My baby is 5.
FIVE YEARS OLD, PEOPLE!
5 long years since I felt a little kick in my belly, 5 years since I smelled that sweet, fresh from heaven scent, 5 long years since I had that excited anticipation waiting for baby to arrive. Oh my, I can hardly believe it's true.
But it is. My baby M turned 5 years old on November 1st.
He chose crepes, sausage, strawberries, and oj for his birthday breakfast. He opened one gift of paint and paint brushes and used them to paint beautiful pictures until it was time to get ready for church. He was sung to at church, got a candy bar from the bishop, a silly straw from the primary presidency, and a treat and gift card to Toy's R Us from his incredibly thoughtful primary teacher, Sis. Peterson. He was having the best day ever.
After church we played games and decorated for his party. I made his dinner of choice (Mario Brother's favorite dinner, apparently, FYI) which was spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and broccoli.
We had a little family party that evening with grandparents. He chose chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, and chocolate ice cream. The boy clearly likes his chocolate.
He received some very fun gifts and all of his dreams came true (he actually said that, haha). He got kinetic sand along with a sand box and sand toys, some other stuff that I can't remember right now, and a giant Star Wars build-your-own light-saber. You can add all sorts of pieces to it and change it and take it apart and put it back together. That was what he really wanted more than anything and was so excited to get it. My parents got him a cool Cars toy. It was Mack truck and he has two pools attached to him. He got Lightening Mcqueen and another Car's character and they change color from hot to cold water. He loves playing with that thing at the sink forever. I love his imagination, he is so easily entertained. Andy's parents got him a giant, snuggly Car's blanket and some money. Grandma D got him a flashlight, bubbles, and a toy truck. He also got money from other great grandparents and aunts and uncles. Grandma Marge didn't make it that night, but came later that week to bring him a treat (a donut, his fave) and some money. He had so much fun at his party and loved every second. He didn't want to go to bed and stop playing! He had to sleep with half of his new toys. So dang cute.
Also, I like to refer to this birthday as the "Eyes Closed in Every Photo" Birthday. The kid could not keep his eyes open! It was pretty funny.
See what I mean about the closed eyes?! Haha!
Magnus at 5:
Ohhhhh, this sweet, crazy, awesome child of mine. It's so funny how such a tiny person can change you so completely. I remember Magnus when he was a tiny newborn, and I remember always realizing that this would be my last of everything. The last time I nursed a baby, the last time I was up in the night with a newborn, the last time I would feed a baby baby food (which I always despised), and so on and so forth. I remember telling myself to always enjoy it and cherish it, because it wouldn't ever happen again. And I did. I always enjoyed every second with that baby boy. Of course, he made it easy because he was such an easy-going kiddo with such a relaxed personality and zero drama. He always has been. It is one of my most favorite things about him, his easy-going personality.
Magnus has a grand imagination and can turn anything into a toy. He can entertain himself for hours (thankfully) and really enjoys just playing with toys in the playroom. He absolutely loves play-doh and his kinetic sand. He likes art, but pretty much just scribbles still and doesn't realize he is supposed to actually stay in the lines. He also likes playing with friends and he has really enjoyed making so many friends at preschool this year. His favorites are Liam, Beckham, and Braylie. Liam is of course, his cousin, and Beckham and Braylie are close neighbors. I am good friends with both of their moms, so they are together often at one of our houses. Magnus also really likes anything his older brothers do, so he is very in to Minecraft, Pokemon, and Star Wars. He loves watching movies and cartoons on TV.
Magnus really enjoys playing outside. He loves to ride his scooter and bike with training wheels. I am hoping we can teach him to ride a 2-wheeler next summer. He loves to jump on the trampoline and especially loves when someone comes out to jump with him. He's always just a little slower than all of his friends whenever they run races or play tag in the backyard. I'm sure his body is still healing from all of the trauma it went through a year ago. Plus, he is so much bigger than all of his friends, and he is constantly playing catch-up in the coordination department.
Magnus like preschool, but doesn't always want to go. It surprises me because all of his friends are there, but I finally decided that I think learning must be difficult for him. His teacher has been candid with me and told me that he is definitely behind his peers as far as learning goes. He has a harder time grasping concepts and remembering letters. He writes well, if you tell him how to write it, but if you just tell him to write a letter M for example, he really has to think about it before he does it, if he remembers at all. I was definitely warned of this from his doctors. He might catch-up, and he might not. I don't care either way. We will help him as he needs it and take it as it comes. It definitely is weird though, seeing as how all of his older siblings are so dang smart. Just another reason to hate cancer and what it has taken away from my baby.
Magnus loves food now. He used to be a terrible eater, before all of his cancer stuff. We know now that he was just nauseous all of the time and just never wanted to eat. He will try pretty much anything now, and hardly ever gags anymore. His favorites are cheerios, bananas, pears, yogurt, string cheese, and turkey wraps. He has turned into a good little eater and after not growing for about 6 months after his treatments were complete, he has all of the sudden grown a whole bunch and his clothes are getting too small. I am so relieved because I thought there might be something wrong with his hormone balance, which can be a problem in brain cancer kids. Hopefully I worried for nothing!
Magnus' personality has definitely changed since all of his surgery and treatments, but it seems like he is getting back to normal, especially over the last few months. He used to throw royal tantrums and just scream and yell and thrash and hit. The doctor told us it was normal due to the meds he was on and all of the changes he had been through. He said as he healed, he would get back to himself, and he has. I am so relieved. It was so hard to have this "new" child and not know how to treat him or discipline him. He was so different and definitely not himself. We rarely see that side of him anymore and can usually calm him fairly quickly if we do.
Magnus is absolutely beloved in our family. We all adore him, and he is definitely spoiled rotten. He is so very special to all of us and we can't get enough of his hilarious antics. He is always making us laugh and he is juts the sweetest little guy. We are so lucky to have him in our family and just can't believe he is ours.
We love you M! Happy 5th Birthday!
PS In regards to the title of this post-- When Magnus was born, and people found out what his name would be, someone joked with me that we would be calling him Maggie before we knew it. I insisted that we wouldn't. But we do. All. The. Time. At home that is pretty much what he goes by. Poor kid. Haha!
Magnus has a grand imagination and can turn anything into a toy. He can entertain himself for hours (thankfully) and really enjoys just playing with toys in the playroom. He absolutely loves play-doh and his kinetic sand. He likes art, but pretty much just scribbles still and doesn't realize he is supposed to actually stay in the lines. He also likes playing with friends and he has really enjoyed making so many friends at preschool this year. His favorites are Liam, Beckham, and Braylie. Liam is of course, his cousin, and Beckham and Braylie are close neighbors. I am good friends with both of their moms, so they are together often at one of our houses. Magnus also really likes anything his older brothers do, so he is very in to Minecraft, Pokemon, and Star Wars. He loves watching movies and cartoons on TV.
Magnus really enjoys playing outside. He loves to ride his scooter and bike with training wheels. I am hoping we can teach him to ride a 2-wheeler next summer. He loves to jump on the trampoline and especially loves when someone comes out to jump with him. He's always just a little slower than all of his friends whenever they run races or play tag in the backyard. I'm sure his body is still healing from all of the trauma it went through a year ago. Plus, he is so much bigger than all of his friends, and he is constantly playing catch-up in the coordination department.
Magnus like preschool, but doesn't always want to go. It surprises me because all of his friends are there, but I finally decided that I think learning must be difficult for him. His teacher has been candid with me and told me that he is definitely behind his peers as far as learning goes. He has a harder time grasping concepts and remembering letters. He writes well, if you tell him how to write it, but if you just tell him to write a letter M for example, he really has to think about it before he does it, if he remembers at all. I was definitely warned of this from his doctors. He might catch-up, and he might not. I don't care either way. We will help him as he needs it and take it as it comes. It definitely is weird though, seeing as how all of his older siblings are so dang smart. Just another reason to hate cancer and what it has taken away from my baby.
Magnus loves food now. He used to be a terrible eater, before all of his cancer stuff. We know now that he was just nauseous all of the time and just never wanted to eat. He will try pretty much anything now, and hardly ever gags anymore. His favorites are cheerios, bananas, pears, yogurt, string cheese, and turkey wraps. He has turned into a good little eater and after not growing for about 6 months after his treatments were complete, he has all of the sudden grown a whole bunch and his clothes are getting too small. I am so relieved because I thought there might be something wrong with his hormone balance, which can be a problem in brain cancer kids. Hopefully I worried for nothing!
Magnus' personality has definitely changed since all of his surgery and treatments, but it seems like he is getting back to normal, especially over the last few months. He used to throw royal tantrums and just scream and yell and thrash and hit. The doctor told us it was normal due to the meds he was on and all of the changes he had been through. He said as he healed, he would get back to himself, and he has. I am so relieved. It was so hard to have this "new" child and not know how to treat him or discipline him. He was so different and definitely not himself. We rarely see that side of him anymore and can usually calm him fairly quickly if we do.
Magnus is absolutely beloved in our family. We all adore him, and he is definitely spoiled rotten. He is so very special to all of us and we can't get enough of his hilarious antics. He is always making us laugh and he is juts the sweetest little guy. We are so lucky to have him in our family and just can't believe he is ours.
We love you M! Happy 5th Birthday!
PS In regards to the title of this post-- When Magnus was born, and people found out what his name would be, someone joked with me that we would be calling him Maggie before we knew it. I insisted that we wouldn't. But we do. All. The. Time. At home that is pretty much what he goes by. Poor kid. Haha!
