Baby Humans are so... fascinating!

(Blogger doesn't rotate pictures - sorry)

There's nothing like watching a baby find his feet. Shaky efforts to stand morph into tentative steps, then the classic toddle.

Last night John and I watched Kyle find his feet, We stared slack-jawed as the Booger experimented with trotting, running and hopping - all at once! Every now and then he'd list to the right or left and topple with a giggle. I can't recall a time where I laughed so hard for so long.

Watching him try to walk while bare-butt naked is hands-down, the funniest thing I've seen since the flying cats (scroll down to March 8,2006)! With diaper removed, the awkward mechanics of emergent ambulation are revealed. Knees point outward, thighs reach heights parallel to the ground, and tiny toes cushion the impact all while the Booger squeals, growls and flaps his arms.

I wish I had a video camera.

It struck me how in a few days, this crazy baby-walk will be gone forever. Kyle will move with smooth balance and steady steps. I didn't want him to stop. I didn't want the moment to end.

Joy flooded my litterbox as I watched my baby turn into a toddler.

Today I took him out in the Burley (bike trailer). We stopped at the pond by the Stone House park and watched ducks swim in the glassy water. Kyle kept saying, "Duck! Duck!" and learned how to quack.

Closer to home, we stopped at Bear Creek and threw pebbles in the current. He sat,hiny planted firmly in the mud, on the bank imitating my tossing motion. "Plop!" I'd say.

"Plop!" He'd squeak as his pebble dropped two inches from his hand. The helmeted little head turned to me and the little nose wrinkled in classic Kyle Smile Style.

Being a mom is the best part of my life. As I let go of my dreams of achieving Something Big, I realize I'm doing the most important job in the world. Writing a hundred NYT bestseller novels doesn't hold a candle to growing a baby boy.

God gave John and I the gift of Kyle. He wasn't a random act. We didn't even choose him. God chose him for us. That's the beauty of adoption. Anyway, given this gift, I have the responsibility to love, train and teach this amazing little boy, helping him develop into the man God wants him to be.

There's no doubt in my mind. Kyle has a special calling on his life. His mere existence is a miracle. John and I have the privilege of being part of that.

Mom is my job title. It doesn't pay the bills, but the rewards are beyond anything money could ever buy.