Phew. We made it.
A first birthday and Christmas all at once was a lot. Plus daycare being closed and no work and what day is it? We’re all back to our normal routines now, whatever that is.
Because normal changes. A new year means new work assignments and schedules, new car challenges, new teachers, new projects to tackle…
Speaking of new, G has started in a new room at daycare, and he is THRILLED. Tired, but thrilled. He’s the youngest kid, and the only one that can’t walk, but that is not stopping him. He often just breaks out into excited/hyperventilating sounding laughter because it’s all just so fun for him. He’s moving all around the room, playing with everything, following the big kids, excited. I can’t walk down the hallway right now without multiple teachers stopping me to tell me how happy he seems every time they peek in the window.
Which, that alone must be odd. To always look up and have someone looking in the window? Apparently it’s happening a lot, because even the kids in E’s room will tell me what G was doing today, since they watch him through the windows when they’re out on the playground. “Baby G was painting today!!” I know this because a two year old saw him.
He's never been so talkative at pickup before. There’s just so much to tell us, apparently. The only downside is sometimes we get home and the excitement wears off and he crashes in the middle of dinner. This kid already goes to be early, but lately he hasn’t even been making it to that. The perspective of a second child lets me know that this is temporary, we’ll all adjust, and I’ll eventually get to spend time with my baby again.
So I’ve been spending my evenings getting some extra time in with the toddler. He’s really into doing puzzles lately, which blows my mind every time he finished one. But even more than that, I’m amazed as I see his personality emerge more and more every day. His teacher shared with me that the other day he sat down by another kid who was doing a puzzle, and asked if the boy wanted some help. The boy said no, so E said “okay, I’ll just watch you then.” I’ve also been noticing that he’s starting to see his brother as a person lately (although he still exclusively calls him ‘baby’), will bring him things to make him happy, and checks on him when he’s crying.
G had to get a blood draw recently, and I thought it would be too much for E to be in the room and see him cry, so we stayed in the waiting room. Still, he heard G cry out and he jumped out of his chair and said “Oh no! Baby crying! Baby wants his E!!” G was fine, and they were quickly reunited, but the two of them are developing such a cute bond and I love it.
E’s also into everything artistic lately. I think we’ve done more art projects than cooking the past few weekends, which surprises me more than anyone. He’s still my shadow almost all day long, but I’m starting to notice that he’ll go off on his own for a few minutes here and there, and not immediately call out for me. I can see him getting bigger in front of my eyes and I have very mixed feelings about it. I want his little voice and the way he speaks to stay bottled up forever. The way he says PEEKABOO! Or when you ask him where something is, and he finds it and says “Oh! RIGHTTHERERIGHTTHERE!” His favorite book for the past few weeks has been “Mama, Do You Love Me?” and he has me read it all the time. I’ll ask him what he wants to read and he’ll say “Mama love me? Yes Yes Yes!” Heart melt.
