Two years ago today our family was blessed with Tucker, truly, truly blessed.
The last two years have seen a lot of changes in Tucker. He slept through the night on the first night home (I know you’re jealous) and continues to sleep very, very well to this day. He was such a quiet baby that Mark actually forgot him several times in the car (he’ll be disconcerted that I posted this!). He cut teeth at about 6 months, walking at about 10 and now he’s running just about everywhere, especially if he thinks you’re going to make him come in from outside.
We’ve had to baby-proof the house for the first time in three kids because he is into EVERYTHING! Our main bathroom toilet is having issues draining properly because we think there’s a matchbox car stuck in the pipes. We’re going to be putting special locks on the back sliding glass door because he is always trying to go out to the deck. We’re going to put a special lock on the deck gate because he’s already figured out how to open it and head down to the yard, and we’re going to put a special lock on the fence gate because he already knows how to open that and head out in the wide, wide world. And he’s so quiet, you wouldn’t even know that he’s gone until it’s too late.
We’ve lost him already once in a crowd because he just decides to take off whenever he wants.
He tests every boundary of the lines we set.
He is stubborn, can be whiny when he doesn’t get his way, and he is the most dramatic of our children (yes, even more than Lake!) Speaking of Lake, we thought she was a chatterbox when she was his age. He puts her to shame. And like Lake, there is no volume control on him. It’s either loud, or off.
But most of all, he’s our clown. McKinzi like’s to play tricks on people, like her mother. Lake is like her father and doesn’t like tricks being played on people. Tucker, that is yet to be determined where he stands in the gags discussion, but he sure knows how to make people laugh, and it’s all intentional. He’ll wear things, do things, say things just to get a laugh. And if you’re laughing and he’s not around, he comes running just to join in the laughing. He loves to laugh, he loves the sound of laughter. He should have no problem with the ladies when he gets older, because he’s got the looks, he treats me well and he’ll be able to make them laugh! Isn’t that all we really want, girls?
He’s into cars, trucks, planes and mostly trains. He loves to make beep beep and choo choo noises. Thomas the Train and Lightning McQueen are his favorite but nothing holds a candle to Linny and Ming-Ming from the Wonder Pets. They are his best friends.
He loves shoes and he loves hats. And occasionally, he loves a little of his sisters’ bling.
He gets along great with other kids, and shares really well. He can be a little rough, but he immediately says I’m Sorry when he knows he’s hurt you. His first words were Thank You, and he quickly added Please, You’re Welcome and now Excuse Me to the repertoire. He loves when his sisters come home from school and he’s the first to run to Daddy when he comes home from work. When Mommy comes home from even the shortest trip to the grocery store, he comes running up and holds my legs and says, “You’re Home, Yayyyyyy!”
It really hit home to me yesterday just how blessed I am to have a son. As we were heading into the church to pick Lake up from dance class, Tucker wanted to climb up on the raised wall next to the steps and walk up to the door that way, just like he sees his sisters do every time we head to the church. So he climbed up there and I started to back away, thinking my little mister independent wouldn’t want my help. But before he took even one step, he held out his little hand and said, “Mommy, ha-a-nd!” I gladly obliged, and then escorted him along the wall to the landing in front of the doors. In the time it took to walk that 20 or so feet, my mind flashed forward to a time in the not too distant future when one day my son will be extending his hand to me, but not for me to help him up the stairs, but rather for him to guide me. What an awesome feeling it was! I’ve got my girls, yes, and I know they would do anything for me. But there’s just such a wonderful, feel good in the gut feeling I get whenever I think about how one day in the future Tucker will take care of me.
The last two years have given me deep appreciation for the relationship between a son and his mother and I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without my little T-bone.
Happy Birthday, son. You are loved beyond measure!
Here's Tucker hours after he was born....sleeping soundly, which is what he did much of his first 9 months!
At his first birthday party last year
Today with Momma!
Waltzing In Oz 
