16. Travis

For a half an hour this afternoon, Travis walked around like this because he couldn't find the other shoe in his shoe box and I was with Matthew doing homework. He came to ask me to find the shoe, and after I told him where to look or to wait until I was finished he chose to wait. 

He was astonishingly patient for a 3 year-old. When I finally finished with Matthew and after I forgot about Travis' missing shoe, I headed over to the dryer to switch another load of laundry. Travis came to me and asked calmly if now I could help him find the shoe.

Travis is #3 and has been such a joy to have. He was the perfect pregnancy, the perfect nursing baby, the most content baby, the most cuddly boy, and I feel grateful to have him in my home. I love his 'good morning' greetings and the way he runs to me open arms, screaming "mommie" when I return home regardless of how long I've been gone. 

His hugs are so often and so welcomed. I love when I hold him how his hand is always softly touching my neck and how he can fall asleep in my arms.  I love his laugh and his humor and his huge belly adult sounding burp. 

I laugh inside when he says he doesn't like his house or his new Star Wars room or his bed when he really wants to say, 'Can I come and fall asleep with you?' Then dragging in his pink blanket which he loves in spite of his uncle making fun of him and his mom unwilling to spring for a blue one to snuggle me.

When we went on a vacation with my sister's family and joined them for a 31 mile hike or what seemed like 31 miles and maybe it was only 3.1 miles, Travis' famous words were and still are "almost mom" while I carried him up the steep hill at mile marker 2.0.

I honor him in his clear intention and his ability to soften my heart, in his provoking language and his short lived anger filled rejections. And I honor him when he refuses to smile for family pictures or preschool pictures or even pictures in the back yard because he's embarrassed, shy, or just plain skillfully controlling. 

Travis, I honor YOU.