He decided that he needed to arrive a month early, and pretty much has been dictating how his little life was going to go since then.
When Eli arrived 6 years ago today, I thought that I had this fatherhood thing down pat, which is ridiculous considering that Liam was only 18 months old at the time. Clearly, one of Eli's first priorities in life was to take my confidence down a notch and remind me that I still have a LOT to learn!
The reality is that right from the start, Eli was a mommy's boy. He still is, in fact. I'm still a bit jealous of the way he can just fold into her for cuddle, but I do think that the reason Eli and butt heads in the way that we do is because we are so similar.
The first time I truly realised that was on a road trip, when I thought he fallen asleep. Looking back, I saw that he was just staring out of the window, daydreaming with a look on his face that I definitely related to.
Of course, there are other similarities - the way we hate people telling us what to do, for instance. It's best if both Eli and I feel like we have decided to do the thing...which takes some subtle manipulation by the people in our lives.
Also, there's that naughty, dare I say, charming, glint in our eyes. This one really worries me, because with those charms teaming up with his mom's good looks, this kid might be a little bit too over-powered. The really scary thing is that HE KNOWS THIS.
Ultimately, this kiddo has been teaching me how to be a better dad, who is more patient, empathetic, caring. And that was when he was just a 5 year old. I can't wait to see what the 6 year old version can do!
(Now excuse me as I weep at my baby becoming a big boy!)