The day he became a little boy

"A boy is the only thing God can use to make a man." - Unknown.

"One of the best things in the world to be is a boy; it requires no experience, but needs some practice to be a good one. " - Charles Dudley Warner

Is this how it is with all sons? Can all moms point to the exact moment their baby became a little boy?

I can.

It was at my brother Michael's house. Last Sunday.

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, I had a little baby. He was my favorite thing in the world. My husband would laugh at me when I'd say, "he's such a baby." But I'd say it because I loved that he was a baby.

Good-bye baby Davey, and very nice to meet you little boy Davey.

It's very nice to hear you scream and yell; to have you spit and hit and throw; to see you crawl and move at increasing speeds. Yes, very nice. and I mean it. I never want to be a mom that is frustrated or mad that her little boy is ... well ... a little boy.

I just don't know, yet, what to do. But I am not worried. And I pretend that I am not scared that I might fail in helping turn this little boy into a man. I just slowly breathe in a lot of patience and slowly exhale a lot of love.

I need practice.

And he needs practice.

Practice.

Practice.

Practice.

"Look at the camera, Day-bee"

On a side note: This is my little brother, Michael. Last time I saw him, he was my little brother in every way. And now he's not. Funny how the world continues to turn, even without your permission.

Post Edit: This little brother Michael is different from the other little brother Mike featured two posts down.