18 months

close enough, 8 days and EJP will be 18 months old...

18 months since I last felt baby kicks in my tummy and knew with certainty the purpose I had in life.  Felt that calmness and excitement knowing that the immediate future held the greatest of all things for us.

I don't think I really believe that EJP will be my forever baby, I tell myself it, trying to convince myself, but I don't really believe it.  But that doesn't stop me from cuddling him in my arms all night without complaint, or smelling his soft hair a dozen times a day, or feel my heart squeeze with happiness when he grins at me with a bunch of pure white teeth and that one dimple up on top of his right cheek.

Sigh.  My baby.  Growing all too fast but not fast enough.  Toddling.  Terrible trouble.

He's starting to babble quite seriously.  He'll scowl and jabber and point like he knows what he says and he's saying it with purpose.  Cutest thing ever.  He'll talk to us all at the dinner table and point with his fork.  Daddy and I look at each other and chuckle. 

We get a kick out of him. 

We know it doesn't last long.  The wonder and sweetness.  The simplicity and joy.

We know although he's into everything and that is our biggest challenge with him, we know that all too soon, the challenge will be any number of things that we deal with with the rest of them.  From following schedule, homework, getting them to the dinner table, eating good food, mediating the fights, trying to stem the constant draw of video games.  I realize these challenges will change as well by the time EJP gets to that point.  They all will grow.

Right now I'm loving this.

His hair is growing thicker since it has been cut and definitely darkening.  He has the darkest shade of hair at this age compared with the rest.  It still will get frizzy baby fluff like in the back when he gets up in the morning. 

He's pretty funny in the morning if he gets up before fully alert.  He'll be all squinty eyed and stumbling like a little drunk old man.

He loves emptying the clean laundry bin or laundry baskets, will climb right into them.  Or boxes, he has to fight over those with Adam.  Stealing his brothers toothbrushes.  Putting things in the toilet.  Climbing on the dining table.

He's typically the first child at the dinner table.  You know when he's done eating, because he starts tossing it all over and climbing on the table.

His fav movie is Frozen, he'll actually sit there and watch it for a half hour.

He dances.  He cuddles stuffed animals.

He helps getting his winter coat on and LOVES mittens and gloves, in the house or outside - except when he's trying to pick up some snow or mud, then the mittens come off.  But the minute daddy comes home and takes his gloves off, EJP is getting them.

He hates pants and socks.  If we are home, the most he has on is a diaper and shirt, he sleeps like that as well.

His only real word is Mama and he says that multiple times a day, mostly whining for me.  He says no too but it sounds like 'nah' and shake his head.  At least he knows what he wants, or doesn't want.

He will sit on daddy's lap so long as mommy isn't around, but climbs off immediately if he sees me.

He loves hide and seek, but basically everyone else hides and he gives our position away, finding us and giggling and standing there as we hide.

Loves chasing around with his brother AJ - who typically just pushes him around and makes him cry.

Typically the last child asleep at night.  Very light sleeper, you can't walk in and out of the room without him sitting right up and crying.