I finally had a bit of time to sit down and make a new signature for my message boards with the little guy! If you need a signature design of your own, you can request one at our signature board (registration is free and simple).

    Lights have always been ba-ba’s since he could say anything at all, even as he learned other proper words, they remained ba-ba’s - until last night. He pointed up at his light and said “light” - sounds simple and commonplace, but it marks a milestone. My little baby is now a little boy, in everything he does actually. He knows most of his letters, can sort all of his shapes, he can organize the pantry when he wants to, feeds himself, undresses himself, and walks everywhere. I’m glad that he is growing up and I love every new thing that he does, but it’s sad too that he isn’t my little baby anymore.

It’s always something - the coffee table attacked his head, his finger was eaten by the closet doors, the endless list. No matter what it is, it is invariably cured by mommy kisses (usually I have to kiss it over and over while he laughs) and an Elmo band-aid (which has to be admired for long periods of time by everyone nearby).

Now if only everything in life was this easy….

Tonight, as I go through my mental list of items which I could be writing about right now, I have realized that all of them bring me back to one central idea. Not the idea that I wanted to blog about, or probably one that will fulfill the purpose that I had in mind sitting down here tonight. I wanted to sit down and write a funny, longish article about life with Lil’ Duck, something I could submit to all the carnivals and that would bring everyone here tomorrow morning to read, you get the idea. Blogging isn’t necessarily easy, and it isn’t something that will get you easy fame or fortune, much as I might want to dream otherwise, so this is why I’m going to just write about my little guy and not worry about the traffic and the carnivals and the search engines (Google, anyone?) this evening.

His first year passed in a fog of endless nursing, absolutely no sleep, and nothing ever being done. His second year began with tons of changes, us buying and moving into our first home, job changes, lifestyle changes, restructuring our whole lives, not that they already hadn’t been entirely changed since baby’s arrival. I feel that finally we are getting settled into our ever-changing life at the moment, I’m finally starting to handle staying at home with the little one and keeping the house halfway decent most of the time, and I actually have moments where I can just relax and enjoy the little guy.

You see, I wouldn’t want to return to that foggy first year, but I do think it passed by so quickly, and his second year is passing even faster, if that is possible. That’s why I’m setting aside this evening to write about all the things that I just love about him right now, to brag on him a little even.

It seems that every day he picks up several new words - he tries to say just about anything and is always asking me what the name of “dat” is. Yesterday it was “squirrel”, which came out sounding nothing like “squirrel”, but the mere attempt amazed me. That he has implicit faith that not only is this odd looking creature on the page what Mommy says it is, but also that he can understand that odd and complex sound that I am making enough for him to imitate this - and it came out reasonably well considering, something like “currel” actually - that just amazes me.

The sweet kisses at unexpected times are another wonderful thing about him right now. I can be yelling at him about his latest destruction and he can come over with a big kiss and love pats, unfazed by my disbelief and horror at the destruction his little body has unleashed upon my house. He also bestows many kisses upon his duck, unbelievably sweet. Speaking of the duck, he naturally refuses to share anything with any other child or adult, but shares everything with the duck. If he is drinking a sippy, the duck gets a sip. If he is eating, the duck gets a bite. If I’m eating - look out for the flying duck landing in my bowl. If he is playing with a toy, the duck gets to ride on it, try it out, etc.

He actually plays on his own now as well - a small miracle - oh so sweet, and the irony is that now that he does, I’m so amazed by it that I sit there watching him (nevermind all those hours that my mind has been screaming for him to just play by himself for two seconds so I can breathe). He lines up all his little zoo animals, puts them in the play swing and pushes them, sends them down the play waterslide, pushes them down the ramps on his toy garage, all while chattering about them and carrying on a running monologue.

To think that less than two years ago, he was a tiny helpless thing in my belly, and now he jumps, talks, walks, gives kisses, demolishes my entire house in under an hour, and otherwise delights us with his presence - it’s just incredible and I hate to blink, it seems he grows a little bit more everytime I do that.

Featured in the New Blog Showcase Carnival, the Carnival of the Vanities, the Carnival of Family Life & the Carnival of the Mundane.

It is amazing to me how early they learn that doing something cute will get them out of trouble or at least ease their punishment. Last night he had a big grin and some evil laughs for me after he dumped all his dinner on the floor, shredded a package of saltines on the (wet) lanai, and twirled his applesauce container around while holding it up in the air so that it spun spectactularly out of the container and in every direction. My TV set didn’t appreciate that.

He also had to be super cute by dancing around, giving baby hugs and kisses, and “reading” us his books while he was up playing until 2am this morning. It’s hard to be upset at someone that cute, even when you are half-asleep. The early morning awakening was even softened by the baby kisses all over my face as I was awakened far too early.

Ah well. He just poured his cereal all over the coffee table, and another day begins. I’m drinking caffeine this morning, I don’t care at the moment ;).

In other news, Carnival of the Vanities is up at Generic Confusion, featuring my article and much, much more, so go check it out already.

He trots eagerly thru the parking lot and into the store, commenting on what he is going to eat along the way. As we enter, he runs up to pick out his prime slice of pumpkin loaf thru the glass, then scores his own straw cup full of soy milk (and perhaps even whipped cream). Then he perches happily on a big chair, flirting with all who pass by as we both enjoy our drinks.

I can almost forget that he is a demanding little soul, and think of him as a friend, someone I would go out with before the thought of children was anywhere near my mind. It reminds me of the days sitting and studying or reading in coffeehouses, with no worries about him. Now, even if I go without him, he is still on my mind, as I’m wondering how he is doing without me, if he is asking for me, if he needs something only I can give him, and I cannot fully relax and enjoy the peace and calm.

It is just a little bit of peace and calm away from the disaster that is my house, especially because I don’t have to clean up all those pumpkin bread crumbs that end up all over the floor ;). The conversation is a little different these days, instead of debating deep issues of spirituality and the like, it involves other people and their cell phones, the truck passing by outside, and the baby playing at the adjacent table.

The change is not unwelcome, however, as it helps me open up to the world around me through his eyes, rather than continuing in my self-absorbed state. That is one of the wonderful things about having children, as it forces you to consider others first.

This post is featured in the 6th Coffee and Tea Festival.

He’s happily sitting on the couch watching Clifford, and I can’t bear to hear him scream “Mama, ‘ifford, play, mama, *kissing noises*, wuv!!” if I put him in bed. Nevermind that he is tired and should have been in bed an hour ago. He’s happy and I’m happy, and some days that’s all that matters. *goes off to cuddle with him in bed and let him sleep on my chest*