Let's just put it this way: this kid I am still trying to figure out. I've known him for over twelve years and five of those we even home-schooled so we've spent a lot of time together. But still he surprises me or puzzles me at times. He likes sushi, mangoes, running (although he now says I slow him down when we run together ;) ), and of course VIDEO GAMES). He's eerily similar to his dad; like to the point where I tilt my head and squint my eyes at him to make sure it's not James talking to me. But that's a good thing. I like my husband. :)
When I was pregnant with Cyrus and Jade, I would have dreams about them but I only ever pictured Jade. This made me a bit nervous about how Cyrus would look...maybe that sounds shallow...? It's just that everyone warns you that newborns basically look like disfigured, cone-headed little aliens. Would I still love my babies if they were ugly? Misshapen? Covered in labor cottage cheese? (Sorry, TMI.)
Well, Cyrus' head ended up being stuck sideways in the birth canal (clearly he was not going to give up his position as first born to his sister) and so what was supposed to be a perfectly natural birth turned into a C-section. I have to give kudos to my hubby here because this was pretty crazy for us and he kept his cool through the whole thing. He never passed out, punched doctors or left my side. At least as far as I know ;) Maybe his story is different than mine...lol. We specifically told the doctors that Cyrus needed to be taken out first since he'd called dibs on 'first position' for the last few months and they concurred. When James brought him over to me, I felt a wave of relief wash over me:"Wow! He's really cute!" I said. Maybe I should have said something more profound, but no. That was it. And he was stinkin cute. One word:dimples. No one else in our family has them. Just Cyrus. If you haven't seen them, just poke him and he'll giggle, then voila.
We got to hear his giggles and see those adorable dimples a lot when he was a baby. He was incredibly ticklish and we have tons of videos of him clearly being tickled past the point of his enjoyment, but not ours. Hee hee. Poor guy ;)
Something else we'll never forget about Cyrus as a baby was his ability to projectile spit-up. Seriously, we should have measured the distance/furniture/carpet/people that he could cover in a split second. Is there a Guinness record for that...? His favorite person to spit-up on was daddy. It's like he stored up all his excitement in the day and then when James walked in the door, he couldn't hold it in anymore. I thought it was hilarious. James did not.
Never the less, we had a lot of fun watching Cyrus and Jade interact with each other when they were babies. Cyrus would get a hold of Jade's clothes, not be able to let go (maybe?) and then Jade would scream bloody murder. A few months later, Jade would scoot over to Cyrus and suck on his foot while he was doing his airplane thing (waving his arms and legs like he's going to take off any second). Then a few more months later, Jade started walking while he was still 'cruising' and she'd use him for support (which wouldn't typically end well for him). All in all, though, he's been a pretty tolerant brother.
As he gained two more siblings, his skill set definitely grew. He is now an expert at popping toys out of baby mouths (especially Lego heads), he's not too cool to pretend play with Dax, and he'll even let Phoenix pop him close-range with a dart gun. It's not easy being a big brother, though. Dax is almost as fast and as tall as him which is starting to make things interesting...I keep telling Cyrus that God is keeping him humble. But I don't think that helps his ego at all ;) Well-meaning friends and family tell him he just hasn't hit his growth spurt yet...but then he wisely and wistfully glances over at me and his dad (giants, right?). Cyrus will be whatever size God makes him and hopefully he can be content with that!
There is a side to Cyrus that I love and that has been interesting to see mature. He is kind of an old soul, and extremely discerning of whatever is going on around him. He absorbs emotions from people like a super power. This was frustrating at first because it meant I had to not only have self control over my impatience and anger but also work through things to a resolution. If you're ever wondering if James and I are in the middle of a conflict, just ask Cyrus. We could be acting like cool cucumbers but he always seems to know if something's up. If his teachers at school are stressed, he'll be stressed. If a kid is being bullied, he feels the tension. So let's just say that being in full-time public school the last few years has been quite the emotional workout for him. But it's been a good workout in many ways. God has given him a few really sweet friends and he's grown in both public speaking and taking responsibility for the work he does (for better or worse). It's crazy to think how soon he will be making his own life decisions...in a few months he'll be a teenager...then a few years after that he'll be driving...and a few years after that he'll be the same age as James and I were when he popped into the world. I'm so thankful for the time God has given him with us and I hope we have more...I often forget that Cyrus is really God's creation and we just get to borrow him for a while.
Someone once told me that being raised by Christian parents is incredibly difficult and I suppose in many ways this is true. We have high expectations for our kids and remind them daily that God is the ultimate authority. He is a good God which means He is a just and loving God. He will never leave you or forsake you but He will walk with you through the valley of the shadow of death and prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. Biblical doctrine is not always an easy pill to swallow. When much of the world wants to form God to their image, the reality for true followers of Christ is that God painstakingly forms them to the image of his son Jesus. If I had to pick a scripture that puts parenting in a nutshell I think I'd pick Hebrews 12:11.
One time after Cyrus had thrown one of his biggest tantrums ever and I wondered if I was the most horrible parent ever for serving out multiple consequences, he timidly called me back to his room. I slowly entered the doorway, for fear of something being hurled at my head. He was curled up on his mattress (he'd thrown all his bedding off his bed, lol) and he whispered to me, "Thank you for disciplining me. Thank you for not letting me do these things that I know I shouldn't do." I tried not to fall over in shock. I briefly looked around the room to see if someone had paid my son to say these things. Seriously?! What seven year old says things like that?! It was a beautiful and much-needed moment of encouragement from my heavenly father. There is nothing more wonderful than a repentant heart. I love having fun with my kids. I love when they make me proud with their hard work or their kind actions. But honestly it can't compare to how awesome humility is when it points them to their need for a savior and His truly amazing grace.
The other day I was having a conversation with Cyrus about what Biblical love is. We talked about Proverbs 27:6 (faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy) and I asked him if he thought that his dad and I loved him. Thankfully he said yes ;) Then I asked him how often I made him do things he didn't want to do (chores, homework, eating veggies, apologizing to siblings, going outside to play, etc etc)...he was like, "Um...all the time. That's basically all you do." Ha! So true, right?! I told Cyrus that his dad and I love him exactly how God made him, in his ugly moments and in his beautiful moments. But, our job as his parents is to train him up to be a man after God's own heart. That means serving others sacrificially, having a good attitude in all circumstances and most of all, dropping on his knees in front of God in submission. I warned him that our culture will tell him to only trust his feelings, only do what feels good, to 'live and let live'. While God has given us emotions and pleasures and commanded us to speak the truth in love, it is our job to lead our heart, not simply follow our heart. Our pastor had mentioned this and I thought it was very well said. C.S. Lewis also refers to it in Mere Christianity. We are not called to be stagnant, content with our broken world and imperfect flesh. We are called to be ambassadors for the truth, no matter how popular or unpopular it is. We are called to be slaves of righteousness, free in Christ, giving up our liberties for love.
I pray that God will continue to mature Cyrus into a great leader, a hard worker and a lover of the truth. May we pray earnestly for the men in this world and thank God for their roles in teaching, protecting, providing and loving. They are significantly irreplaceable in the eyes of God.
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