The Gentle Giant

When Jackson was born, my mother-in-law welcomed me into a secret society...that of mothers of children who look bigger than their age. I didn't really understand exactly how being in this society would affect my life. (Jackson has always been big...almost 9 pounds at birth. Now at 2 weeks past his 2 year old birthday, he is 35 pounds and 36 inches tall.) People always think your child should act 1-2 years older than they are (I mean, he is the size of the average 3 year old). You get "Ma'm the discount is for those under 3 (duh)", the airline ALWAYS wanted to check Jackson's birth certificate, and I spend more on Jackson's shoes than I do my own. Jackson currently wears a size 9...EXTRA WIDE. The EXTRA WIDE part is the big dilemma. I tried (unsuccessfully) to squish his fat little feet into the shoes at Target and Walmart, to the wails of my poor little one. A kind store clerk in Gainesville saw this and referred me to Stride Rite, where I could find giganto shoes for my little one. Because the shoes are a bit pricey, we try to only buy on sale, and Jackson only has two pairs of shoes...everyday and church. He wears these until he can't squish into them any longer. The other day, I knew it was time for new shoes because Jackson kept repeating "Shoes off!". I had him measured and found that he'd grown from his 7.5 XW to a 9 XW. Poor kiddo. To all the mothers of "gentle giants" out there...you are not alone. Here's to funny stares from people, having your two-year-old wearing 3-4 T clothing, and specialty shoes.