The Baby's Monthly Update

The 21st of January came and went and I did not write the Baby's monthly update, mainly because the day before had been The Boy's birthday. However, there has been complaints from certain quarters and so, slightly belatedly, here is The Baby: Month Twenty One. You've kind of been a twerp this past month - you really have discovered yelling and that your older brother and sister will give you ANYTHING you want if you just march over and scream "MINE! NOOOOOOOOOO!". You've been using your Brand New Excellent Social Skills in public, pushing around older toddlers and I think that it's a little bit funny because your older siblings were so timid as toddlers and here you are, this little loudmouthed mite.

You really, really like having your way and suddenly you're verbal enough to be able to say what you want most of the time - the other night, you came marching in at bedtime wearing a pair of fuzzy footed sleepers with Halloween socks pulled up on top to your thighs, your sister's knock-off Snow White t-shirt and your beloved red zippered sweater. I looked quizzically at your father who normally doesn't put you into anything worse than sweatshirts under overalls, and he shrugged and said that you'd really, really wanted to wear that. Well, okay.
Your world suddenly seems a little bit bigger, with nursery hour at the library and playgroup, trips to the post office and friends' houses. You seem more indomintable than your siblings, more brazen - you forge ahead with the expectation that everyone will be your friend, that there are no dangers that won't be removed from your path, nothing you can't yell at into submission. You're very verbal, and until you collapse asleep after lunch, I'm followed around by a steady stream of comments, a running excited narration:
"Mama and Baby eata cheese!"
"Kitty onna chair!"
"Red sweater! Mine! Mitten pockets!"
"Bad kitty! Kitty scratch! Scratch baby!"
"Look mama! Finger ina nose!"
"Haaaaaalp! Stuck ona chair! Haaaaaaalp!"
All day long. And do I have to even mention what a pain in the butt you are in church? The elderly congregants LOVE to see you, but you spent all of service last Sunday yelling about monkeys and bunnies, and shrieking "leggo!" every five seconds. You DO look cute in your spiffy Sunday clothes, though.
It's been a rough month for you health-wise. Several bouts of illness have cost you some of your hard-earned weight, which is distressing. You had to get some needles earlier this month, which disgusted you - you yelled at the poor nurse practioner "Hey! No way! Stop! JEEEZ!" - but recovered from your post-needle crying to take the stickers offered to you by the nurse. When I told you to say thank you (which you'll normally do - you're a loud person but a polite one), you shot me a dirty look and muttered "no WAY." and then marched off with your stickers, unsure of your destination but confident that you'd find friendly faces when you got wherever you're going.



It's Groundhog Day today! Regard my cupcakes:


Their searching glares ask you to look deeply into yourself and ask "Have I voted for Beck yet?". (Humour! Writing! Meeting! Go vote!)