Sunboy did not start his time in the world easily. I had pre-eclampsia while carrying him, starting at 32 weeks. After five weeks of bed rest and intense monitoring (mostly in the hospital), I was induced to give birth at 37 weeks, 5 days. He scored perfect Apgars and he was strong, even if he was a little small. At six weeks old and again at a year old, he needed surgeries to correct congenital hernias.
At 18 months old, he spent five days in the hospital for severe asthma. By the time he was two years old, he was seeing a wonderful pediatric pulmonary specialist who worked miracles with his asthma.
These challenges are only part of Sunboy’s story. He is a fighter. I’ve come to trust his resilience and determination somewhat over the years.
Like any child, there are things that Sunboy has been slower in learning and things in which he is brilliant. He was slow to learn to jump. He tends to not brace himself well when he falls. He inherited his parents’ stubbornness and my general clumsiness.
On the other hand, he learned to read (truly read) when he was four years old. Now, at five years old, he quietly reads “in his head”. He is a whiz with jigsaw puzzles; I have a video of him when he was two-and-a-half years old where he focused for 20 minutes straight to complete a 48-piece jigsaw puzzle, entirely by himself. Such focus!
He loves to make art. He loves to listen to Pink Floyd or Jimi Hendrix and “draw the music”.
He has a natural ability to possess and handle the ball in soccer.
With two scientists for parents, he has come to expect detailed answers to his questions about nature. He remembers the answers and uses words like “bacteria” and “black hole” as a normal part of his vocabulary. He loves nature. He loves to stomp in the river and help us with the vegetable and flower gardens each summer.
He is a constant storyteller, and will invent a story on any topic for you upon request (or not upon request). He has a Type-A personality and loves to plan and organize his world. Sometimes we find ourselves reminding him to live more spontaneously.
He is confident and outgoing, and has asked more than once if it is okay for him to take a book into school to read in front of his class.
These attributes are only part of Sunboy’s story. He is loving and experiences emotions deeply. He is openly vulnerable with his sister, whom he loves desperately. He seeks out the good kids to be his friends. He has a wonderful heart and an amazing sense of humor for his age.
Being his mama challenges me on a daily basis. He challenges me with his intense passion for the world and his intense drive. He requires much from me, and yet I think that he is well-matched to me. He is similar to me in some ways , and I understand him.
I don’t think that just anyone could parent this particular child, nor would I want anyone else to do so. He is my little man, and I love him thoroughly.
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