DAMON

Have you ever thought that your children were sent to you to teach you a lesson? And I don't mean that in a bad way (although, come to think of it...), but this morning as I was taking a shower I started thinking about how different each of my children are and what that should mean to me in my life. Basically, I am trying to figure out what it is about these kids that make them right for our family, and me in particular. Here is what I have come up with:

DAMON: Ah, the firstborn, the one who changes everything. I honestly believe that having that first baby was harder than having the second or third. And he wasn't a hard baby or anything, but it completely changed my life. I think I needed to learn that unconditional love and selflessness that is required to be a mother. But I think Damon was sent to us, to me, specifically to teach me how to love. He is so easy to love, because he loves so easily. I know I have complained before because he seems to be TOO affectionate, but it is one of the things I love most about him. He doesn't leave in the morning before giving everyone hugs and kisses (Allie has insisted she be included), and usually multiple times. He is, and always has been, hard to discipline because he is so tender and I hate hurting his feelings. Here are some of my favorite pictures of Damon, my lover boy:

About 9 months old. He had the best cheeks!

Almost two in both of these.

This one is the one I can see Kyla in. He has very different eyes, but this look of his reminds me a lot of her.

And this one makes me laugh. He learned to make a piggy noise when he was one and it was his greatest trick (that, and responding to the question "what are you?" with "OBESE!" about the same time). Here he is mid-snort.

I was going to do just one post on all of the kids and what I have learned from them, but it is now time to pick Damon up from school, so I think I will go ahead and post this one and finish the rest later.