I've been watching him more intently these last few months. His tantrums grew more intense, his ability and desire to sit through a book grew longer, his eyelashes seemed longer, his giddiness at getting a cup of milk or a "nack" more fun to behold, he has been turning two for a while now.
But today is the anniversary of his birth.
Early this morning, he got out of his bed and came to my room, "mom, mama," he said as he peered through the crack in my door. I said, come in, and he ran over and reached for me to pull him into bed with me. He climbed in and began to count to ten for me, upon reaching 10, he said "ten, ten, ten, ten," opening and closing his fingers. Then he let me know he is fully aware of his body parts, moving from head, to eyes, mouth, teeth, nose, ears, fingers, legs and feet, labeling them all for me.
He nuzzled his sweet face under my neck, making sure our faces were able to love each other for a little while. And I just breathed him in and remembered staring at him in my hospital bed two years ago.
As I watched him as a newborn, trying to figure out all of the colors in his eyes, I asked that time slow down. And over the course of the two years, I came to realize that I was responsible for slowing down time by taking in my child as slowly and often as I could.
I heard him make the "g" sound for the first time last week. He moved from saying, "all done" to "all gone." As family and friends say happy birthday to him, he responds, "happy birday" back. I guess it sounds like a greeting, similar to good morning, maybe. He wasn't sure about the candle in his waffle this morning and after his brother and I sang and said blow, he finally pushed enough air through his sweet little lips to extinguish the flame.
He will take my hand off the keyboard when I'm typing and reach to be picked up or he'll take my hand and place his cup in my hand entreating me to get him more milk. The cutenesses of this kid are too numerous to name, but oh, wait until I tell him to do something, he'll stonewall me, by staring at something facing the other direction, deliberately and stubbornly ignoring my requests or demands.
I watched him sleep the other day, and couldn't believe how long he had grown as he stretched out in his bed. And just last night, I let him fall asleep in my arms, so I could see if his face still held traces of the newborn I fell in love with two years ago. His eyelids resting on his big beautiful eyes and his eyelashes kissing his cherub cheeks nodded to the brand new baby who graced my life two years ago. But his chubby cheeks and wrinkled brow said, hello 2! Goodbye baby!
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