To Know Him Is To Love Him

William James Roden entered the world on February 6 of this year. I have experienced countless unexpected joys in getting to know Will. Will is the child for whom I asked the Lord, and the child that I am certain is His gift of joy to me. I've only known this precious boy for eight months, but I already have impressions about him that are proving themselves to be true each day.   

One of the most noticeable things about Will is that he is all boy - and a big one at that. Born at 8 pounds, 13 ounces and 22 inches long, he really never looked that much like a newborn. By the time we went for his five day appointment, he was already at 9 pounds and couldn't fit in the diapers from the hospital. I know it sounds weird, but I didn't realize how distinctly masculine he would be as an infant. I guess I thought babies are babies, and the differences would come more over time. I should have had some clue since he was so much wilder than his sister - even in the womb. I felt him kicking way earlier, and he kicked so much more than she ever did! Once he was born, I quickly realized the differences would be many! He is more even-tempered than his sister, more laid-back, and a much better sleeper. When he does cry it 

isn't shrill and dramatic the way she cried, but deep and guttural. He seems to communicate that he's mad, rather than sad or upset. One of his endearing qualities is that when he gets hurt, he tries not to cry. (Once I accidentally let him bump his head on a shuttle bus, and he drew his breath, pouted his lips, but held his cry in! An older lady sitting behind us could said she had never seen anything like it!) He is strong and sturdy; he never felt fragile the way Sophie did. As my best friend says, I could dress him in a tutu and a bow, and people would still know this kid is a boy!  

A strong sense of adventure and the unexpected surrounds Will's life. Before Christmas, I began measuring a little small and losing a little weight and by the middle of January, I had a growth scan to check on this baby who would undoubtedly be smaller than his sister who'd weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Then, we were told the first week of January that Will could be born any day, almost certainly to arrive within a couple of weeks. Patti-Grams stay

ed with us for over a month waiting for this "early smaller baby" who waited until February 6 - his due date, no less, to join us, weighing in at 8 pounds and 13 ounces! Even the day of Will's birth signified the beginning of an adventure as he was born only three hours after I had any suspicion of labor, very nearly on I-285 in the middle of a rainy rush hour commute. In fact, I sent Matt to the car for our camera after arriving at the hospital, and my doctor made my mom call him and tell him to get back ASAP. (Will's birth story needs another post!) 

Will's love for adventure has continued since his birthday. He loves to be outside, he loves to wrestle with his daddy, and he loves to swing high on the playground. He loves his football and happily crawls after it when Sophie throws it (a game she refers to as fetch.) He is rough and tough. He loves yelling at his own shadow, and we've recently discovered that he is mesmerized by fire. When he plays, he grabs, pulls and even hits. Well before 

Will was 6 months old, I had gone from telling Sophie to be gentle with Will to telling Will to be gentle with Sophie! He rarely giggles, but more often snickers. Even his belly laughs sound like those of an old man! Though smiles came easily, early on, he mostly laughed at play that was, for this mama's taste, a little rough. He enjoyed be tossed in the air, being lifted high off the ground on my legs, and being swung around. He laughs more easily now, but the feeling of "free-falling" is still his favorite - like when Matt tosses him in the air (which I'm not strong enough to do) or I 

pretend to drop him (which doesn't require much pretending). Sophie playing wildly with him is another favorite!

My grandmother has remarked about what she believes Will will be like in the future, "He'll be the nicest guy you ever want to meet - unless you cross him." So far, I think she may have it right. Will is an easy-breezy, laid back joy, unless... you let his tummy get hungry, take away the remote control, or try to change his clothes too much! Will is opening myeyes to the many joys of raising boys, and every day I find I am getting to know him better and love him more deeply.