Saturday April 2, 2011
Today was a typical day in the Mefferd household. It was a beautiful Saturday morning and the kids were rested and giggly. I could hear laughter flowing from the kitchen as I made my way down the hall. I looked forward to days like these. If only they could be bottled up and stored forever.
As I sauntered to the kitchen, I saw three bright-eyed and smiling faces sitting at the bar. Jack’s face was beaming.
Being a dad was the only thing he ever wanted. THIS is what got him out of bed. THIS is what he lived for.
The kids were talking about their week and how excited they were to be home. That’s what they called our house- HOME. They loved their time here.
Every weekend was full of new adventures.
New crafts.
New excitement.
Every weekend we worked tirelessly to spend every moment soaking it all in. Home-cooked meals were always ready with their favorite desserts to boot. Their only job while they were here was to be a kid. My favorite place of it all was on the sidelines taking it all in and watching them interact. I could literally feel Jack’s heart growing every time he was with them.
On this particular Saturday, Liam started to share childhood “memories.” He began telling a story in depth about being a baby and how he struggled to be breastfed. He said the alienator told him that he would have to be held a particular way because he couldn’t quite latch on like Mary and Kaitie. After he was done feeding, according to the alienator, he made a silly noise which Liam then emulated. The kids immediately erupted in laughter.
I looked over at Jack only to see him turn white as a sheet. I asked him what was wrong. He ran downstairs without saying a word.
A few minutes later, he reappeared holding a picture. He set it on the bar, looked at me and said, “None of the kids were breastfed.”
Taken 2002- Liam less than 1 month old