The fish that almost got away

While we were visiting G-town for Christmas B made an escape.  Between being pregnant and having a newborn, I haven't spent much time outside when we go to G-town.  And B has come "of age" (able to open the front door) without me there telling him important things like "don't leave the yard."

I was helping L with her sewing machine and heard the door.  I finished the task and went to look for B.  I didn't see him in the yard.  So I locked the door and searched the house.  I still didn't find him so I circled the house.  Still no B.  I went in the front again and saw him toddling down the middle of the street from 2 houses down. 

My impulse was to scold him, but wisdom lead me to lovingly go with him and ask him to show me what he saw.  We practiced walking on the grass, and asking to go on a walk.  We walked to the P's house (0.5 miles) and back, practicing these ideas.  Later P took B on the same walk to reinforce asking to go on a walk, and staying on the grass.

delightful

It's not just the red hair.  This little boy is so delightful.  He sings.  He dances.  When he cries, it breaks your heart because he has the sweetest cry.  When he is defiant, it just sounds playful.  I wanted him to get out of the car earlier this week.  He had been unbuckled and climbed into the back of the car, while I took L into the house.  When I asked him if he wanted me to carry him out, or if he wanted to come out himself, he said "No" in a sweet voice like I'd asked him if he wanted to... I don't know.  It was just the sweetest little "No" ever.  But that's what he says.  "No" like, "No, dearest mother, I still love you, forever!"

Today he wore underwear for most of the day.  When he went to the potty the first time, after wearing the underwear for a while, I was shocked that he actually peed!  I told him we'd get a treat.  Phillip carried him to the kitchen.  I don't even know where the other children were at this point...  ( Since the oldest 3 are old enough to be out in the yard alone, I'll say that's where they were...)  I asked B if he wanted some raisins for a treat.  "No" his sweet reply.  When I pulled down the candy bowl, and asked if he'd like a candy, his "Yes!" was just as sweet, but much more emphatic.

He's so adorable!

do it self

 6 months ago we were worried about B's language development.  He understood a lot but didn't have many words.  He would say "Mom", "Dad", "Milk" (that sounded a lot like "mom") and "Beach, ha-ha!).  He had about 20 signs which was great, but not as many as the other kids had at his age.   His speech has come so far since then.  And he has this adorable way of summarizing and speaking at a slow rate.  Some of his most cute phrases are "I t'oming!" for "I'm coming!" which he says whenever we call him.  None of the other kids say "I'm coming" and rarely come when called.

One time I asked, what I knew, if he'd pooped in his diaper.  His response "Poop'd self."

 He loves to climb trees.  It's best if we let him climb where other parents can't see.  It's intense.

He's such a beautiful child.  He's still very compassionate.  Though he's getting into fights with lP a lot.  More often it's lP trying to tell him the "right" way to play with a toy, aka her way or the high way.  But he'll resort to wailing on her very fast.  At first she would just sit there and scream.  Now she's learning to run.  And we're learning to watch and listen for the danger signs to head off trouble before it happens.

white horse

B recently discovered that the carousel was a thing.  We've gotten 2x20 tickets since May and I don't know if we'll be getting another when this one runs out.  Poor boy.  He loves it.

 Sometimes when we visit this playground he'll just spend 5 minutes sitting on the bench, watching the horses.  The other kids will run off and play. 

 B's sentences are coming along really well.  He'll say things like "Ride...white...horse".  He speaks slowly, and generally, very precisely.  It's been sweet to watch him progress from 8 words total in May, to countless words in 3-5 word sentences.

Today he said "G... M... time... choc'late...ice...cream."  And he stood by the gate (rather than opening the fridge).  So I gave them ice cream...for breakfast.  Then I made crepes!

so compassionate

Today lP was having a grumble tantrum, rolling around on the floor.  B was so cute.  He got down on the floor and hugged lP.  Then he got rolled over the the other side of her and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.  B really tries to comfort people.  I love that he does this so innately.  Back in May, a boy at church was crying in nursery.  B kept trying to offer the boy toys.  B stayed right near the boy trying to help.  He's so sweet.

Favorite things

B has a nightly routine for after the big kids have gone to bed.  He plays in the fire pit for a while.  Then around 9:30 he asks for milk and Signing Time.  He watches 1 or 2 episodes, then goes to bed.  He also takes some favorite thing to bed.  Sometimes it is a duplo character or vehicle, rarely a stuffed animal.  Last night he took the 2 copies of "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" to bed.

sleep

B began sleeping in the playpen when his need for kicking in the night exceeded my ability to ignore said kicking.  He liked having the netted sides to struggle against.  He slept there for a few months.  In preparation for L, we decided to move B to the bottom bunk in G's room.  The first night he cried as I lay next to him for 10+minutes, and then went to sleep.  But the next night he just lay singing with me, then P, then me, then P for about an hour before finally sleeping.  The next night he went to sleep after I sat in a chair in the room for 15 minutes.  And that's what I've been doing ever since.  I sit on a nice comfortable wooden chair and breathe.  Sometimes we hold hands a bit.  It's great.

climbing trees

He may be 2 months shy of his second birthday, but B loves to climb trees.  He figures that if G, M and lP do it, it must be the best thing ever. 

His language is delayed compared to our other children, even G who had no language input until 12 months old, sheesh!  But nobody smiles bigger when their "eh!" is understood to mean whatever it is supposed to mean.

getting older and more cute

 bB went with G and me to a check up at shands.  The room was really nice.  I wish we'd had this sort of nice room when we were going through treatment.  But then, when we were going through treatment I would never have let G play with anything we found in a clinic room.

 bB is really into the phone.  He will hold random toys up to his head.  He wants the phone whenever I'm on it.  It seems new with every kid.  I don't remember the others doing it so much.

 bB likes to throw the swing and chase it around.

In DC we got to have the kids play in a Cesna at the Udvar-Hazey Air and Space Museum Extension.  I love this.