Family Alive

Josiah is 11 months old today! Just typing that brought tears to my eyes. I honestly don’t know where the time has gone. For the last month or so, I’ve been remembering last year at this time, being so very pregnant, aching, miserable, anxious to meet our new little boy. Wondering what life would be like with 2, how would I share myself with another child, how would we juggle the needs of two little ones. It’s just crazy how much our lives seem to have changed in a year. It’s a long time, yet it seems like yesterday. A friend of mine said something that resonated with me a while back…

"These toddler days are fleeting. So many people tell us "They grow up too fast." It’s so true. They really do. Some days I feel guilty for "wishing the day away". You know those kind of days…days where you ask "What else can go wrong???" But each day with them is such a gift. I can’t imagine not being a mom. Some days though I do wish I had an identity beyond just being "mom". I feel like I’ve lost a bit of myself but I’ve gained so much too."

That about says it all (thanks, Mandy!).

My little baby boy is turning into quite the handsome little man. It’s amazing how much he’s growing and changing and learning. He’s got a soft head of strawberry blond curls… and a little red-head temper to go with it. He’s very mellow and good-natured most of the time, but when he gets mad, watch out!

He’s cruising all over the place, very nearly walking. In fact, we’ve thought he was going to take a step several times in the kitchen, as I was sitting on the step stool with some food, and he was across the room. When he sees food, he’s highly motivated. He’s so very close to walking, and that’s only come in the last week or so. He’s also started to be quite a little entertainer, shaking his head and belly laughing. When he knows he’s making you laugh, he just loves to keep doing whatever he’s doing.

He’s full of babbling, only a definite "mamamamama" when he’s mad or wants my attention. Analise was like that, too. And "da-da-da-da" is a common word, but at the bike races he’d blurt it out when he saw a bike or Brian, so I think it’s starting to mean something. He’s also starting to say "na-na", and I wonder if that’s for Analise. He gets excited and starts talking when we pick Analise up from school, and of course, she’s very excited to see him. It so sweet.

When he’s on his own, he’s very content to play and explore, relatively safely and out of trouble. But when Analise is around, nothing is as fun as trying to be involved in whatever she’s doing. I’m constantly playing referee these days. He definitely thinks that whatever Analise is doing must just be the most fun.

Analise loves to go in and talk to him when he wakes up from a nap (can you tell that he’s still a little bleary-eyed when the whirlwind of Analise bursts in to see him?). She’s also taken to climbing into his crib to play with him. He likes to stand in his crib without holding on, so sometimes he’ll topple over as she’s bouncing around. Of course, he’ll crack his head and start to get upset, but mostly he’ll realize she’s there and forget to cry. Or he’ll topple over, and Analise will lay on top of him, laughing, and he’ll start laughing. It’s so funny.

Today he snuggled up on my chest before his nap. It was so sweet. I know there are very few of these "baby" moments left with him, and it was just so tender to hold him close to me, like I’ve been doing for 11 months. He rested for a minute before deciding there must be something going on that he needed to see and started squirming. But later tonight, he needed some snuggling to go to sleep, and as he fell asleep in my arms, and I was in no hurry to lay him down. A few more quiet baby moments to enjoy before they’re gone.