My sweet, sweet baby James is no longer a baby. He hasn’t been for some time, but it’s a hard pill for this mama to swallow! Sometimes, I feel like he was just born and yet here he is, a toddler well on his way to boyhood.
James is at that age where everything he does is kind of awesome. He has a Temper and is as mischievous and impish as he is sweet and kind, but Pat and I both agree that he is really just the best. He is funny and smart and adorable (and he knows it) and he keeps us on our toes at ALL times. James is most definitely our flight risk kid, and I fear the day he can open doors. He is Mr. Independent and is just a physical kid with seemingly no fear (we often hear that he’s a bruiser). He literally climbs the walls, and it’s not uncommon to find him places he most definitely shouldn’t be:
James loves to eat, and loves to run to his high chair screaming “eeeaaattt” until he gets his food. Some days he’s picky and only eats what he wants, but then other days, he’ll eat anything and everything that’s put in front of him. If he likes what he’s eating, he nods his head up and down and wiggles his eyebrows and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. He makes us laugh out loud all the time.
For the most part, James is a good sleeper. He still sucks his fingers (the first two fingers on his left hand, and the middle two on his right hand) and rubs his ear when he’s tired. James is a kid that needs his sleep, despite the fact that he sometimes fights it. Other times, he practically begs to take a nap or go to bed and throws himself in his crib. We were driving the other day and he said “Mama. I tired.” When he’s well rested, nothing phases him. When he’s in need of a nap or didn’t get enough sleep, he’s a bear and the slightest injustice will set him off. His nickname is Jimbo Drama on those days 🙂
James loves, loves, loves to sing and hearing him sing his favorite songs (or demand that they be sung to him) is just adorable. His current favorites are “row row” (row, row, row your boat) “baa baa” (baa baa black sheep) “bus” (the wheels on the bus) “ABC” (the ABC’s) and “heeeeaaaad” (head, shoulders, knees and toes). We are constantly singing songs and sometimes he’ll let us sing what we want, but other times he creates his own little medley and it’s hard to keep up with his requests! When he hears a song he likes, he dances and moves his head side and side and smiles and laughs. It’s adorable and he’ll do it whenever the mood strikes him!
James loves to snuggle, and I am soaking it up as much as I can. He’ll be mid run around the house, but stop and ask for a hug and a kiss and then continue on his merry way. If I’m rubbing his head or his back, or have a hand on his belly and happen to move it, he’ll reach over and it put it right back where it was. It’s so sweet and I selfishly let him fall asleep in my arms because I just cannot get enough of him. The sensation of feeling him drift off and knowing that he’s so content and secure is one of my all time favorite things. He might be running full steam ahead toward being a big boy, but he’ll always be my little baby.
I feel like it’s hard to truly capture James with words (that seems to be a theme of mine) because there are so many sides to him, if that makes sense. Some of my favorite things he does, in no particular order:
- If he walks backwards, he always says “beep, beep, beep”
- When he first wakes up, he says in a singsong voice “Mama, where are you?”
- He loves to count, and can count to 12 when he feels like it.
- He and Bailey are best buds. He chases her around the house and is way too rough with her sometimes, but she is so patient and good to him. Probably because he feeds her more than anyone else in the house.
- If Bailey upsets him though, he legit yells at her (I can’t imagine where he learned that) and makes me laugh because he’s so angry, but so little and she pays zero attention to his outrage.
- He loves hats, but only wears them backwards.
- He will get as close as possible to my face or Pat’s and just say “hi mom” or “hi dad” over and over again and then plant wet kisses on us. It’s hysterical and I love it.
- He tells us “I love lou” all the time and it never fails to make me melt. He is so affectionate and it’s the best.
- He whispers sometimes, and it’s adorable.
- I never thought this could be possible, but he may in fact talk more that Pete does.
- If he misplaces something (or someone) he holds his hands up and says “where it go?” in his high-pitched little voice. It cracks me up every time!
- His smile is the best. He often scowls (it’s usually fake) but then he smiles and it just lights up his whole face and it’s one of my all-time favorite things to look at.
*He’s just about nineteen months now. And to think I actually started this post when he was sixteen months .. oops!
