Of my two older sons, Ethan is far more physically affectionate than Spencer. Ethan wants to be held when he’s upset, he tackles me when I get home from work, and he thoroughly enjoys rough horseplay and wrestling. Naturally, being a physically affectionate person myself, I also enjoy this.
But something extra-special happens on those days when they haven’t taken a nap and have gone to bed early. Just to avoid any late-night irrigation, I carry each of the sleeping boys to the bathroom and make them go potty just before we go to bed ourselves. Well, when Ethan is done, I slip my hands under his armpits and lift him up to my chest, at which point he wraps himself around me like a starfish as I carry him back to bed. It’s a sensation which no words can express.
And the thing I keep pondering is how those wonderful moments would never have been possible if we had decided to quit after having just one. Just as I never would have seen the radiant smile of our 8-month-old if we had decided to quit after just two.
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