Team Schuurman: A Year and a Half Old!

     Yesterday, our precious baby boy turned 18 months old and for you math majors out there, that's a year and a half old! I know I sound like a broken record each month, but this child brings Mark and I such joy. He doesn't "fulfill" us or "make us whole" because that's what Jesus did for us when we accepted His free gift of salvation. But Marcus sure does keep us on our toes and make us laugh a lot.
     This morning as I was buckling him into his car seat he said, "Dig-dig!" in reference to the digger that we pass on the way there. I thought, "wow, he knows that already!" Now, it was his lucky day because after we went to the gym we passed a major construction site. I circled the block to see if there was a place to park so he could better see the equipment in use and we found the PERFECT spot. We were right on the side of a back road, directly beside a huge excavator. The man maneuvering it dug and moved dirt while Marcus squealed and jumped with glee. It was only five minutes of watching but Marcus enjoyed every last second of it before he waved "bye bye" to his "dig-dig."
     Now, I know I'm not supposed to compare him to other children, but sometimes I just can't help it. We went and walked with a friend and another 18 month old today and the differences were amazing. Marcus was much bigger, more energetic, louder, and much more aggressive that this sweet little boy. God creates us all in His image, yet we have our own DNA and differences. It's been plain to us from an early age that Marcus definitely doesn't fit in the normal curve of children his age, in all areas. In some ways, we're excited. For example, he's very personable, has a large vocabulary, and tends to play well with other children. Not only that, but he's as big as (if not bigger) that most 2 year olds and we all know that size plays a major role in athletics (should he chose to go that route...). A down side to his "differences" would be that he has the potential to be "that kid" who's loud, obnoxious, and possibly ADHD. There's no promise of any of that, of course, but as his mother, I often think of what he'll be when he grows up, gets older, etc.
     We have our 18 month appointment with Dr. Love next Monday and I'll be sure to post the stats. I can already tell you he's off the charts in height and will be in the 50th-75th percentile in weight - I bet. I bet he'll scream during the whole examination and then when it's all said and done, he'll shut the tears off like a faucet.
     Until then, we look forward to having Grandpa and Grandma Schuurman spend the rest of the week with us and you KNOW we'll have lots of pictures of their visit. *Warning* Spoiling approaching...