Baseballs, Butterflies, & Blessings: Will

So Will turned 5 over a week ago but with the start of school and a big birthday party, I'm way behind (in so many things!) & just now getting to a post about his year & where he's at!

Will at age 5:

Weight: 32 lbs

Height: 38"

Will still naps daily - from 2-2.5 hours a day! He sleeps with his gigi & bunny & pirate baby. He is a hard sleeper and often begs for his nap time - the boy knows he needs rest!

This year, Will's imagination has exploded. He is almost always dressed up as something/someone. He often adopts the vocabulary and voice of his characters - amazing us with his acting ability! He even wrote a "screenplay" with his Daddy this year; it was pretty entertaining!

He has started to enjoy coloring a little but it's still not really his thing. He did color his first family portrait this year; I've framed it.

He is an incredible conversationalist. He brings deep thoughts to the table and keeps my brain thinking... and often challenged.

Of course, he also brings a lot of silliness to our family and entertains us with his dancing and his funny expressions and hilarious "willisms."

He's tenderhearted. He seems to try really hard to be buddies with mean kids - often telling me that "I love them, Mommy, and even though they are mean to kids with hand and feet differences, I want to be their friend." He seems to have a heart for kids who are hard to reach and he creatively comes up with ways to "teach them how to be a good friend."

He's loyal - fiercely loyal.

He laughs. Loudly and contagiously. I get stopped in public all the time by strangers who hear him laughing. You simply can't help but smile when Will laughs. It's the most wonderful sound in the world.

He is affectionate. His love languages are definitely touch & quality time and he's not afraid to bestow kisses and hugs on those he loves. We cuddle daily - it's a part of our routine! He daily reassures me that he will marry me and even though he has to grow up, he'll always be my little boy and he'll hold me when I get old.

Will spends hours setting up his action figures or cars or animal figurines. He seems to enjoy the setting up the scene just as much as he actually enjoys playing with them.

He loves to play and seems to need some downtime for free play daily.

He could care less about food. He will eat enough good things to get by but doesn't eat a high quantity of food. He's never really had an aversion to any food category - he'll eat vegetables (he loves carrots, cucumbers, roasted eggplant, and broccoli.) He loves fruit the most probably. He loves fish (any kind!) and apparently chicken nuggets are his favorite as I was informed today. He still drinks whole milk - often mixed with chocolate. He also loves lemonade and sprite for special treats. For dessert treats, he loves his Cookie's cookies but made the special way for him!

This year, he's made huge advances in bike riding! He can go down hill great! He also earned his first belt in kung - fu. He played soccer and enjoyed it too. In swimming, as a four year old, he figured out how to dive from the side and also is now swimming across the pool independently. I love watching him swim. It's so good for the entire body; he can do it for life; he can do it with exactly the body he has - no need for extra equipment.

He has a very, very, very loose tooth and a sort of loose tooth. We have been wiggling his tooth for months & keep expecting it to come out in Will's daily apple!

Will is extremely talkative. He is also very comfortable around adults (more so than kids, really) and will talk to any adult about various topics. He amuses us with the ways he initiates conversations with strangers and asks them questions about themselves! Still a little Senator.

This year, Will has inspired us with his bravery. As a four year old, he initiated a conversation with one of his specialists about a surgery he is interested in. He was able to articulate clearly to his doctor what his (Will's) goals are. And he was 4!

(And he will likely be having some version of that surgery this winter.)

His maturity when it comes to his medical journey is astounding.

He remains good natured and generally happy - despite becoming more and more aware of others' stares and comments and questions. He has become more frustrated this year with strangers' reactions to him and we are learning new ways to respond and to handle the anxiety of dealing with it.

He inspires us because Will doesn't hide - he faces strangers and questions about his body everywhere he goes.

We've noticed that when others meet Will, they are often first captivated by his differences. Will does so much to help others overcome seeing him as different. It's incredible at his age to watch as he helps others to see him as just another regular kid.

Will has had to find extra bravery and we've been praying daily for courage together. He is currently facing another challenge and though there is fear, he expresses himself and communicates and trusts his doctors and his parents. Today, he told a nurse "thank you" after a particularly hard afternoon.

I read recently that a hero has three components - kindness, spirit, and bravery. Will certainly encapsulates that. He is our hero.