Today is the 29th birthday of my first born, Brandon Mark Pearce.  I can hardly believe that my darling little boy is a grown man!  How did that happen????

I was thinking about his childhood this week and thought I’d share a few memories.   

His birth was a both a joyous and frightening time… because although he arrived wide eyed and alert, the medical staff whisked him right away because his blood sugar level was near zero.    He was so tiny – looked like a little bird….   barely 5 lbs and nothing close to chubby.    But he was happy!

More health issues were discovered – he was jaundiced, had issues with reflux and a heart murmer.  I spent my first mothers day in the hospital with my baby in ICU.   And one of the hardest things I’ve ever done was check out of LDS hospital to go home without him.  

I did get to bring him home a few days later – but soon afterward had to rush him to Primary Children’s Hospital where he underwent heart surgery to repair his PDA valve.    Fortunately it worked, and he’s been healthy ever since. The huge scar that wrapped half way around his tiny body is just a small smile of a scar under his arm today.

Brandon has always been very smart and creative.  He walked early, talked early and memorized many songs…. singing them perfectly in tune.  He said lots of cute, funny things that still make me smile today.   

Around age 3, after I’d been in a car accident and my face was bruised and in stitches – I asked him, “Does mommy look ugly?” – and he said, “Yeah, but that’s ok. We’ll just take this head off and buy you a new one at the store.” I’d love to share his Nanny/bathroom story but it might embarrass him. I will if he gives his permission 🙂

From about age 3 to 4, Brandon called his reflection “Dags.” We don’t know why – but any time he’d see a picture of himself, or see him self in the mirror, he’s say, “that’s Dags.” He knew that HE was Brandon, but that other kid…. that was Dags.  Even a few years later, when he no longer called his reflection/current pics Dags, he saw a picture of himself at age 3 and said, “that’s Dags.”

When he was about 8 we were eating dinner at the Yummy Tree and, out of the blue, Brandon told me that he thought he might be an alien. He was dead serious. I asked him WHY he thought he was an alien….

Well, he felt ‘different’ from other kids…. and he couldn’t remember being born. How did he know I was his mother?!

I assured him that I remembered him being born, and I definitely WAS his mother…. though sometimes we do seem to be from different planets 🙂

Brandon has great motor-dexterity skills – before he could even walk, he’d sit on the floor amidst a pile of colorful bracelets, and one by one, pick them up one at a time and using his thumb and a finger, gracefully flip them over onto his arm.  Once they were all on his arm, he’d dump them off and start over again.

His keyboarding skills won him several awards in school – and benefitted his piano playing.  After only a year of lessons, he took on the challenge of teaching himself very difficult piano pieces.   A bit of a musical prodigy, I think….   he sings, plays piano, teaches others and is assistant director of the Utah Oratorio Society (as well as their web designer).

Brandon has always been very disciplined and organized – qualities that have certainly contributed to his current success.  Qualities which I don’t share, unfortuantely.   And he’s always wanted to be ‘righteous’ – not break any rules, etc.   Again, qualities which I don’t particularly share.     I never worried about him getting into trouble as a teenager – he was pretty much always home by 9 to follow his routine of 100 situps, pushups and scripture reading.   

I recall that at the end of either his junior or senior year of high school, he stopped home with a couple of friends around 9pm and asked if he could stay out late for a party.  I nearly cried for joy.  His friends thought I was nuts, but I literally jumped up and hugged him and said, “YES!!!! YES!!! Stay out as late as you want!!! G0 – have fun! Oh joy, you’re finally a TEENAGER!!!!”     LOL….

I knew Brandon was going to serve his mission in Japan and told him so.  Brandon has a very formal, respectful manner about him.  He actually ENJOYS wearing suits.  All that bowing and social formality in Japan came very naturally to him.   He served well and while he did I kept up a website for him to post some of his letters, pictures, etc.   It’s still up – though very outdated now.

Brandon is also really goofy. He loves puns and silly humor. He has a rubber face and actually practices making strange faces in the mirror.  He thoroughly amuses his daughters, and it’s fun to watch how cute and playful he is with them.  When he and Ashley get together, they go particularly nuts – and are great fun.   And I have no idea where they get it from.

Seven years ago, he married the fabulous Jennifer Greene, and they have two beautiful daughters. 

Brandon has combined his music teaching experience with his web programming skills and created a very successful business called Music Teachers Helper.   He’s created a wonderful life for himself and his family (which you can read about on his blog) – and I couldn’t be more proud. 

Happy Birthday, Brandon!

Do you have a Brandon memory you’d like to share??