As a mom, I don't know what I expected a 9 year old boy to be like

I never had many male friends growing up so I really didn't know what to expect as my boy got older. I figured by now he'd have stopped saying "I love you" in front of his friends, want fewer kisses and cuddles, and I guess become more emotionally reserved like his dad.I was wrong.He's now 9, and my boy is absolutely the sweetest, most loving child I've ever known. He says "I love you" when he so much as leaves the room to brush his teeth. Every morning when I leave for work, he asks for one more hug as I walk out the door, then watches for my car to pull out and steps out onto the front porch to call "bye, I love you" as I leave. Easily the best part of my day.Last night we were making dinner together and talking about something harsh his coach had said to another teammate. He tells me he's glad I don't talk to him like that. Then he thinks for a minute and says, "I think you're the best mom I've ever met."I just....can't believe how fortunate I am to have such an awesome kid. The infant and toddler years were ROUGH for me, but now it seems like every year with him just gets better and better. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2zNmAEr