Jaylen Is Turning 9

 When our kids are babies, we wish they were a little older so we could do more, but once they begin to grow, we reminisce on all the things they did as a baby. 

Jaylen will be 9 tomorrow and I can’t help but think about his birth. 

When I found out I was pregnant with him, I was teaching pre-kindergarten at Alcott Elementary in Houston, Texas. He was an unexpected surprise as I had just started my career. 

From the very beginning, Jaylen was easy. My pregnancy was trouble-free. There was no morning sickness, aches or pains. I had a weird love of tacos but that was my only change. 

I remember Joe and I heading to find out the gender and Joe being over the moon it was a boy! Everything from deciding on his name to decorating his nursery was effortless. 

Having just started my career in Houston and Joe playing professional football in Indianapolis, we had a big decision to make. Should I focus on teaching and stay in Texas or aim to have the family under one roof in Indy? Ultimately, we both knew being separate would not be an option for us. We both wanted every memory of every moment together. Saddened, yet excited for the future, I left teaching. 

Jaylen arrived with ease. My labor and delivery was no more than 6 hours. I finally had my little boy in my arms. 

Transitioning to life as a mom was pretty relaxed. My parents stayed with me the first 4 weeks and life was tranquil. When they left, I was like a deer in headlights! 

I remember calling my mother-in-law and sister-in-law when Jay was exactly 5 weeks old. It was late at night and he was crying non-stop. No matter what I did, he would not stop wailing. They rushed over and my sister-in-law simply picked him up and gave him a bottle. He stopped crying immediately. I was so confused as I had just fed him less than an hour earlier. In that moment, I learned one of the biggest lessons of motherhood….THERE ARE NO RULES! THERE IS NO HANDBOOK WAY OF DOING THINGS! From that day on, having him was literally a walk in the park. 

From NFL games, plane rides, movies and restaurants, Jaylen was a SAINT! He never gave me any worry and continues to be my little angel. 

I learned early on that he was an emotional guy. There was an insurance commercial that had a dog running in the rain. The dog was drenched and looked sad. Every time that commercial came on, Jaylen would burst into tears. He did this for a year. My entire family knew the protocol. When they heard that commercial music, change the channel ASAP! 

When he was old enough to verbalize, I replayed the commercial for him. My big guy had the exact same reaction. I asked him why seeing it made him so upset and he said it was because the dog looked sad and needed a family or a friend. I knew then that his heart would be his guide in life. 

Until this day, Jay doesn’t like to see anyone hurting. He becomes sad when he sees the homeless, anyone sick or a dog without a home. He’s the kid that wants everyone to be together and get along. He wants everyone to feel loved and appreciated. He doesn’t like to disappoint and loves to give hugs and high fives. 

As I reflect on his day tomorrow, I can’t help but think of ALL that he is. He’s the kid that taught me patience and unconditional love! The kid that showed me God’s love just by looking into his eyes! 

He marked the beginning of my journey as the mother I am and I can’t wait to celebrate him while thanking God for allowing us to have him another year! 

MY FIRST BORN IS TURNING 9 YA’LL!

Until next time Kuties!