The Boy

My nephew was born eight days before Olivia's first birthday. When he was born, on this due date of all things, I knew this kid was something else.

I also knew that at some point, he'd pass Olivia in milestones. I wondered if that would bother me. When Jaxon was born, Olivia was just starting to sit on her own. She was nowhere near crawling, though. Walking was in the far future. She'd just started therapies with no actual diagnosis in sight. All the therapists and doctors at that time weren't so much worried about diagnosing her as they were about treating her symptoms of gross hypotonia and physical delays.

Jaxon continued the trend he began when he was born on his due date by meeting every single one of his milestones by the book.

And I'll be honest, there were moments when it stung to see that boy doing everything he was supposed to be doing when he was supposed to do it but mostly, I was thrilled for my brother. I wanted his child to be typical. I wouldn't wish delays or problems on any parent/child.

Olivia actually did start crawling two whole months before Jaxon did so, hey, she beat him at that.

But when he was thirteen months old and taking his first steps while she was twenty-five months old and still crawling, well, I accepted that he was leaving her behind.

Except...he didn't.

She watched him. She saw what that boy was doing and she learned from him. My mom watched them both and while they were there at her house, Olivia watched Jaxon stand up in the middle of the room with nothing to pull himself up and she learned from him. She saw him doing things it didn't occur to her to even try and suddenly, she wanted to try.

All the therapists we had in our home that first year told us that Alyssa would be the best teacher/therapist Olivia would ever have.

And they were right. But they didn't count on the boy. That boy who challenges Olivia still, who is there at Gram's house when Olivia gets home from school, who is so happy to see her, who greets her with an enthusiastic, "Puke!"

No one told us how much he'd teach her, how much he'd challenge her with his very typicalness.

She loves that boy with all her heart. He's her partner in crime, the source of great hilarity and hysteria. They're best friends and even now, at four and five years old, he hasn't quite left her behind. Yes, he runs faster and jumps with more surety, but she's got him when it comes to grammar and getting the jokes Gram plays on them both.

I don't think my brother will ever know how grateful I am to him for that boy. I know, I know, he probably didn't have Jaxon just for me and my girls but hey, this blog is all about me, so I'm going with it. We're so glad for the boy. He brings balance to our very female home, he makes the girls giggle with his awesome boyishness. He teaches Olivia that there are things she can do that she wouldn't consider trying without him as the example that they're possible.

He's just so seriously awesome.