These days, he is my constant companion. Around 6:30 or 7 am he’s awake, and Hero Hubs fishes him out of his crib, and together we pile into our bed for however long he can stand it. Eventually, I’m finally willing to open my eyes, and his face is a few inches from mine, ready with one word: “Breck” {meaning breakfast}. I’m pretty easily convinced that we should get up for breakfast, because I’m hungry, too.
We are almost never more than a room or two apart from sun up to sun down.
When baking is on the list of things to accomplish, he stands on a chair in front of the counter, wooden spoon in hand and stirs while I scurry to toss in the ingredients. Chocolate chips disappear at warp speed, even when they’ve already been mixed in and have made their way into the muffin pan.
On some of my many, many trips to the bathroom, he’s there, standing on his tip toes to look into the sink. He has the black rubber sink stopper in his hands, and he is waiting for me to turn on the water to wash my hands, so that he can turn the sink stopper upside down and fill it with a little water, and then slowly pour it out. He’s eager to perform the special task of flushing, and he gently puts the lid down before we leave.
Just a few days ago, he watched me leave him in the nursery at the gym without crying. I normally have to sneak out once he’s settled. He watched me go with a bit of a sad face, but without tears. It felt like a huge moment in my Mommy heart; exciting and sore at the same time.
We’ve told him a Baby Brother is coming, and he knows where Baby Brother is. He occasionally tells Baby Brother, “Come!” or plays pee-tee-boo with my belly, covering his face with his hands.
Pee-tee-boooo!!!!
In the afternoons, he is often my excuse to get out of the heat and stroll to the pool. He begs me to put on his Mickey Mouse bathing suit. Even though HH and I think it looks dorky, he loves it.
“Mick Mouse, Mick Mouse, Mick Mooooooouse!!!”
Our washer and dryer are front loaders. These days, he loads the washer for me, and when it’s finished, he moves the clothes to the dryer for me. My aching back is silently thankful while I oversee and pull out things that shouldn’t go in the dryer. He doesn’t like it when things aren’t supposed to go in.
He is the reason I sometimes take a nap in the afternoons. But he’s sometimes the reason I don’t.
By five o’clock he’s tugging my apron strings in the kitchen, signing and asking for a cookie. Din-din seems terribly far away, but a little biscuit or a Bear-sized handful of Otees will usually do the trick.
These days he would rather draw on a blank page than a page with something on it. And he would rather tell you what he would like drawn than try to draw it himself.
G-pa! Buck! Mouse-ke-tools!
These days, after dinner and bathtime, we sometimes sit on the couch to read a book. I’m tired from carrying extra weight around all day, probably sore from standing up in the kitchen so much. I have his books memorized, so I can read with my eyes closed, but if I begin to doze off, his little face turns up to me with a simple command:
Wake!!
After saying prayers, we tuck him into his crib. He likes to have his two favourite blankies, and wants us to find the tags for him so that he can rub them between his fingers or across his lips. The days when blankies must go into the wash are not always pleasant.
We listen to him for the next hour sometimes, talking to himself or his baby cousin far away in Colorado. He sings and giggles and HH goes upstairs to encourage him to go to sleep.
These days, he’s sometimes the reason I’m tired. But sometimes he’s the reason I get a chance to rest. Sometimes he keeps me on my feet a lot more than I want to be, but sometimes he is the reason I go for a walk when I otherwise wouldn’t but really should.
These days, he is an incredible source of joy to us — a walking, talking, gleefully-squealing as he runs into a fence reminder of the blessings of God.
And these days, more than anything else, he is my constant reminder that these nine months…these forty weeks…these 280 days of knitting and growing, working and waiting, (and even waddling) are so, very, worth it.
xCC
Your Bear is beautiful!!! Folks often say that kids are the reason you can’t do so many things… they forget that kids are the reason we do so many things as well!!! I wouldn’t go on nearly so many outings, I wouldn’t read nearly so many stories or have afternoon naps and swims after dinner, no Saturday ice-cream cones…if I didn’t have kids. My life would be pretty sad really!!! I would probably never create or bake anything and certainly no reason to blog!!! As usual you said it beautifully… all the wonderful things we can do with our kids along side us!!! I have one that sticks so close to me that I think she sleeps inside my skin… I love it, it won’t be forever and for now I am her safe place. Yes to living alongside my kids and yes to living the life I live because I have kids!
It is so true! I should be even more thankful than I am. The Bear helps me look at life in different ways and step out when I otherwise might not — I am really thankful. I love the thought of having more!! (But I’m not sure we’re on our way to se7en + 1!!) 😀
Oh wow. How absolutely wow. What a powerful thing motherhood is.
And a really fab piece of writing – love it. 😉
Thanks my dear! You are fab!! xoxo
Sweet 🙂
Thank you! I am behind on your blog! Are you still possibly moving this way? xCC
Wow Caroline, that was beautiful. Thank you. I needed the reminded while my son whacks me with a book. My life would look nothing like it used, it is more colourful and bouncy and about exploration and discovery. I even get to spend more time with husband as we sit up waiting to give the girl her last bottle.
Children are a blessing from the Lord, indeed, hey? 🙂 Sitting up for the last bottle is right around the corner for me…such a special time!!! Yay!
What a fun read. Your son seems like a joy.
Welcome to the High Calling network!
Thanks very much, David! Glad you found your way here!
Just lovely and the pictures are fabulous!!!!
Yay, GC! Glad you enjoyed them! xoxo
I love posts like this…I think we will cherish them when they are teeneagers!
Sweet! I think so too!! 🙂
I love this post Caroline! I really need to start writing down what my boys are doing (and not doing).
I do believe Bear is the cutest boy I have ever seen!
Thanks so much, Sara! I sometimes write something and then think “I’m gonna look back and love reading this again someday.” 🙂 It is good to remember! I will pass along the complement to the Bear but let’s just hope it doesn’t go to his head! 😉
this is absolutely touching and a dear treasure for you and your son!
So glad you enjoyed it! So much has changed in the short time since I wrote this, it was good to look back and read it again today! Thanks!