Guess what? I have a son old enough to go to Scout Camp

I have spent the day reflecting about my now 12 year old son.  

12 years ago, we were living in Colorado.  My husband had just graduated from dental school and we had moved into my parent's house to wait for the baby to arrive and so we wouldn't have to pack up our dental school apartment with a newborn.  Toothsome #1 was born on the 4th of July weekend.  It was in a small hospital and he was the only baby born that weekend and we had the whole maternity wing to ourselves for the weekend.  The nurses would come into my room just to chat because there was really nothing going on except "us." 

My husband had a practice waiting for him to come and purchase but my doctor told us he didn't want me traveling with a newborn until he was 3 weeks old and my husband didn't want to leave me or the baby.  (This was the only time we had that luxury.  After my others were born, he went straight back to work within hours. My husband feels a huge commitment to his patients.)  

Since he was my first, I didn't really know but he was an easy baby.  He cried when he was hungry or when he peed outside of his diaper (which was frequently).   I had my mom with me 24/7 for those three weeks and it was marvelous.  

Three weeks later, we moved to a home in the Sugarhouse area of Salt Lake.  I went from constant help in a beautiful 5000 square foot home to no help in a home that was a 1400 square feet fixer upper that needed a ton of fixing up.  It was a horrible first few months!  But Toothsome #1 was a trooper and we made it through.

Early on, it became obvious that Toothsome #1 loved Daddy more than his mother.  I was honestly fine with that, and that is still the case and I am still fine with that.   When his chips are down, he wants Dentist husband.  They have a one of a kind relationship and I am so grateful they have each other.   

As his younger siblings have come into the scene, he has been an excellent older brother.  His siblings adore him.  He is smart and capable.  He is also shy.  Is he perfect?  Far from it but as a parent, I adore and love him to pieces.  

When he turned eight, and it was time to go to Cub Scout Day camp, he didn't want to go.  He cried--a lot.  I ended up having to carry him to the car over my shoulder, strap him in the seat and tell our leader to drive away and that he would fine once he was out of my sight.  That was true.  (I know him very well.)  

Well, at the age of 12, we had no drama.  He packed his own backpack, and got out of the car excited to go to Scout Camp.  I have complete trust in our scout leaders (honestly, they are the dream team of scout leaders) and I knew he would be fine.  And, he was.  He loved it.  Until scout camp, he has slept away from our house two nights.  This time it was five in a row!  But again, he was fine and had an excellent time.  (And they did amazing, fun stuff--SCUBA, aviation, horseback riding, canoeing, wake boarding, small boat sailing, ice caving, and even the horribly hard to get Environmental Science merit badge).

Today, he passed the Sacrament for the first time.  Yes, I got a little teary.  He is not my newborn anymore.  He is not even my little boy anymore.  But he is still my son.  12 years happened too fast.