and did I mention, energetic? I have found this baby boy to be amazingly different than my girls. I've also determined that "boy" toys are much more fun to play with than are "girl" toys. Now that he's 3 years old, we have really interesting conversations on a wide variety of subjects - he teaches me something new every time I see him. The most surprising thing about this boy is how attached he and his "Buddy" (Ron) are to each other - two peas in a pod. We've even been through the flu together - someday I'll write about the week that we had him when his mom was out of town and all three of us got soooo sick! Maybe that's when Buddy and Baby bonded. All I know is that they "get" each other in a way that I don't - it's got to be a boy thing.

Watching him blow out his #3 candle on his chocolate birthday cake tonight, it occurred to me that I have been there for his birth and every birthday since. I can't imagine not being there for him because he has been there for us. So, thank you, Baby Hurricane, for all the splashing in the bathtub and fingerprints on the sliding glass door and toy cars & trucks all over the floor and sticky kisses and peanut butter & jelly hugs, sidewalk chalk handprints on the walls and all the fun and love and joy that you have brought into our lives. I still miss my girls every day and sometimes, so much that it hurts, but having you in our lives has taken the worst of the "empty" out of our nest.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Viliamu! I love you!