He is ALL boy

Brown loves to play in the dirt. He leaves the grassy area to go and hunt for the dirt and gravel to rub his hands through. I love boys!

Illness comes and goes

So he had one fever over Thanksgiving that was due to an ear infection along with the runny/congested nose. But overall, he has been healthy since his stint in the NICU. This may be due to good luck or the fact that his nap falls right in the middle of church so he rarely sees the nursery. Well, the good luck broke this week as he was with a babysitter (her first time with Brown) and of course he spiked a fever of 103 and was miserable and screaming. This lasted for about 18 hours or so. You parents know how fun an inconsolable, feverish, screaming child is who refuses any tylenol. After about 4 minutes, you are ready to scream yourself. Chris took the brunt of the night but we were both up at about 430 AM, Chris and I were both sitting in the floor with him and he suddenly started playing and laughing. What? You are kiddin me. Yes, his head felt cool, he was playing and acting like the previous day had never happened. It took him a few days to get back to normal but he was playful and smiling and seemed to have no memory of the event. So for all of you with the winter coughs and sniffles out there, spring is on the way. (apologies to those with spring allergies... - see you in the office)

Morning Brown

So mornings around the house have changed, just like every other part of our routine. I usually get up before Brown and Chris, and then get in the shower just as Brown begins to make noise in hopes that the noise of the shower will soothe him for a few more minutes. I don’t have any idea if this has helped one iota but that is that. So this morning I get out of the shower and all is quiet – Chris’ light is out and there are no Brown noises anywhere. But as my eyes slowly adjust, I realize that the Brown is sitting up in our bed and as I move toward him, he reaches up for me without a sound. So of course I snuggle back in bed with his head on my shoulder and catch about 15 more glorious minutes of time in bed with the family. He is just snuggly enough so that when I have to leave, I am able to slip him over to Chris’ shoulder without to much stir as I quickly slip out of the room. Chris later tells me that they had 30 more minutes together in bed before the Brown decided to head downstairs for some scrambled eggs. I just thought I would give this window into one of the sweetest times we have had together.

Spoon... Take 1!

I am so lame. I know that it is time (past time) for Brown to be using a spoon to feed himself. But it is just such a pain to teach him, and SO messy! It's easier to just feed him myself. BUT... that is definitely losing its charm, as well. He and I both are ready for him to take charge of the spoon and eat like a man.

So today, instead of worrying about where he was going to sling food in the kitchen (walls, drawers, floor, me, etc.), I stripped him down and rolled his high chair outside and let him go at it with the spoon. It was great. I don't think we made much progress, BUT... he tried. Kind of. He definitely ate more than normal. He has been getting frustrated so quickly the last couple of weeks that he just hasn't wanted to eat as much. But today, I let him go at it and he ate like he hadn't seen food in a while. So, I guess that's good. And then he splashed around in the tub for a while and got all squeaky clean and everyone was happy.

Constant change

Brown got to visit me at work yesterday on his way to Cleveland and even had some leftover lunch – chicken, potatoes and macaroni – plenty of starch so he doesn’t blow away. Someone mentioned that he is babbling up a storm. I thought to myself. Yes but that is normal. At least, it is normal for him now. The more I thought about it, I realized he is talking all the time now. (ok, talking is a stretch, but he is noisy). When did my amazement stop at him speaking? When did it become commonplace for him to imitate our sounds, our dadas, mamas and now farm animal sounds. He crawls like lightning all over the place, pulls up on tables and grabs anything within reach. When did I stop watching his every move? Remember the excitement of the first roll over (see first year summary)? Now he simply swats chairs out of the way as he chases his ball all over the house. The amazing has become normal. This constant ride of growing up is steady, and seemingly slow, but persistent. Persistent especially when you see his infancy slipping away with the calendar despite all you do to grasp it closely. Persistent to those parents who realize that they are about to have a toddler on their hands. Persistent to those of us who realize that try as we might to protect and guide him, there are many bumps and bruises ahead of him.

Speaking of injuries, he did figure out something last night that was both amazing and (mostly) terrifying. He figured out how to work the doorknobs at Nana and Granddad’s house. A whole new set of dangers is now out there. Bathrooms. Laundry rooms. Basements. He can’t yet climb himself up on a chair, but that day is approaching quickly. Prayers are appreciated.