The Baby Has Grown Up!

Happy 28th Birthday, Eric Bill!

I remember so well the day that Eric was born. He was the second son and the last son. His birth was so much easier than his brother's birth had been three and a half years earlier. Less pain, less stress, less time. When he came into the world, my precious Dr. Bates laid the newborn upon my chest...and thus our relationship began. He didn't cry...he didn't fuss...he just lay peacefully on my chest breathing air in and out with his brand new lungs. When I began to talk to him, he opened his eyes and struggled to focus on my face. Although the bright lights forced his eyes to squint, he was determined to look at my face and listen to my voice. He was attentive, quiet and peaceful.

Later in the day, the nurses from the nursery came into my room and asked me what I did for a living. I told them I was a teacher and they began to laugh. Then they asked me what I did with my new baby when they brought him into my room. I told them I talked to him. They laughed again...and said that my profession and my behavior with the baby answered all their questions. The nurses said that while all the other babies cried, my little Eric would follow them with his eyes and listen to them talk. He wanted verbal communication from the beginning.

Twenty-eight years later, my little Eric Bill is a teacher and a coach...and is a master at communicating with kids! He has a beautiful wife, Amber, and together they have built a beautiful life and welcome us into their world with open arms.

How do they grow up so quickly?

We love you, Baby Boy!