What Makes Mommy Happy

Sweet Jude, how I wish I could give you a potion to make you stop growing and keep you my little man forever.  I wish I could take and hold onto snapshots of every moment in time with you.  It's so ridiculous how much I love you and I want you to be a little boy forever.  Daddy's the same way.  I see him sneak hundreds of kisses to you and he asks me all the time "Don't you wish he would stay this way forever?"  Yes!  Lately, I've been trying to think of all of the 'sweet' things you do, and there are millions of those.  I wanted to try and capture the things we have been doing lately that I never want to forget.

1. Stealing you from your crib at night -
We'll do bathtime, watch our little Sprout shows, and after 45 minutes of calming cartoons and snuggling, you're still not tired!  Usually around 9:30, we'll go to your room, turn out the lights, listen to your green frog (aka alien) sing us nighttime songs, snuggle with Bunny and try to get sleepy.  I put you to bed and you're usually wide awake, and still excited from the day, but you do eventually drift off to sleep after 15 - 20 minutes.  Then the fun begins.  Right before I go to bed, I'll go in your room and steal you gently from your crib and transfer you into bed with me.  I'll stare at you and touch your nose and pet your belly, and then eventually fall asleep as intertwined as I can possible be with you.  Then Daddy comes to bed and sometimes will put you back in your crib, but usually he keeps you in there with us and he makes sure you have as much room as you need to be comfortable.  Oftentimes, that results in Daddy laying perpendicular to me or halfway off the bed.  You'll wake up sometime between 3 - 5am, and will sit straight up in bed and start nudging one of us.  Then I'll usually scoop you up, give you a paci, and lay you back in your own crib for the rest of the night.  This process is definitely not the best way for any of us to get a good night's rest, but we love having you close to us at night.

2. Kisses -
You are very temperamental when it comes to kisses (or hugs), but when you do decide you want to give Mommy a kiss, you go in with mouth wide open.  You always laugh hysterically afterwards.  I love your silly kisses.

3. Driving the car -
I know that sounds dangerous, but we do not turn on the engine, and someone is always in the car with you.  You LOVE opening the car door (when you can reach it) crawling in the driver's seat and saying vroom vroom.  Daddy will turn on some music, and you'll turn it up and down, play with all the cool controls and act like a racecar driver.  It's always so terrible when we take you out of the car, because you have a complete meltdown.  You also try getting into strangers' cars to drive -- my little car thief.

4. Hide-n-Seek/Bye Bye -
You love to play your own little version of hide-n-seek where you say "bye bye" as you shut your bedroom door.  Mommy or Daddy will try to hide somewhere in your room and then you come back in looking for us.  It's amazing how easy things are so complex to a toddler!  Jude - we hide in the same spot almost every time, and you still have trouble finding us at times!  It's precious (but I'm sure a little scary) when you start whimpering because you can't find us.  We always come out right away when that happens to put you at ease.  Big smiles always follow when you "find" us and usually a big hug.  It always makes me feel so special to see you so excited to find me.

5. Dancing! -
You are the best dancer I have ever seen little guy.  You almost...almost!...have rhythm.  ANY time you hear music, you do this cute little wiggle with your upper body from side to side.  You love spinning in circles and pumping your arms up and down, all while having the BIGGEST grin on your face.  You also clap with the music most times, but you always make sure you clap when the song is over.  You are so appreciative of a good song or dance.

6. Hiding when you poo - 
That's not something we do together, but it cracks me up.  You'll mysteriously disappear from a room and I'll find you in the next room hanging out in a corner grunting and pushing away.  You like your privacy, and I always know when you are leaving to do it. 


That last one's TMI, but one that I want to remember.  So, ignore it if you don't want to know about J's poo.

That's what's got me all googley eyed for you Jude as of late.  I LOVE YOU and everything that you do (even when you hit me and love pinch me).  Please stay my little man for just a bit longer.