On the day after we celebrated (as in, with an actual PARTY celebrated) our son's first birthday, I realize that there are so many things that tend to happen almost at light speed, and there is just no way to capture them all. The boy actually turned one nearly 2 weeks ago, but I didn't have a moment to spare for him (or guests) until this weekend.
Things I've learned in the past six months:
(1) Parenthood does not get easier just because I've done it before. Each kid apparently presents new challenges. (more on this later)
(2) Both parents being enrolled in Ph.D. programs while also trying to raise two kids is completely insane.
(3) If we don't have time for something, it's okay to say no.... even if it's a major holiday and/or people's feelings will be hurt.
(4) No matter how busy we get doing whatever it is we do, our little family comes before pretty much everything else.
Words.
J now says a handful of words. The first one spoken was "Dada" at about 6 months. He now fully associates "Dada" with his father, which is cool. He also says "NO!" He's become quite proficient at the use of "Uh-oh," even though he sometimes says it as a preemptive measure (i.e., BEFORE throwing his cup on the floor from the kitchen table). He says "Hot," when near the stove or if he hears anything remotely sounding like it (although it comes out more as "HAH-tah"). But he will not say, "Mama." Like, at all. He said it on Christmas Day, and I thought how wonderful a gift he'd just given me. But apparently, it's not the kind that keeps on giving. Everyone keeps telling me he's pulling my leg, though one bit of advice sticks out...."Don't worry; once he starts saying it, you'll regret wishing he would because he'll never let you rest!" Hmmm, valid point.
I still want to hear him say, "Mama," and know it's me. Just sayin...
Boy versus Girl.
Okay, it could be sex differences, or it could be just different kid things. However, I've noticed that we've had to go to great lengths in managing our lives with the boy in it. We have had to childproof everything. Okay, we sort of did it with E because we were first-timers, but she never got into so much trouble. J, on the other hand, has tried to leap over the banister down the stairwell, jump off our bed, fly off the diaper changing table, stick things in electrical outlets (regardless of if they're covered), get into cabinets, pull things out of cabinets, and pretty much destroy anything delicate that isn't placed on a very high shelf or out of sight.
We now live with a cage around our television. The remotes must be hidden from him or batteries removed so that we don't find the TV displaying something we've never seen before. We have to watch out for our phones so he doesn't call someone in China. We have a gate blocking off the top of our stairs. And all this for a boy who isn't quite yet walking!!! He took a few steps yesterday and the day before, but he's not quite ready. And we're not exactly disappointed by that.
We call him the B.B.O.E., which stands for the "Busiest Boy on Earth," and he is. He is always looking around for mischief, always curious, always being nosy, always getting into something. On the positive side, our little investigator has an inquisitive mind and is likely quite intelligent. We just have to keep from tearing our hair out while we wait for this genius to emerge.
