Last week we went to visit our friend and her brand new baby girl. John was holding his breath, waiting for me to come home and say I wanted another baby. And you know? Not so much. Babies scare me, really. I mean, they're cute in their baby kind of way. But they're so damn helpless, and they don't DO anything. If I could pop out a kid at the age of almost 16 months, though, I'd do it in a heart beat. Dex is just so much FUN right now. Way cooler to hang out with. It's almost (almost!) like hanging out with a little man. Who, you know, can't talk. Or control his emotions. And stuff.
While Dex is sick (AGAIN! WTF!) with a stuffy nose and an on and off low grade fever, I wanted to write down a few things that make me smile, before I forget. Because I forget a lot of stuff these days. I had to call John last night as I was driving home to tell him the check engine light came on in his car. Cuz if I didn't tell him, I'd forget by the time I got home. Kids suck the memory out of your brain, I think.
Dex has figured out how to turn the letters in his Leap Frog phonics game, so he can put them in all by himself. John says he learned that last week, as he watched Dex try to put a letter in, grab the letter with his other hand, turn it a little bit, then try again. Eventually it clicked and now he's a pro.
We finally taught Dex the sign for "book." So now he will come up, drop a book on your foot, sign "book" and then try to sit in your lap so you'll read a book to him. It's really too cute to resist.
Dex is, I think, trying to say "milk" at the dinner table. It comes out like MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMIL-tooka-tooka-tooka.
If you ask Dex now what sound the boa constrictor makes, he will say "SSSSSSSSSS." Ever so quiet, like he's being shy.
Dex is tickled when he picks the letter "D" to put in the Leap Frog toy, and I say it's D, for Dexter. It always makes him smile. And go push that letter again and again.
Dex tests his balance skills every day. Got a hill? Dex will walk up it, and then back down, and then will look at you so you can tell him how wonderful he is. Got a sidewalk? Dex will walk off the sidewalk, then back on. Got a box that you sent to your brother, for his birthday? Dex will carry it in to the kitchen and step up on to it, then step down, then step up, then step down (awesome present, Aunt Christy!). Soon, I am positive, he will want to walk down the stairs like a big boy. And I will be screwed, because he is not physically capable of doing so. Don't tell him that, though.
When we are outside Dex often has a hard time deciding between driving his car or swinging. Such a tough choice. Yesterday we were on the deck playing and he looked at me, smiled, and signed "swing." Then he headed down the stairs, still signing "swing." Then stopped, had a lightbulb moment, and signed "drive." Then "swing." Then "drive." OK, kiddo. We can do both. But you know what you need to do first? GET DOWN THE STAIRS.
Don't say "Baby Signing Time" in this house. Seriously. Don't do it. Unless you want to see a small child immediately go to the couch and look at you. Ummm - helllloooo. Kindly put me on the couch and turn on the TV, Mom. Tis time for Baby Signing Time.
Want to make a baby giggle? Start running around the yard. He thinks it's HYSTERICAL. And then he tries to run around, too. Which he's not very good at yet.
Dex likes to pick flowers. Dandelions and buttercups are his favorites. He'll come toddling up to you, hold his flower out to you, and watch as you smell it and tell him how pretty it is. Then he'll take it back and smell it himself. And then hand it back to you. And then take it back.
We're going to hope that Mr. Stuffy feels all better tomorrow. So we can play a lot. Enjoy the nice spring weather. Get outside to play. Go to the playground. Go to Bomboy's to eat some ice cream.
PS - did you notice Dexter's hair cut?
PPS - we're also going to try dropping Dex down to one nap this weekend. So, regardless of the weather, this weekend might REALLY REALLY suck.
PPPS - I have video of this very cute small child, but I am too lazy to go down to the basement to edit it. I can't do it on my laptop because the sound doesn't work. What's that? Couldn't hear me? DAMN LAPTOP HAS NO SOUND. MYSTERY. CANNOT BE FIXED BY SWEET HUSBAND WHO HAS TRIED. A LOT. MAYBE I SHOULD DROP IT ON THE GROUND. SEE IF THAT HELPS. CAN YOU HEAR ME, LAPTOP?? Think that threatening your laptop, on a public blog, is effective? It's the best we've got. Really. John can't figure it out.
