new phrases!

several new phrases these days:

• i told mo to go tell daddy that dinner was ready. he went to our bedroom (where our door was closed), and knocked, saying, "daddy, dinner!" 
• he tells people and jude to "sit there" while jabbing his finger down next to him. i think it's especially cute that jude has finally become a playmate in mosey's mind. he's brought him toys all along, but now he interacts with him, throwing things for him to chase, petting him, giggling with him, and telling him to sit with him. it's just super cute.
• he points to things and says, "fly, dyooseeit?" "birdie, dyooseeit?" "puppy, dyooseeit?" (do you see it, is what he's asking, in case that was unclear). he also holds up pictures and books in just the right way to show us what he's talking about. kind of like a teacher holds up a book as she reads it.
• this last one's not a phrase, but he loves to carry bags around. he particularly drapes them over the little crook of his arm, calling it a "purse" (instead of a bag, which he is also able to say), and walks around proudly. 

also, there have been little glimpses, but i think he's finally become a full-fledged, moody, opinionated toddler. i was thinking it was because of his fever last week and the time he spent being spoiled at home, but... i'm not sure. we'll see, i guess.

lovelove,

me

i see you!

i'm working from home today, and mosey is at home too, because he's got a fever and we can't find a sitter. it's not been too bad, to be honest with you. i just wanted to tell you that he is sitting under my chair and saying, "i see you!" to jude who is sitting on my feet. it's a precious moment that should be documented.

also, he says, "tissue, help," because he needs his nose wiped... and he brings me the childproofing outlet cover and says, "help," because he wants it to go back over the outlet but he knows he's not supposed to touch the outlet. what a special little kid. i love him!

lovelove,
me

here, hand, and sit

these past couple of weeks, Momo has started to talk to me in commands. though a bit bossy, i am just delighted with these three: here, hand, and sit.

"here" is what he says when he wants you to take what he is holding. it's usually a toy he wants to share, a sippy he doesn't want to drink anymore, or a book he'd like you to read.

"hand" (said with a bit of a British accent) is what he says as he reaches his hand up, wanting you to hold it.

"sit" is what is he says as he points to the seat next to him and he wants you to sit down.

with these particular three words, i blissfully obey every time. :)

i've been thinking these days, with a bit of influence from Brene Brown, about how vulnerable it is to love a child so much. we're not guaranteed that we'll see our child grow up to be a healthy, successful, happy adult. our road ahead is actually more likely to be filled with all kinds of challenges and heartache. but each day, we open ourselves up to love this child, take delight in him, get to know him more, and not hold ourselves back. thank you God for each day you give us to enjoy this child! i've also been reading her book, Daring Greatly, and thinking about how to live, work, parent, love, think from a place of worthiness. i suppose this all is not going to make much sense in just a few lines, but i want to know more about who i am... about who God says i am. shortly before i turn 34, i guess i'm returning to that old fundamental question.

lovelove,
helly belly

"sigh"

that's the way mosey says 'sorry.' the other day, he bumped my forehead with his own head, and he came over and rubbed my head and said, "sigh, mama, sigh." it made me so grateful. he's such a tender kid. i wish i could put him in a bubble and protect him from this broken world we live in.

last week, i saw him on three different occasions take Jude's face (our floppy basset hound mix puppy) with both hands, gently lift it to his, and kiss his little puppy lips. oh. my. gosh. wish i could get these moments on film.

last week, he also started coming up to me and saying, "mama, poopoo." i would take him to change his diaper (which he calls 'biaber,' ha), and after getting a fresh one on, little guy would say, "kee-kyooo," which is his way of saying 'thank you.' let me be clear about this, our child thanks me after i change his diaper. what??

i think it's partly personality, and partly daycare magic.

sigh. i love this kid.
helen

where are you, choo choo?

we got a train set a couple of weeks ago from nana, and we keep it in the original box (for now), because i'm terribly anal and i hate to lose things when they are a set like that (one set of tracks that fit in a circle, three train cars, and two zoo animals). well, a babysitter helped us out last week (another fever and no daycare), which i was grateful for, but by the end of their time together, our living room was a toy explosion zone. i'm not entirely sure this babysitter has much experience... in fact, i'm sure she has very little because she has only ever changed one diaper, and it was Moses' a couple of weeks ago. i don't mind though, since he's strong  enough now to generally not get too injured and she's a friend that we trust.

anyway, so back to the choo-choo's. i was sort of sad to find that the train set had been scattered. i found pieces stuffed in lots of different hiding places. i (rather skillfully, i might add) located every piece and put them all back in the box. every piece, except for one blue choo choo. we have literally looked for this choo choo everyday for the past week. so much that moses knows how to say, "where are you, choo choo?" his comes out a bit jumbled, but he says it with the proper inflection and everything, which is so adorable.

and victory! we found it today. we were just playing around in the living room, and moses started to say, "whereareyou, choo choo?" and picked it up from under the couch. yay!!! i put that train right back in its proper place in the styrofoam package. and truth be told, i think moses was glad to have the set complete again too.

maybe we're both a little anal.

also, moses knows the color blue. it's kind of blowing me away. or maybe it blue me away... hah!

lovelove,
sa-mama

suddenly!

a lot of changes happen suddenly during these first few years of life, i think. there are a few firsts that i'd like to mention in today's entry that seem rather large... and make me think of his budding career as a dancer... engineer... or doctor... or.... well, really, i just love to watch him play. he is just pure delight. :)

• he started repeating after us--the brown bear book has been a real favorite of his, but mine has got to be the very hungry caterpillar (which he actually tries to say!). i've already told you about pickle, but he also calls the "salami" "sa-mama," which i adore. maybe our child will be a motivational speaker. 
• we sing a few verses of the song God is so Good to him before he sleeps (both naps and bedtime), and this week for the first time, he started kind of singing along with us! no words, just sounds, but still! maybe our child will be a singer. 
• he's been dancing like a fiend! one care provider in every place he's been in the last couple of weeks has commented on moses' dancing skills. yesterday, at church, the lady said, "when we started the music, moses broke it DOWN." she didn't just say that he liked music or liked to dance, it's that he broke it down! maybe our child will be a dancer.
• he loves clipping seat belt buckles together. he hasn't yet figured out how to get out once they're buckled, so i'm thankful for that. less work for me, and he's pleased as punch when he gets to do it. also, this isn't part of it, but he likes to unscrew the bolt from the bottom of our kitchen table. maybe our child will be an engineer.
• the other week, he inspected some of my scrapes on my legs and told me, "mama, boo boo." maybe our child will be a doctor.
• this weekend, when hubby was in the shower, mosey got one of his own washcloths from the closet, opened the shower curtain, said "daddy," threw the washcloth in, and walked out of the bathroom. that was just plain awesome.

i love that little guy so much that i feel pride and joy coming out of my pores.

lovelove,

meeeeeeeeeee