Full sentences are unnatural for a 21 month old

Well, maybe they're not unnatural, but they appear so!

I have a 34-inch human being walking beside me. It walks, runs, eats, poops and pees like adults, but it's 1/2 our size and speaks in helium with its underdeveloped vocal chords.

Going from "Mamma, UUUUP!" to "More carrots, please," freaks me the fart OUT. I've been enjoying documenting his physical and verbal growth but, since everything the experts write seems to be about "those first 3 years of development," I fear that the curtain is going to be coming down soon and the credits will be rolling on this dramedy well before I'd like it to. As soon as he hits 3 (and, if 3 were his Mommy's face, he WOULD hit it), will he be less entertaining? Will his developments be so underwhelming in comparison ("So he learned to tie his laces...compare that to when he learned how to WALK. [YAWN] No great shakes.")

The way he conjugates amazes me. "They did that." Oh YEAH?! How'd you know to say it like THAT?! He is listening to and absorbing EVERYTHING!! I should be so attentive.

I hear other moms saying, "My child is 5, my new favorite age!" and the years bring on new surprises, greater/bigger/more impressive stories. I'll look forward to that and, in the meantime, live in the moment that is September 2010 and my baby boy (rather, toddler boy - when we ask him, "K, are you a baby or a toddler?" he replies, "Toddluh"...) - is communicating in greater sentences. I'll wallow in his many hugs and kisses and calls for me while they're here. I'll savor his puckered lips leaning towards my own and enjoy the fullness of his soft cheek squishing into mine. I will remember them. I am living them. Remember for always - for decades - for ever.

Child # 2 for you?

Is wanting a 2nd child the product of peer/family pressure, the natural order of things or merely wanting a 2nd try at what you didn't do the 1st time? A 2nd chance to experience the more precious moments with some experience and confidence in your back pocket...or total lunacy/forgetfulness of the "walking zombie" side effect?

I think about it - my kid's 21 months old and I think it would be impossible, idiotic and irresponsible to bring another child into the mix. Financially, how can we do it? Ok, I thought it was financially impossible before #1 so I guess anything's possible there - "you make it work" - but why choose to struggle?

Mentally, I cannot spare more brain cell loss from sleep deprivation. Naomi Watts said that she had a lobotomy after her 1st child which left her w/ 1/2 a brain and that w/ her 2nd child, the other 1/2 was taken. I held onto that magazine snippet for awhile, taking comfort in the proof that I wasn't the only one to feel like I'd become a supreme dumb ass.

Emotionally, I don't know if I'd be a better mom w/ even MORE sleep deprivation, leaving me fuzzy-headed & unstable and that's not including the possibility of post-partum depression.

"He needs a playmate." Oh yeah? What if I have a girl? "Oh, they won't play together..." but I 'haveta do it'? Bah Humbug!

Will I be his sole playmate, exhausting myself even further? Doubtful - his cousin's around. Loads of family. He's personable. So that's covered.

Will another child make him regress and slow progress (as my ped. mentioned to me a couple months back - "Don't have another child too soon. He's growing so rapidly; he may stop due to regression.") Well, there's no need to twist my arm there, Doc. I'm in NO rush.

Will a sibling create a household of constant bickering/fighting and noise? Probably - but that's normal. Do I WANT that? Nope. Could it create a quieter household b/c they'll entertain each other? Probably - but do I want that? Still...nope.

I want more vacations like end of July - Wed. thru Sun. away - sleeping whenever I wanted to, swimming, soaking up the sun, working out and did I mention sleeping whenver I wanted? I'M clearly regressing. I chose to have a kid, so I'm doing it - being a good Mommy for him - but I still cannot fathom adding a 2nd child.

Yet, I do still think about it. ?!!? Not thinking clearly sure muddles up my clear thinking.

Mamma say WHAT?!

So, it's been years since I've posted here but now I am a Mamma and that has been in the works for 21 months now. 357 days ago, we were celebrating K's 9-month birthday and that was 12 months ago!!! The 2nd year tore past us while the 1st year took its time, slowly teaching me to let go of Control and let in poopy shorts and a different view on how to do basically everything.

K talks up a storm now - for a boy, at 18 months, it's rare, but he's a great mimic. Now finishing up the last few days of his 20th month, he's communicating w/ the best of us. Sunday, in the yard, he came to me with sad eyes and said something that doesn't make any damn sense, so I asked, "What did you say?"

Again, I heard the same exact words, so I repeated back to him, "You want to eat the football?"

"Yeth."

He walked away from me, crouched in front of the football where he held it with a tiny hand on each end and leaned towards it w/ open mouth. You eat that football, baby...you'll never do it again.

Oh, I didn't have the nerve, so I said, "We don't eat that. That's not food, honey. RU hungry? Want some fruit?"

"Yeth."

Ok, then, now we're on the same page.

For what am I grateful?

I am grateful for my husband's love.
I am grateful for inspiring teachers who think I'm awesome.
I am grateful for my 5 senses, even though my sense of smell could be better (and will be!)
I am grateful for nature - trees, in particular. They're always reaching out and down to hug me.
I am grateful for not giving a shit what other's think more and more (yes, I'll do vocal trills while walking down the street and using my cork to loosen my jaw, if I wanna. I WILL and I DO.).
I am grateful for "coincidences" and being open to them, noticing them, using them.
I am grateful for my husband's love.
I am grateful for daily shelter, food, clothing and a steady paycheck.
I am grateful that someone cares about how I feel.
I am grateful that I can feel and make others feel emotions.
I am grateful for my wit.
I am grateful for remembering to be grateful.

Labor Day Weekend's upon us

I wasn't sure I was ready to admit that I had no friggin' idea what the history was of Labor Day but upon googling it, I feel that I'm probably not the only one. There's no significant person or historical moment, such as a war, that brought this about. Check out this link:

http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm

Did you know all this? Seriously? C'mon. I mean, I knew of the joke people tend to make every year about not working on Labor Day...what irony. Hardy-har-har. But I didn't know it was a holiday specifically made for the labor's union. So it's not ironic at all. Der!

Now that I know, I'll probably forget again and, if someone asks me next year, will fall short of an explanation for this holiday. Brain power's not what is used to be.

Thursday afternoon

There is a time on Thursday mornings - even Wednesday evenings - when I get excited that it's already Thursday. Thursday! So close to the end of the week, with something to still look forward to. Things begin to laze off at work and the weekend mentality arrives. I'm in NYC, after all, where even Monday nights are hopping.

This Thursday, though - TODAY - I keep psyching myself out.

It's Friday! No, wait, it's only Thursday...dammit!
I thought Thursday was great, though. Yesterday, you LIKED Thursday.
Thursday IS great, but it's not Friday...dammit!

Not only is the psyche-out annoying, but I can't recall the name/title of the blogspot I created on Sunday and was destined to create this one. What...a...nuisance.

- Agua