A Little Boy – Bryson

Bryson is closer to 5 now than he is to 4.  I can no longer see any of that chunky baby he once was.  That baby who never, ever slept and made me question every baby expert.  Newborns are supposed to sleep a lot?  Bryson must have missed that memo.  He’s all boy now.  I ask him all the time “Bryson, can you slow down!?  Quit growing so fast!” and he usually replies “But mom, Jesus wants me to get BIG!” or “If I don’t grow, I can never be big like Daddy!” and I can’t argue with either of those so he just keeps growing and I continue trying to find a way to bottle his energy up.  We could be rich, you know.

We’ve all noticed some major changes over the past month.  From the moment he was born, I found myself thinking “He’s growing too quickly!”  And now, here he is- four and a half years old, a little boy.  He wants to help in any way possible.  The other night, I was unloading the dishwasher and he asked if he could help me.  He handed me each glass, cup, and dish.  It was a sweet moment, one that I want to always remember.  He’s so eager to help and so proud of himself when completes each task.     He answers “Yes mam” and “No mam” more often than not is learning more self control with each passing day.  Compared to this spring, the change has been drastic as he has grown up.

Bryson and Bella fight often, but each day, he’s becoming kinder and gentler toward her.  Out of no where, he’ll holler across the yard “I love you, Bella!” or he’ll ask her to catch a ride with him in the Barbie jeep.  Until a few weeks ago, he would refuse to ride with her and it was a constant battle.  He loves to help Bella and help take care of her.  If she can’t find something, he’ll offer to look with her or if she needs something, he’ll go get it.

He’s really looking forward to Brynlee’s arrival.  He has even offered to share his toys with her and he wants her to sleep in his room.  He talks about Brynlee often and told his Sunday School teacher that his mom has a baby in her belly and that baby is going to drink milk from her boobies.  Yes, you could say I’m doing my part to normalize breastfeeding, huh?  He’s a hoot!  He’s going to be such a great big brother to his two sisters!

He is still into trains and cars/ trucks.  He also likes being a cowboy and toy guns.  He has asked for a Woody & Toy Story birthday party this year and the only things he’s mentioned that he wants for Christmas are LEGO sets.  He loves going to Nana & Pop’s in the evening time to play at their house and he loves Pop’s equipment and the dirt piles.  He asks to go to the playground almost every day and is learning how to swim.  He likes books, play dough, and playing with Bella whether that means having a tea party, playing house, or dressing Barbies.

We are so proud of the little boy he’s grown into.  He’s such a joy to be around and he keeps us on our toes because we never know what he’s going to say.  He puts things together and seems to have a lot of common sense.  Justin and I find ourselves looking at one another saying, “Did he really just figure that out!?”  A few weeks ago, we passed a big corn field.  Bryson said, “Mom, they planted a lot of food so they must be really hungry!” and I just had to laugh.

Oh, and while I’m bragging on him, I need to remember that he ran over my van in the Barbie Jeep while pulling the John Deere trailer and scratched the passenger door all the way across.  Thankfully, I kept my cool and grabbed onto perspective for once in my life.  His first wreck and he hit his mom’s vehicle.

I woke up feeling extra sentimental this morning, so I wanted to write it all down so I can always remember him at the stage.