Roll With It Baby!

Early morning snuggles

Sometimes I think I am totally nailing the adulting thing, and then it can all fall apart in a moment. With witnesses. I had the boy at his pediatrician's office for his one year check up (LOVE LOVE LOVE Dr. Ho)! I was there on time and filling out forms, had distributed snacks to the boy and was Momming like a ninja! Dr. Ho had not heard of the kind of milk I give my son so I had brought in an empty washed out container of Ripple (a pea-based alternative milk) for his perusal of its nutritional value (I like the unsweetened vanilla).

Dr. Ho stepped into the waiting area to confirm which vaccine we were doing that day (baby boy only gets one at a time spaced at least a week apart). I reached for the empty bottle of Ripple in the under-storage pouch of the stroller (see: rolling caravan of baby infrastructure) as the Dr. Ho points calmly (he does everything calmly) to the boy picking up a piece of dropped mum-mum cracker from the office floor and continues to nom on it just as I turn my head from him for a second. As I tackle my son away from the offending floor fodder, the doctor instantly points at my busy boy and says “he's got...” he was now eating the pen I was filling out forms with, pointy ink side first, of course. I have gone from “adulting ninja mom” to “Lucille Ball tries to keep a baby alive” in the course of less than 15 seconds. I had my shit together, how did it all unravel so quickly? I'm sure Dr. Ho is now giving the nurses some kind of subtle hand signals to call CPS because clearly, I am a steaming hot mess as I try to spit-wipe the Charlie Chaplin mustache my child has drawn on himself.

Finally getting a little hair!

Now: crossing from the 15^th to the 16^th month, he is climbing. He's always gotten as “up” as he could at every age and mobility ability (say that five times fast...). I've turned around and been eye level with him a few times, so he has increased his climbing prowess. Baby proofing efforts have been redoubled. He's dumping out the containers I keep his toys in as I type this and flipping them over, using them as steps onto bigger furniture.

Since a visit from my mom in January, bed time has completely changed. I could once set a clock by his signal to go to bed, 7 each night without a peep. Friends that visited over Christmas marveled as I laid him down in his bed and he popped his fingers in his mouth, never making a peep as we left the room closing the door behind us. Now his bedtime is 9:30 and only accomplished with much fussing. And sometimes more cuddling during the night. He started sleeping through the night when he was four months old and it quickly transitioned to him going to bed at 7, so we were pretty spoiled. He's started going down after me recently, staying up with his dad (who is more of a night owl). 

Chasing bubbles with auntie Donna and grandma Gail

 

During our nightly cuddles he has started pointing out the parts of the face (some of the learning he did with grandma). The nose is his favorite as first he will tap his own, and then he will stick his finger UP mine, leaving it there like that is where it belongs all the while maintaining eye contact like this is the most special gooey sentimental mother son cuddle bonding. Ever. Toddlers give zero f*^ks about personal space.

Playing the face-part-naming-game the other night I was asking where his mouth is. He opened his mouth (full of little piranha teeth) as I pointed near it and he lunged his head forward a little bit and snapped at my fingers with his teeth! I jumped a little, which made him laugh, little shit. Toddlers grow a sense of humor (by Chinese Zodiac he is a fire monkey, so this is no surprise). It's just delightful to watch it happen!

He's huggy. He'll grab you around your knees and squeeze making an emphatic noise and acting as a human bola, all the while melting your heart. He's also recently learned kissing, and it is with no shred of jealousy that I report grandma got the first unprompted kiss. It's sort of evolved into him opening his mouth and fitting in as much of my face as he can (it's a surprising percentage)... Zombie love. Prolly gonna have to address that at some point before he goes to prom.

He's also learned the fine art of the tantrum, and he's partial to the back-bendy (with head thrown back for dramatic effect) and boneless wet-noodle go-limp, with a side of a long emitted noise like a cross between a caterwaul and a yodeling siren. He also manages to squeeze one tear onto each cheek. Is this what babies are taught in the hospital when they “take them to the nursery”? How has he already learned how to change the subject?

Son: (grabs mommy's glasses off face)

Mom: !NO! I've told you not to grab...

Son: (opens mouth and leans in to plant a big kiss on mommy)

Mom: AWWWwww...

At the grocery store with dad the other day, he was standing in the basket part of the cart, and pulled a bottle of oil off the shelf. This seemed like a lovely item to test gravity with, and a second later it was dropped and smashed onto the floor. Not just any bottle of oil, but from the expensive gourmet section, avocado oil. Oil and shattered glass on the grocery store floor makes an effective booby trap. Maybe he'll grow up to be a famous chef. Or a hunter that catches his prey with elaborate traps that involve bottles of expensive oil.

Just went all Godzilla on his parking garage

He's just so smart, it's amazing to watch his brain work and watch him learn, solve, and manipulate his environment. He says “mama” and “dada” but even without words he's an amazing communicator, ninja level charades. He helps with everything. I don't know how anybody gets anything done without a 16 month old. Probably a hell of a lot faster than I do, but not nearly as sweet. He pats his diaper when he poops and pees – he got a potty for his first birthday and has started sitting on it. He has started blowing kisses. He knows how to get to the park and then back home (a few blocks away). So much so fast, an hour after I post this I'll think of something I forgot to mention.

What happened to that baby, and where did this little boy come from? I'm his mom and I'm amazed. I'm determined to keep up – with him and with his changes and evolution. His Becoming.