Return of the Kiddo Extraordinnaire

The months are flying by. I haven't hopped onto blogger in a while, and, rereading some of my posts from last fall, I've been startled by how quickly this year has been moving along.

I guess that's how life goes, with some times painfully inching along and others, stuffed with busy everyday-ness, flying by. I know time works that way, but it still catches me off guard when I realize I never did actually write down when James started scooting (5.5 months), crawling (6.5 months), and scaling stairways (the past few days).

Those are the things I tell myself I'll remember--HA. Luckily, I've already been down that road with Cambrie, so this time around I think I'm trusting my memory a little less and my keyboard a little more.

So, for the sake of being a good mommy and continuing coverage of Mr. James, here's how our little buddy is doing nowadays.

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3
I like never use those heart thingies. (Or use the word "like" superfluously.) So know I mean it.

He crawls everywhere. He is not deterred by makeshift baby gates like Cambrie used to be. Luckily, the real baby gate is in the mail, so hopefully Mt. Stairwell won't be available for scaling much longer.

James loves cream of wheat, applesauce, sweet potatoes, peas, and hard carrots to chew on. He's a party-pooper like Daddy and does not like avocados.

This little boy is following in his sister's footsteps and currently has ZERO teeth.

He likes Mommy, and really likes fussing until Mommy holds him. Mommy can currently do almost every kitchen chore with one arm, and tops it all off by getting a snack of chips and salsa, eating it, and cleaning it all up without ever putting the (heavy, squirmy) boy down. This is not to say that Mommy enjoys doing this. She just picks her battles.

FAVORITE PICTURE. Also, we're still not sure exactly how his hair became this blonde.

I think his favorite person in the world (other than security-blanket Mommy) is Cambrie. Can't blame him, and I certainly don't get tired of his special smiles just for her.

Best part of this picture? You can see how much Cambrie loves her brother back.

Someday, maybe, Cambrie will smile when I ask her to for a full three seconds before moving or making a face.

...Okay, so I know I said I was writing this for the sake of posterity, but I think my motives are changing. See, a few weeks ago I wrote in my journal that I thought I was beginning to fall head-over-heels for my little boy. So forget all the typical baby stats. Here's why I keep falling in love.

James loves to hear Mommy play the piano. Eventually, he gets tired of standing at the bench, chewing his hands and chattering as I play, and he demands to sit at the instrument himself. And oh, that face! He'll pound away on the keys and just grin and laugh and squeal at the sounds he can make! And then he'll look at me as though to say, "Look! I'm playing too! Haha! This is awesome!" And my heart just swoons.

This boy is not easily deterred. Cambrie was much more of a thinker, and presented with an obstacle, she'd measure it up a little more before trying to figure it out. James just seems to barrel at things (like a trash can he wants to eat or the floor he needs to touch to successfully get down from leaning on the couch) over and over again without considering the "why" or "wherefore." He thinks, "It's got to be done. It's going to be done. And I'm going to do it."

See, all he need is an incentive, like yummy plant.

He's started playing games. I don't mean enjoying games or tricks we play with him, like peekaboo, though he does love those. I mean he will play a game with me. His current favorite is to take a blanket and put it right up by my nose, covering my face. I'll shake it off really quickly, he'll grin, and then he'll press it right back up where it was before, over and over again. He thinks it's hilarious, and I kind of do, too.

James can be kind of temperamental, and I think he may still have some residual discomfort issues. Combine that with kind of awful sleep habits and, well, sometimes life can be difficult. BUT, when he's happy and rested (which is more and more often as things improve) this kid's curious, jolly, "why not?" approach to the world around him is infectious. 

Life seems so much simpler through his eyes; it's all about finding joy. Seeing Daddy when he gets home from work: an ear-to-ear grin that won't stop. Hearing Cambrie playing in the next room: his head picks up, and his eyes immediately brighten. Catching Mommy's eyes while playing in the backyard: a flashed smile that says, "This is awesome, and I love that you love it, too."

My boys.

I think I've said it before, but it is so much fun watching kid number two learn and grow. The best part is it's not about "kid number one" or "kid number two" but about this adorable little person, complete and distinct in all his awesome little ways, making our family more complete than it was before. I feel this sense of love-filled-selfishness. Our kids are incredible! And they're all ours!!

And now, knowing how Cambrie has grown, I'm even more excited to see how James' personality grows and how his understanding of the world around him expands. All the busy-everyday-ness aside, it's kind of a thrill raising kids. A crazy, sleep-deprived, spit-up covered, loopy-grinned thrill.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.