to, Too, TWO

Two years ago, Jaxson William Paul Barry’s arrival came just in time to prevent me from seriously jumping off a bridge. His mother signed me up for babysitting duty and anything else she could think of to get my mind off me and on our family's new bundle of joy. Since his arrival in 2008, he and I have come a long way. Jaxson, the tiny newborn, was incapable of anything but eating, drinking, peeing, pooping, sleeping and crying. Today he is a healthy, totally movie star adorable two year old. His Auntie C, after losing dear Paul, was almost in the same shape as the newborn. I remember sometimes eating, definitely drinking, sleeping and crying, (other bodily functions a given.) But, here we both are, two years later in fairly good shape. He can count to ten, I can, too. He can zip through a mall faster than the speed of sound, I can, too. He can eat very few vegetables and lots of ice cream….I can, too!

Sometimes I see him a few times a week and sometimes a few weeks go by without a meeting. Recently, two weeks had come and gone. It’s incredible what happened to that little kid in such a short time. He came in the house talking more, performed beautifully when his mother asked him to count to ten (uhn,ta,te,fa,FIVE,ss,sss,ah,NINE,te...) and was no longer content in the stroller while his mom and I later tried to shop. I never knew it is so much fun to watch a kid develop. In that span of time, he also got game, so to speak….pulled a Mike Tyson on a little kid at daycare, knocked him down and bit him. It happened to Jaxson about a year ago. Apparently what goes around comes around, but the consequence was having to listen to many stories about how biting hurts, how pushing isn’t the desired method for taking back a toy and what a real time out is all about. Not funny… (but funny!) He understood the lesson because his mom said he wouldn’t even bite his food for two days!

His parents are doing a terrific job and it's fun to watch how they all interact. I can’t imagine his angelic face without teeth in a few years, or what he will be like as a big brother one day. And how it will break his mother’s heart when he undoubtedly will someday decide his family is no longer cool. But growing and changing is how life works, or is supposed to.

And talk about embracing the magic of newness. Just think about being two. Some compelling developmental force propels or pulls a child through the tunnel of knowledge without choice. Their brains must be like sponges, developmentally controlled by what they see, hear, feel, taste and smell.

I’ve discovered there absolutely is no sound on earth as sweet as that of a laughing child. I don’t care how bad you feel, it is like Ben Gay for the inner soul. Jaxson owns a laughter that inspires me, a cry that is a reminder life is not perfect, and an inquisitiveness and peacefulness that gives me hope for the upcoming years.

Happy birthday Jaxson.Barry.com. Upward and onward! Can’t wait to race you though the next year.

Love, Auntie C.