Lately, I’ve been noticing a lot of the little things. Hampton’s sleepy smile when he first wakes up in the mornings. The way he watches everything we do with such intent and interest. The fact that there is peanut butter on my window sills and spilled milk on my floor should bother me, right? But I love it! I love all of the evidence of my child learning, touching everything, exploring and playing. It makes me so happy when I see him discover something new. In the last couple of weeks he has started playing peekaboo – legit peekaboo, not the baby version of the game. He runs from me when I call him. He hides from me when he has done something wrong. He lays his head on my shoulder when I tell him “no” for whatever thing he has done in apology. He is growing up and changing so quickly. Most days I want him to still be my baby boy, but others, I realize how lucky I am that he is healthy enough to run, play, spill things, eat Pippa’s food, throw (and break) my bathroom scale, make messes and laugh. He is growing up, and while it breaks my heart in some ways, it makes me smile.
A couple of weeks ago, he came up to me holding a frame with a picture of a baby in it. He pointed and said “baby, baby” over and over. It made me smile, and cry a little (blame the hormones). It was comforting to know that just maybe he does understand more than we think he does. I know he has got this. He is going to be a great big brother to our little girl and I can’t wait!
