Happy birthday, Doug!

January 16, 1998.

Thirteen (!) years ago today, my youngest brother was born. Today, he's 13, an uncle to two nieces and one of the smartest, funniest, sweetest kids I know.
 

Fall 2010: Elle loves her Uncle Doug!

I wrote about his birthday in a post last summer, but yesterday it REALLY hit me: He's a teenager now. Doug is pretty mature for his age. But that doesn't make it any easier to process the fact that he's waaayyyy closer to college than he is to birth and has been for quite some time. He's gone from a toddler who said "troilet paper" and "mercuwav" (microwave) and "ampereer" (vacuum cleaner) to a middle schooler that helps me bake when I'm home and has serious interest in the Cavs and video games.

I was a junior in high school when he was born, and I remember bits and pieces (not as much as I wish I did) about his earliest years. I remember some of the very cute things he did (he was the hit of my senior honors English class when I gave a presentation on advanced maternal age and he was my prop - a classmate said "Make him sneeze again!" because it was so darn cute), and I remember holding him as we swayed to Sarah McLachlan songs at naptime. He would sleepily mumble the words he knew, and later, as his lyrical skills grew, he would enthusiastically shout "Mambo Number Flash!" when listening to one of his favorite songs, Lou Bega's Mambo Number Five.

A lot of those memories creep in at random times now that Elle is here.

My brothers, ages 15 years and 3(ish) months.

I hate living so far away from him and the rest of my family, but he's embraced technology and we often talk on the phone or iChat when possible. I hate missing birthdays, band concerts, taking him on trips like I did when I lived closer - not being to make as many new, daily memories. He is very similar to me, in so many ways, and while my nickname is Bug, he has repeatedly been dubbed "Bug Bite."

My mini-me.

But I love, love, love him. And even though his age reminds me of how old *I* am, I love who he has become over the last 13 years and can't wait to see what the future holds for him.

Happy birthday, dear Dougins!