A Ton of Bricks

I am not a huge fan of country music, but I have developed a tolerance to a select few country artists that I've actually grown fond of. The Daddy ant goes through phases where he listens to lots of country. He was going through one of those phases right around the time that Flik was born.

After Flik was born, he was very jaundiced. Every day after we got home, we had to bring him to the doctor's office to have his blood checked to see if his bilirubin levels were going down. A few days after Flik was born, we were on one of those trips to the doctor when I heard a newly released country song for the first time. Daddy was driving and I was sitting in the backseat with my baby because he cried so much when he was in his carseat.

Drivin' through town just my boy and me

With a Happy Meal in his booster seat

Knowin' that he couldn't have the toy 'til his nuggets were gone

A green traffic light turned straight to red

I hit in my brakes and mumbled under my breath

His fries went a flyin' and his orange drink covered his lap

Well, then my 4 year old said a 4 letter word

It started with 'S' and I was concerned

So I said, "Son, now where'd you learn to talk like that?"

He said, "I've been watching you, Dad ain't that cool?

I'm your buckaroo, I want to be like you

And eat all my food, and grow as tall as you are?

We got cowboy boots and camo pants

Yeah, we're just alike, hey, ain't we dad

I want to do everything you do

So I've been watching you"

I had just given birth and was a hormonal mess. I was in tears as I looked at my brand new baby and thought of him growing up and hanging out with his Daddy.

Fast forward 4 1/2 years to today. I was at work. I was working. I was listening to music on my iPhone. I have a playlist specifically for when I'm tired of listening to the same music over and over. It's called "Least Played" and it's automatically filled with anything that hasn't been played in the last 3 months. So today I was sitting at my desk, listening to music, and this song comes on.

Drivin' through town just my boy and me

With a Happy Meal in his booster seat

...

Well, then my 4 year old said a 4 letter word

It started with 'S' and I was concerned

...

At that is when it hit me. Oh my God! My baby is a 4 year old. I got as teary listening to this song today as I did the first time I heard it.

The first time I heard this song, my baby looked like this:

And here he is now (with his baby brother):

I know that my little boy is growing up, and he's doing it awful fast. But sometimes it catches you off guard. Sometimes it hits you like a ton of bricks.

***

FYI: The song is Watching You by Rodney Atkins.