Dear Greyson,
You are now a decade old or, as you told Grandma Phillips the other night on the phone, double-digits. I know we're always saying that we can't believe how old/tall/smart/etc. you are, but 10 years is definitely a milestone that requires me to say, "I can't believe it's been 10 years since you were born!" Moms have to do that, you know. Besides the fact that your birth was the first one we experienced as parents, it was also quite eventful and, I think, says a lot about who you are. After a very uneventful pregnancy, you arrived six weeks early - very tiny (4 lbs 11 oz), quite calm, and perfectly healthy. You're still definitely on the small size for your age, still quite calm in personality, and you have not had any medical issues since being a little jaundiced after you were born. You also like to be first.
Once we brought you home, you quickly let us know that you were HUNGRY and needed more food to catch up in size, and that has not changed over time. Not only do you have a healthy appetite, you are one of the least picky eaters I know. You are willing to try nearly anything and like all kinds of foods that other children your age do not. Because of that, and the fact that you were a pretty easy child once you got past the colicky phase, we gained a lot of confidence in our parenting skills. It turns out our influence probably only accounts for 25% of your amazingness (your brother showed us how little control we really have over our children), but we appreciate that you let us think it was us for nearly five years.
Because I grew up with only brothers, and most of the women in my family had a girl first, I was pretty convinced that you would be a girl. After I got over the surprise that you weren't, I was amazed at how instantaneously and fiercely I fell in love with you. Maybe it was the hormones, but when the nurse brought you to me so I could see you before they whisked you to the NICU, I immediately felt like you were mine and I KNEW you, and I would have done anything for you right then. It was incredibly hard to be away from you while the medical people checked you out. (Your dad must have felt the same way, because he defied the nurse's orders and followed you to the NICU - leaving me in recovery to stare at the walls!) And from that day forward, you and I have had a special bond that got us through your dad's deployments and makes me still want to spend time just with you. And you showed me how great it is to be a mom of a boy - sons love their mothers quite fiercely, and I've been the happy recipient of countless hugs and kisses and "I need Mom"s. I know there will be big changes in our relationship over the next 10 years, but I hope the foundation of the first 10 helps to make it less traumatic for both of us.
So, who is this 10 year old Greyson? You are usually very kind to your brother, playing with him and letting him do things first or instead of you. Until you've had enough and the self-preservation kicks in, which is understandable. You are a good friend and get along with pretty much everyone you meet. Your teachers always tell us what a joy you are to have in the classroom, and that makes your dad and me happier than any good grade you might bring home. You are lucky that being easy-going and considerate comes naturally to you. You also are very responsible and tend to be cautious, and you rarely do anything on purpose that will get you into trouble. You like sports but don't really enjoy playing them competitively, reading, math and logic problems, playing board games and video games, wrestling, doing pretty much anything with your cousins, and building things from Legos that can be used to fight.
Your biggest issue is not focusing/listening, especially to your parents, mostly because you are distracted by a book or a video game. And you have a bizarre aversion to closing your dresser drawers. On any given day, I can walk into your room and find at least three hanging open, sometimes to the point that they are about to fall out of the dresser. But that is nothing compared to the whining. I think hearing you whine about something inconsequential (which is 90% of the cause of your whining), causes nerves in my brain to crash into each other and then explode, and I just cannot deal with it rationally. Which doesn't help you to stop whining, of course. We'll both have to work on that this coming year.
As much as I miss the little Greyson who has been my buddy and shadow, I am truly looking forward to watching you continue to grow and mature, because I think you will be amazing at every age.
Love,
Mom
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