Growth Spurt

Last fall I began noticing a lot of changes in Connor's growth and development, including his voice dropping and his feet growing like crazy. He, of course, had surpassed me in height last spring but it seemed like recently he was going through yet another significant growth spurt. I'm not exaggerating when I say that sometimes I feel like I don't even recognize this kid in front of me. He sounds different. He looks different. And, not surprisingly, he is acting a lot different. Secretly it has been breaking my heart but admittedly I've been expecting (dreading) it for as long as I can remember.

I think Connor's growth has been most noticeable when he's around Jeff. Earlier this spring, it caught me off guard when I saw him walk past Jeff and could tell the height difference was shrinking rapidly.

But then what really floored me was the morning he gave me a hug and I noticed that I had leaned my head over onto his shoulder. I was taken aback, "Wait, what? Am I putting MY head on YOUR shoulder now??" Ughhhhh,

In late March, we wondered how close Connor was to Jeff's height. We did an official measurement. They were maybe at 1-1.5 inch difference at this point.

Then, in early May, I happened to notice Jeff's photo calendar by his kitchen in the desk. There was a picture of he and Connor from last year's baseball championship in Dubai, and the difference in Connor's height from that point was shocking. I went back and compared photos to see the year-over-year difference. Wow!

On top of his height, he seems to be adding bulk recently, too. Jeff has been working out with the kids regularly during quarantine and I'm starting to see Connor transform into a much more muscular frame. He was happy to show me his "guns" when I asked him recently, ha!

On Connor's birthday, Kevin came over to hang out and I snapped a father-son photo of the 3 guys. Connor's growth spurt was clearly evident, even since those earlier photos in March. It was crazy to see him next to Kevin and Jeff for reference. I fondly refer to this shot as "Tall Taller Tallest." But for how long??