While we waited, we debated names. For a girl, we had Cheyanne Elizabeth picked out. For a boy, well, I didn't have much of a choice. None at all, in fact. Ken was adamant that if the baby bump turned out to be a son he would have to be named after him, his dad, and his favorite uncle. I was not thrilled. We had so many Kens in our lives already and adding another one to the batch would just multiply the confusion. After some negotiating, we agreed to continue on the first name tradition but instead of calling the baby Ken or Kenny, he would go by his initials: K.C. And that's exactly what happened. When I delivered a 6 lb, 15 oz, baby boy that February night, we welcomed our little K.C. into our lives and hearts.
Almost twenty-five years later, his friends and family still know him as K.C. Even his teachers and classmates know him as K.C. His fiance calls him K.C. Everyone does with one exception. Apparently, when you join the grown-up workforce, the nickname you've had since birth is overthrown for your legal name. This mom would like to throw a flag on the play! (A football reference...aren't you impressed?)
K.C. was an easy baby. A happy baby. He was sweet and silly right up until he hit those tween years. Life isn't always easy or fair and, eventually, the outgoing little boy became a more serious, introverted teenager. But maybe that would have happened regardless of life's cruelties. Those teen years are rough no matter how blessed your home life may be.
Those tough teen years passed and KC's now in his mid-twenties. (I can't believe I just typed that sentence! How is he already approaching his 25th birthday?!?)
I'm so grateful K.C.'s silliness didn't really leave him. Those teen years just buried it for a while. As he left behind his childhood and started a life on his own, I've seen more and more of his old self reemerging. He's full of shenanigans and can talk a million miles an hour. Mostly about video games and cars. I can usually follow the video game chatter but that car talk...boy, do I struggle!
He is also surprisingly knowledgeable about a bunch of random things that always catch me by surprise. I guess I figure he's so busy with chasing after his toddler, cooking dinners, playing video games, and researching cars that I can't imagine he has time to do a deep dive into the secret lives of sharks or cheetahs or whatever else happened to catch his attention most recently.
Oh, yes, this little Vegas baby of mine has a baby of his own now. I guess it's fitting my first baby gave me my first grandbaby, who I am positive is the cutest, smartest, and busiest little boy in the history of little boys! (Yes, I am unapologetically biased. Show me a grammy who's not!)
He's also on the verge of getting married. He and his fiance, Allie, have a wedding planned for June 2024. These are not their engagement photos but I think they perfectly sum up the silliness they bring out in each other. I mean who doesn't love an intentionally awkward photoshoot!
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