I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'm so thankful to have had the chance to parent Archer. It has been such a radically different experience in so many ways, some of which are healing in that I know at least some of my struggles parenting the first two through infancy were more to do with circumstance than personal shortcomings.
Archer is almost 15 months. Now that we've passed through the magical 12-month "finish line" of what I find to be the most difficult period, time feels like it's flying by. He finally decided he would like to start walking at 14 months and hasn't looked back. He conquered the stairs awhile back and I'm pretty comfortable letting him have some freedom to explore the house.
He is both impossible and effortless to entertain. He is perfectly happy to merrily follow me around, undoing whatever task it is I'm attempting to accomplish. He loves to "help" but mostly creates three times the mess I am able to tidy up in the same amount of time. His attention span is virtually non-existent, so trying to get him to play with something and stay out of my hair is completely futile. In a lot of ways I don't really know what to do with him. We started the library storytime which he loved, and I loved, and I'm attempting to leave him for periods of time in the gym daycare.
Funny story about that gym daycare. I had a gym membership to Fancy Gym when Brighton was...oh, right about 15 months. I looooooooved everything about Fancy Gym except for one small detail. They had a policy that if they couldn't soothe your screaming beast within 10 minutes they would call you to collect said beast. I don't think I finished a single workout ever. I just quit the gym, fearing I'd never have any time to myself again. Fast forward four years and somehow I think it'll be different. The first day went ok but it's been downhill since then. I have much more staying power now and I know that this is a particularly difficult age for separation, so we will persevere. Homeboy LOVES his mama.
He loves nothing in the world as much as he loves being outside. He stands at the door begging to go out. At this point he has almost no words yet so his method of indicating desire tends to be pointing and grunting/shrieking/yelling. He needs nothing to entertain himself outside, just dirt, rocks, sticks and endless space to roam. I love that about it and yet, selfishly, I find it frankly sort of mind-numbing to follow him around making sure he doesn't find piles of dog poop we've missed in our clean up.
He's a very adventurous eater for now, although this is not my first rodeo and I fully expect by age two he will be down to three or four foods he will accept. He requests, nay DEMANDS, he try everything I might be eating in front of him. The latest favorite is hummus, which he both eats and spreads liberally over his body like some sort of skin care regimen. Who doesn't love a baby that smells like garlic?
He firmly believes he is entitled to participate in any and all activities the big kids are engaged in and LOUDLY expresses his displeasure if he is disinvited. Trying to do homework with Pacey and Brighton while he is around is an exercise in patience to say the least. He is energetic, adventurous and generally, incredibly cheerful and good-natured.
I love him. I adore him. I kiss him one million times a day and then I throw him in bed at 6:30 pm because he has worn me out. He is the absolute perfect finish to our family.
1 comment:
See, you are a better person then I am. I LOVE the newborn stage all the way through the toddler stage! But 12 months - 2.5? Nope. I'd give them to someone else to raise if I could during that time.
Good luck and enjoy every minute- we both know how fast it goes by!
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