 |
| 3 years old |
 |
| 6 months pregnant with Dylan |
I've always wanted to be a mother, and I wanted my first child to be a son. Fourteen years ago, I gave birth to an 8 lb 5 oz baby boy on June 18, 1999 at 3:41 a.m. I named him Dylan Roy Bivens. (Roy after my father.) Dylan was lucky because for the first 5 1/2 years of his life, he had no one to compete with. He was an only child for those years, and he got all of my attention. Being the first grandchild on both sides of the family, Dylan was spoiled and loved by everyone.
 |
| Dylan became a big brother for the first time at 5 1/2 years old |
 |
| Dylan with his younger brother, Brandon. They fight all the time, but I know they are best friends (even though they won't admit it) |
Dylan had a very unique and close relationship with my mom, because as the first grandchild, he is the only one who knew my mom before she was sick. Unfortunately, all of the other grandchildren only knew my mom when she had cancer. She would often pick him up from daycare at her lunch hour from work and take him to lunch. She took him on weekend vacations to visit my brother in Las Vegas. Because of Dylan, she got to be a grandmother without the burden of cancer for five years. When my mom passed away, Dylan was 10 years old. She was dying, and he was at his paternal grandparents house. I called him and told him that it was just a matter of hours before she would die. I asked if he wanted to see her to say bye. He refused, and I did not want to force him, but Dylan is amazing. He called me back five minutes later and told me he wanted to see her. It was difficult for a 10-year old to face death like that, but he did. I was so proud of his maturity.
 |
| Kissing Grandma |
My mom's funeral was attended by many. Ten-year old Dylan stood behind the podium in front of 100+ people and spoke at my mom's funeral. It wasn't just about giving a speech in front of hundreds. It was his strength and courage and ability to express the love he had for my mom while managing his own personal grief. Both my former and current bosses attended the funeral. Both are CEOs who have led organizations of over 10,000. They have seen it all, and yet they both were in awe of him. They told me how incredibly impressed they were by Dylan, which is a huge compliment.
I love all my children equally, and each one has their strengths and weaknesses. My mom always told me that Dylan had the softest heart and when I'm older, he would always take care of me. She is right. He does have the kindest soul. He is genuinely a good kid. What is additionally impressive about Dylan is his honesty. I trust him completely. I don't think I can find a more honest kid. Dylan is given opportunities to conceal things from me, but he never does. He is always straight with me. I don't think he does this intentionally. It is just who he is...He is extremely honest....a quality I admire so much.
Dylan is graduating from middle school. He is doing so well in school. We had a meeting with the school's principal and teachers; they told us they have never met a kid who was so concerned about the grades he receives. He wants tests corrected immediately so he can find out how well he did.
Dylan loves basketball. He has influenced the entire family. Because of him, we are all watching the playoffs. I actually am an avid follower of pro basketball....thanks to Dylan.
Dylan is an extraordinary long-distance runner. He has completed three half marathons with his personal record at 2:14. All done without any training.
 |
| Dylan running his first official race- a 5.8 mile Conquer the Bridge run. He placed 4th in his age group at nine years old |
 |
| March 2013--Dylan runs the OC Half Marathon in 2:14 |
 |
| Dylan did jiu jitsu for three years and placed 1st in the Kids World Jiu Jitsu Tournament for his division |
Dylan has a girlfriend. I am not surprised. He is an incredibly romantic guy. He is beyond his years....in fact, adult men could learn a lesson from this kid. I may be biased, but I think he is incredibly good-looking. Actually, I don't think I am biased. I have seen other boys in his school. Dylan is very, very good looking.
Dylan loves to cook, and he is actually quite good. He regularly cooks 2-3 dinners a week for the entire family.
Dylan is rather passive, and I think it is because he is just too nice. He is non-confrontational.
Dylan is also incredibly funny. He wants told me that pro basketball players fly to their away games on NBA Airlines. Strange? I never heard of NBA Airlines. Have you? He also told Lance that, "I'm a black man from the waist down if you know what I mean?" Moreover, he said to Lance, "In the NBA, it is a requirement to have a 6- inch penis, so I know why you got cut from your college basketball team. They found out you didn't meet the requirement." As twisted as this may be to most, he shares our weird sense of gross humor. Lance and I purchased a new truck this past week, and while at the dealer, Dylan sends me a text message with the below photo and caption..."Buddy left you a present"
Dylan is also an animal lover...another trait of a good soul.
I am suppose to love my son because he is my son. However, I don't just love him. I really like him. I like who he is as a person. I'm proud of him. He has great integrity and character.
Dylan--You are a blessing to me. I am so proud of who you are....Don't ever doubt how wonderful, wonderful, wonderful you are. You are God's gift to me. I love you more than you will ever know, and there isn't anything that I wouldn't do for you. Tears are in my eyes now because that's how much I love you. Happy 14th Birthday. Thank you so much for being my son. I could not have had a better son.
 |
| 8th Grade Graduation |
No comments:
Post a Comment