9 years old!

9 years old!

My sweet eldest son celebrates his 9th birthday tomorrow. Nine?! Has it been 9 years since I started this journey of motherhood? Really?
He has been such a blessing to us. From the very start, he was no trouble at all. He is just an all-around good kid. He does well in school. Let me rephrase that - he does VERY well in school. He is an intelligent and intuitive boy. He is sweet and obedient and loving. He is quiet, reserved and observant.
Being the eldest, he has taken the brunt of our raw parenting. But we must be doing something right because he seem to be growing up into a fine young man.
Yes, I did say, young man for that is what will be soon. In a few years, he will be entering the awkward stage of tween years. Soon after, he will be a teenager. Soon, we will have to handle the hormonal changes and the practical side effects (like looking for acne solutions?). We'll need to learn the fine art of giving him enough room to be independent yet giving him boundaries too. I don't think I can handle the thought of parenting a teenager just yet. LOL!
I'll stop not before I go overboard thinking of the future. The important thing is to enjoy him at this age. We need to parent him according to his needs right now. Building a good relationship with him lays a foundation that will hopefully hold up during his teen years and beyond. And the most essential ingredient to parenting: prayer! I sincerely pray that God leads us and shows us how to best parent HIS son.