More Gems

A while ago I realized that I had forgotten about how, when Boodge was a baby, we used to play him videos of laughing babies on Youtube to keep him from freaking out while we tied on his stiff, ice skate like orthopedic shoes.  We put those shoes on him every night for 9 months, so that was a long period of time, and heck, I had almost even forgot about the shoes themselves, let alone this little guy.

The point is, it all goes by so fast. It's cliche, but it's true.  Elder women always seem to make a point of telling me to enjoy my kids, and I think it's because they know how hard it can be sometimes, but also how precious the memories of these baby and toddler days.  And we think we're going to remember the greatest moments or the things that go on and on for months but we don't.  Which is not always a bad thing, because I won't need to remember how lousy sleep deprivation feels. But there are lots of things I want to remember, and also that I want to share with the other people that love my kids and read this blog.  So, I'm going to be posting these "Gems" from time to time to keep memories.  I hope you enjoy them.

They grow so fast....

Giving Boodge a bath while listening to the baby cry with her daddy (I really wanted that sweet time with him, which I rarely get anymore), I sighed, "Oh Boodge, I wonder why Peanut always cries when she's with her Daddy. Do you know?"
"Uh huh," he responds this way to every question about whether he knows something.
"Oh, you do? Why?"
"Cause, Peanut came out of Mummy's tummy." He pauses. "And, babies cry."
I guess he does know.

Another bit of sweet time I don't get much of lately is our night-night cuddle.  Usually, Peanut needs her Mama at that time, and Boodge's bedtime has been given over to his Daddy, for the most part.  But the other night, we got our time and I was happy about it.  "I'm so glad we can cuddle," I told Boodge, "I love cuddling with you, I love you my sweet boy." He put his head across from mine on the pillow and gazed into my eyes. "I love you, Mummy" he said in a squeaky high sweet voice.  He held my face in his hands. "Mummy, you're....you're....nice, Mummy.  I love you."  Oh, my melting heart.  He's really just starting to express affection like this, with words, and it was touching watching him struggle for the words we all struggle for when we want to say how much we love someone.

Sometimes, in order to have time to get the baby to sleep, I put on "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" for Boodge.  He is a big fan (yes, this is what glues him to the couch so hard, he doesn't even get up to pee). One time, while putting Peanut down, I heard him jumping off the couch and running to the bedroom, calling my name. 
"Mommy! Mommy! My arms are not black."  He said, standing naked in the doorway.
"No, you're right, they're not." I'm puzzled but I like to go along with these trains of thought.
"I'm not Mickey! I'm Boodge."  Huh?
And a few days later, he pops in again during naptime.  When I tell him to be quiet, he starts making farting noises with his mouth and says, walking out the door, "Mommy, I'm a big fart train."
I love his little mind.

One day I was really dragging my ass.  I was sleep deprived and on vital functions only, and was just proud that I wasn't losing it on anyone.  Peanut was jiggling on the floor and Boodge was playing lego and I was sitting there at half attention, half asleep.  Boodge out of the blue says, "Mommy.  Get happy.  Mommy? Can you get happy?"  In the same way he would say "Mommy, get juice. Mommy, can you get me some juice?"  That was a good jolt.  "Um...I....Yes, I can get happy. Sure."  I consoled myself that I must be pretty upbeat usually if he was noticing the difference, and pulled myself up enough to take us all out for some fresh air.  Whew....nothing like parenting feedback.

One think I don't want to forget about Boodge is his quirky way of making up words.  For example, we're in the playground and he's walking a fence, stepping on the concrete circles the fenceposts are sunk into.  "Ok, let's go back to the playground." I say.  "No, I want to step on all the waims."  "Are these waims?" I ask, pointing to a circle.  Yep.  Every day, he comes up with some word, and sometimes he speaks whole jibberish sentences in response to a question I ask.   It sounds a bit like Yiddish.  But when I ask him, he usually has a clear definition for the word he's said.  And he denies that it comes from a past life of any sort. It cracks me up. 

Now, let's not forget little Peanut. She's a baby, so she doesn't say cute things or command attention in the same way.  So I can only write about what she's like as a baby, and that is pretty much pure sweetness.  She is starting to have a giggle here and there and loves to flash her big half-moon smile. She smells like sour milk, just a little, from spitting up all day.  I find her very affectionate for a baby, wanting to share a squeal with us or gently using her faltering hands to touch and stroke during quiet times.  Sometimes all it takes to resettle her to sleep is to let her hold my finger or touch my breast.  When I sing to her, she looks up at me and smiles pure love and joy, and can't help but open her mouth and start singing too, to show her appreciation.  Just before sitting here I spent a long time laying with her, just staring at her sleeping face, taking in the miracle that is my baby, from my body, born into the world.  It's so amazing, that feeling.  I am trying to drink in her babyness when I have a moment to be still.