It seems like yesterday that we were dressing Christian up as Yoda for Halloween. Today, he's a Pre-Toddler. The growing pile of keepsake clothes multiplied by factors of 3 nearly every month after his first year and those cute itsy booties that once doubled as shoes as an infant are now big boy booties with the grey heel and red-stitched toes just like Daddy's. Silly to mark milestones with socks but when we bought them in the store, I was so sure they would be too big. But just like his new personality, his loving ways, and his 2T clothes - they fit just right.
Our parenting e-bulletins tell us that about this time, our little toddler thrives on routine; anything outside of the norm warrants a protest. Currently, there are two loves in Christian's routine - that's his "snack n shows" time (which dupes as a learning video op) and his bath times. I've learned not to start bathing him as soon as he gets in the tub now - so he drinks less soapy water...which may explain the nights he went to sleep with the hiccups after bathtime :) He knows when it's time to go "mimis" and on most nights welcomes the necessary evil after reading in his little corner book "nook" and sipping on some warm milk. In fact, he has mastered his routine so well that he will show you where his copa (cup) is, point you in the direction of the refrigerator and insist on heating his milk in the microwave.
Book nook
Some parents call this "TV babysitting" - call it what you want - for me it's an after-work-undress-mail readin'-dinner startin'-potty break!
Christian thinks it's funny when he "makes" bubbles in the bathtub!
For the most part he does not like being covered unless to go to sleep, he hates brushing his teeth except for those first few minutes when he can suck off the ittby bitty toothpaste we let him have on his brush. After that, it's a WWF scene trying to get his teeth clean, he doesn't like anything "squishy," he doesn't like to be helped, he doesn't like TV time to be interrupted, he doesn't like to be dirty - even if it's a spec of chocolate on his little finger, and he "prefers" not to share his cuddling time with mommy :) Out of all the words Christian loves, he seems more fascinated by the word "cuatro" - perhaps due to the level of tongue-work required. He gets so eager he jumps from uno to cuatro. He's mastered lots of others - apple, agua, all his body parts, and of course, mama and dada - and still working on some of the complex ones. He still uses sign language and we are currently working on the sign for "I love you." Aside from all this, Christian knows how to work our iPhones (swiping and all), he knocks on doors before he opens them, and the insists on being in the kitchen whenever he can. We are still avid Baby First TV watchers and he'll run to the TV if he hears any hint of one of the program soundtracks. He makes a wonderful errand buddy (can't say that for all one-year-olds) and he absolutely loves conversation. He, like most Mexican kids growing up, has learned the term "caca" and refers to this word for anything that remotely looks like trash; once he confirms that it is in fact, "caca," he takes it to the basura (trash).
Daddy and I have picked up a few survival skills along our way and before we knew it, we were dodging toys in total darkness and sometimes were even one step ahead of Christian with snacks and DVD time. Even if we don't get it right, our one-year-old seems more "forgiving" than others - understanding that even if we forget to have a snack for him on the way home from school, that it'll be ready for him when he gets home. He understands, "wait a minute" in English and Spanish and as long as we keep our word, he hardly fusses for what he's waiting on. He tells us how his day was and he even seems to give us a moment when we get home - long enough for us to sit down, take a breather, sometimes take a few Tylenol .... sometimes a glass of wine (depending on the day) - and then join him on the floor, outside or if it's just me and him, on the counter in the kitchen cooking dinner.
My most significant personal milestone is that I think I figured out why pre-toddlers are like little vacuums... it's part of the evolutionary process. They clean the floors as much as they can at this stage so that 4-6 months later, when they completely fall out - tantrum after tantrum - they have a clean place to fall - which actually makes sense.
I exaggerate but really, it's awesome. It's not just the the most difficult and important, but simply the best job in the world - no two days are alike, it's challenging, incredibly gratifying, and getting good at it makes us better at everything else. And on that note, I have to say, being a mama makes me a better kid. You grow up, terrorize and worry your parents until their hair is grey then reproduce and experience the terror first hand. And all the joys that come along with it, of course. I love the comical side of reflecting in those thankless-help-me-God-so tired-you-fall-asleep-breastfeeding" moments. It's those moments that make me smile at my parents watching on as Christian throws a fit. Surely, I think, I wasn't this much of a handful...
'Tis the Season
The holiday season (which I think we are safely phasing out of), was like all holidays, inevitably just days to thank God. And even in our humble, human, and commercial attempt to show each other what we mean to one another over Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year and Valentine's Day, we fall oceans short of the ultimate meaning of passion, love and sacrifice. For me, V-Day was never going to be predictably different from the day before it, but I awoke that day with an overwhelming need to give thanks. Christian gave us a beautiful card, signed and all with a gift card. Daddy had to work of course, but that didn't stop Christian and I from surprising him with a balloon tied to a Snicker's bar for his long shift. My little Romeo and I spent the day together and I must have kissed him a hundred times (as opposed to my usual 99).
This is how my son makes me feel on the inside
As incredibly busy as the holidays were, I took some time to cry at the State Farm commercials (if you don't cry at them, you're just not human) and sip on some hot cocoa. Then I morphed into a cookie-baking, tamale-making, house-decorating, bow-tying, picture-taking, card-making nitro mommy and embraced all the leaky beakies (runny noses), car repairs, out-of-office notifications, and most importantly, family time that the season brought.
We spent significantly more time together as a family this Christmas, than we did money. We only had Daddy for a month before classes started again. I'm already looking forward to my Christmas present next year - Daddy's graduation! I was a great student in my day but I can't touch my husband - he's a full time Daddy, husband, student, part-time dispatcher, and intern - AND has remained in the top 10 percent of his fellow student population, Dean's List and all. Ten years ago we were filling out his first FAFSA on my computer in my first apartment... My, what an emotional day graduation will be. We are so proud of him.
We finished Christian's shopping early, lucking out on some deals and finding most things in one place. This may have well been the last year ever that we are able to shop for Christian's gift with him. For both of our sakes, that is. Everything he touched we put in the basket. He even threw a classic hissy fit in the middle of the toy isle. But what's parenthood without that classic toy store experience?
Santa Who?
We took Christian to paint with Santa. Odds were, as they are with most kids, 50/50. You either love the guy or hate him.
This is Christian being skeptical.
And there he is!
Christian still skeptical. Doesn't he look just "thrilled" to see Santa??
We got close enough to listen to Santa tell some stories...
...made some cookies...
..and hand-painted a plate with Santa.
But under no circumstances was he sittin on Santa's lap!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!
Me and Poppa getting revved up for tree decorating :)
Hmmmm.... gourmet samiches! Ya I said it - SAMICHES!
Grandma getting dinner ready
Tia full of holiday spirit :)
Grandpa and Tio getting the tree right
Christian's first take at the Christmas tree - kind of neutral response. Before we went to Toys R Us and spend a lot of money on gates to guard the Christmas tree and fireplace, we gave Christian a try-out. Sure enough, he didn't take any interest in the tree or the fireplace - not even all the holiday decor which made all the Santas safe.
The most important person of the night... the bartender! Daddy's peppermint egg nog smoothies with rum (or Bailey's) is a holiday tradition :)
Christian wasn't really feeling the reindeer...
Grandpa showing Christian how it's done!
Grandma helping Christian with his ormanents :)
We've been waiting for this all year long :)
Careful Grandpa - that's your second glass of egg nog with rum :)
The annual tree topper ceremony
Christian and Grandpa admire their work
There's something enchanted about lighting your Christmas tree, cutting off all the other lights in the house and admiring your holiday centerpiece. There's a brief moment that we shared as we all took a sip of our spiked peppermint egg nog smoothies and nodded at our proudly decorated tree.
That's the good stuff that families are made of...
Christmas decorating is exhausting! I'm pooped.
This Christmas
I can't reveal my secrets but I can tell you that garlic, pancetta, egg, and gruyere cheese were invited to the party!
5 and a half stars ... coming right up!
Go Grandpa!
The "kiddos" - minus one :(
I admit, I knew I would find joy in watching Christian open his gifts. But when I saw his face as he opened each gift, I melted. His smiles were as deep as his appreciation and there is NOTHING in ANY store that could have possibly matched that feeling. It was if he knew that we couldn't buy him the world but that we chose each present carefully and hoped that he would love them; as if he was trying to tell us that he couldn't have picked the gifts any better himself; that despite all the busy malls we took him to, all the life-size toys in the windows he saw, and all Santas he met, he didn't want anything that wasn't already under his tree. At that point, it's not a question of trying to see something in your child that just isn't there. That kind of peace in a child's heart tells me that we have a very detail-oriented God.
He started out a little shy...
The story goes that the day after we went and bought this at the store, I was sitting in the living room on the sofa. Christian went into the office and before I could go check on him, I hear Damion come in and ask "you let him have it already??!" - I quickly turned around and there was Christian, rolling his new truck into the living room. We had to double-team so we could distract him and hide it for Christmas.
Christian's first bike - thank you Grandma and Grandpa!
Cookie!! That smile was priceless...thank you Tio and Tia!
Reading notes from Santa with Daddy.
We didn't know it then, but this would soon become Christian's favorite book
Elmo!!
Swish!! Nothin but net!!
And this is what daddies are for!
Daddy product-testing for Christian
Ah, Granny, how did you know I needed these? :)
Yay! My own Superman throne!
Christian loves all his gifts from Granny!
Christian and Granny
Undefeated! Don't tell me girls can't play Tekken! ... is that how you spell it?
Messin around with Unc
Rough-housin with da boys - I think Christian is being "initiated" :0
Having fun with cousin Mandy at Christmas
We tried to tell Christian that Santa was Daddy but he wasn't buying it...
Cousin Maddie talking with Santa/Damion
Santa was great with all the kids
Christian never caved in.
Keeping Christ in Christmas is a must for our family
Beautiful cousin Maya
Our newest addition, cousin Stella
Natasha and cousin Martin
Sportin the new Christmas sweater :)
With cousin "nana"
Ahhh... the best seat in the house!
Christian posing with my favorite trio - Fel, Mel, and Mar :)
About a month or so ago, Christian started knocking on doors. Depending on the door, he'll wait on a response before he charges through. I think that's funny and I can't help but be in love with that metaphor and the fundamental relationship between doors and opportunity. I welcome that conversation and all the learning ops that will bring. For now, there are strong indications of "entitlement" when he knocks - as if knocking is really just a courtesy and he's unaware that there will actually be doors that he can't go through. I for one, like that he is starting off that way.
The Camera Roll
Poster child for all minority elves
WWF - Christian ain't no easy win!
Christian taking some lessons on how to accessorize
Hi-5 Unc!
Right now, Christian thinks ALL noses honk.
My baby and I stealing some "cheese" at Christmas
Christian started to smile on purpose for the camera a couple of months ago. Like most mommies, I made him sick of it. This is Christian making his best effort....
The only thing about the winter Christian did not like... was keeping warm :)
Throwback: just kickin it
Working on motor skills
Acting crazy at Target
The snow days were beautiful blankets of blessings
2 comments:
I can't see the photos!!! :( I'll try again when I get home. It made me chuckle when I read the part about calling mall security about play-area rules ... You didn't mention plotting to body slam 8-year-olds and burn the place down if you needed to! :) Love you guys!!
Thank you for sharing this blog Damion. It will be a treasure for Christian. Just reading this brings back so many wonderful memories of raising my boys! I know you are cherishing each day as I did many years ago. Love to your family.
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