my baby boy

Since I haven't written about the kids in particular for a while, and I haven't written about Stephen specifically in quite a while, I thought I'd spend a few moments thinking out loud about him. I love this baby SO much. I love his little fingers and toes. I love the way he hands things to people, saying, "Eee-ear" then quickly drawing his hands back to clasp his chest with shining eyes and a grin spread across his face. He is a strong baby boy. This kid can lift bricks. Literally. Working outside, he brings me rocks - heavy ones - saying, "E...E...E...Eee-ear".

He has been climbing up and down the stairs since he could walk. He pushes chairs around the kitchen and climbs up to "help" or otherwise get what he wants. He climbs on the table, the counter, the desk. If there's something in his way, it goes on the floor. Just ask my teacup. I used to be able to put things up out of the way to keep them "safe" (and I've ended up with piles of stuff everywhere). He is forcing me to change that habit. If it doesn't get put AWAY, it's likely going to end up back on the floor. Unfortunately, he does not always discriminate between things that belong on counters, shelves, etc and things that should really be put away. He does not think that there should ever be anything on the table. Set it for a meal and if he's not secure, it will be un-set before we sit down to eat.

When it is time for me to cook dinner, I put him in the ERGO. If he's not on my back, he's in his highchair. He's taught me how to streamline the process of preparing, cooking, and cleaning up RIGHT AWAY after dinner. I can't take a chance of him pushing a chair up to the stove while I'm getting something from the pantry or grabbing a knife out of the sink while I'm loading the dishwasher.

At the park today he decided that the regular stairs were too far from the slide that he wanted to go down. He thought he'd try the "loop ladder climber" that was right next to the "curved zip slide". He climbs up the ladder to slide down our 8-foot yellow slide at home, too. We spend a lot of time outside. When he wants to go out he brings me his shoes. He loves Princess. She only lets him near if I'm there to hold him, but that doesn't stop him from chasing her all over the yard, squealing with delight.

I love the sound of his voice. He doesn't talk much, but when I hear him running and laughing, it makes me laugh, too. Besides "here", he says something that sounds like "thank you", "love you" and something that means, "I want to nurse". Otherwise, he runs to "dada" and his sweet little voice follows me throughout the house, "ma-ma?".

He likes to brush his teeth, of which he is rapidly acquiring more. It's funny to me that he gets his teeth on the right before the ones on the left. My other kids have all gotten their teeth in matching pairs...one on the left, then one on the right. His first molars came in - top and bottom - on the right and his canines are already poking through on the right as his first molars are just starting to come in on the left. He doesn't let me see them, though. If I try to look at his teeth he squeezes his lips tightly together. I only get to see them when he's laughing, crying, or when he gives me a kiss - with his mouth wide open.

I need to take some pictures...and get some "movies" of these things before they fade from my memory. So, I'm off to charge the batteries in my camera...perhaps by the time I have some new pictures I'll be able to upload them (I tried putting a picture on here of Stephen but it's not working tonight...)