I wasn’t sure I wanted a second kid. Today, that second kid turns 6.

I definitely didn’t want a large age gap between my kids. He was born more than 5 years after my first.

I also wanted a girl. My new 6-year-old is boy #2.

Welp. Plans are stupid. Expectations are stupider. (Yes I know it’s not a word, get off me!)

Years back, I wrote a blog post about how, despite my anxiety and trepidation about having another kid, none of that mattered once he was born.

The stress didn’t go away, obviously. Honestly, it probably got worse!

Money got tighter, space got smaller, the future became even more fraught. But that stuff, while constantly thrumming in the background, is no match for the happiness The Hammer brings me – and pretty much everyone – on a daily basis.

The age gap actually worked pretty well (at least at first). Having a 5/6/7-year-old who can entertain himself (read: operate the TV) comes in pretty handy when you need to feed/change/hold a baby or deal with a largely helpless toddler.

He may not be a girl, but he’s still a lot different than his older brother. They both prefer their mom – my attempts to get snuggles from The Hammer are an exercise in desperation and futility – but his personality and interests are unique to him.

He has a happy-go-lucky attitude, seemingly having escaped his dad’s – and his brother’s – moodiness, he worships snakes and sharks to an alarming degree (we watched Jurassic Park for his birthday and he repeatedly cheered for the raptors – even during the kid-stalking kitchen scene!) and his interest in sports finally gives me someone to share my Dolphins-based misery with.

I’m not gonna sit here and lay out all the reasons The Hammer is special – not only is that boring AF, it’s way off brand! – but suffice it to say I’m no longer unsure about having a second kid.
In fact, I couldn’t imagine life without one.

Happy Birthday, Hammer!

To quote Will Smith: Daddy loves you! Daddy loves you!