Heavier on the Sweet

He dressed himself in a t-shirt and shorts for bed last night. He woke up cold and joined us in bed. He's quite outspoken in his dress.

He's completely potty trained now, and is still new enough at it to point out any solid deposits in the water before flushing. He's proud of his accomplishments, no matter what they are.

He insists on walking himself in to school without me, opening doors, managing his backpack, finding his way to his room all by himself. He's very independent.

He loves dress up clothes, and plays cowboy and pirate just as often as he wears skirts. He's not afraid of being himself.

There are so many things that define Micah. Independence. Pride in accomplishment. Security in himself. I love all this about him, and so much more. But there are so many times every day that I worry. As he gets older he grows in so many ways, and yet he's still such an innocent child. These are the ironies that I'll continue to face as he grows.

Bittersweet. That's defines so much of our life as Micah's parents.

I worry that he'll forever be a child, in the toddler stages. I worry that he'll grow up and not be innocent any longer. I worry that others will take advantage of his trusting nature. I worry about things that were never an issue with the other kids, but are a daily part of life with Micah.

Parenting a child with special needs is so much different than parenting the other kids, and yet it's exactly the same.

Bittersweet Ironies.

I love this life we live, because the boy that makes it ironic and bittersweet is such a big part of who we are. He's shaped us into more than we ever could have been without the daily stress and chaos that he provides. And we're so grateful that for all the chaos, he has also taught us what an unconditional love is.

My boy. Growing us into better parents every day.