These Are the Days

My boys are so sweet and getting sweeter everyday.

I have really come to a point with Charlie where I love him. I mean, I have always loved him, he is my son. But now I love him.

The sleep thing has been going great this past week. We have been putting him to sleep in our bed, and although he is only taking hour naps, he is napping! And going down easier and easier everyday. So now that that hurdle is out of the way, I feel like I am really enjoying Charlie for the first time. There was the period after he was born, our babymoon, but that was just euphoria over having a newborn and not being pregnant! Now I am appreciating who he is becoming. Sweet really is the best word to describe him. He smiles often, but not the big, full bodied smiles that Jack had, but sweet, almost shy smiles. And a lot of times he will snort and look away. He just melts my heart.

He is also quite the chatterer, but not for just anyone. Most people, like my sister or mom, have to really work at it, but not me. Last night, Chad and I were arguing, and Charlie just kept interrupting with smiles and chatter. Like he knew we were fighting and he was breaking it up. How can you stay mad when that happens?

He has a great little schedule going now, too. Wakes up, either eats or plays, then does the other one (plays or eats), then back to sleep! He is never up for more than 2 hours (the only thing I was able to glean from the Healthy Sleep Habits book) and it is working great. But if he deviates much from that, there is hell to pay. Like yesterday. I escaped the mayhem for a few hours, and Charlie was due for a nap when I left, but upon returning, he still hadn't napped. It wasn't pretty. Took him over an hour to go to sleep last night. Kind of a mood killer, ya know?

And of course there is my honey, Jack. He is getting so big! My mom cut his hair on Friday, and he looks like such a big kid now! Plus, I think he is growing, as his 2T clothes are starting to really fit him now. He can help put his shoes on, can reach the countertops (and often does), is talking like a madman, counts to 20, and is learning some colors! I just can't believe how time flies.

Oh, and does he love his brother! Jack went to Granny and Geido's (my parents') Thursday to Friday, and when Charlie and I went to pick him up, he ran over to Charlie right away. Barely a second glance for me, he was all about his brother. He was kissing him, and kissing him, and rocking him in his carseat. It was one of the sweetest things I have seen from Jack since he held the girl's hand in the park.

Jack loves being read to right now, especially when he is tired and wants to cuddle. And coloring is quite an obsession for him (he is on my lap right now, doing just that!). I am very happy about the coloring, I must say. My family is very creative, but Chad's isn't, so I have been afraid that Jack, who everyone thinks is a mini-Chad, wouldn't be! I am hoping to nurture that creativity in my kids.

I am really settling in and enjoying this all right now. I remember hearing when I was pregnant that the first 3 months would be hard, and it seems to have been exactly that for me. A friend of mine from high school came over the other day with her 15 month-old daughter, and she kept saying to me "I don't know how you do it". Part of it is that I don't know any better. I got pregnant with Charlie when Jack was just 9 months old. The other part is that you just do. There are good days and bad days, but there aren't a whole lot of them that I would change. I love my boys and our life together. It all seems perfect now and I am glad that we didn't wait any longer.
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So, I just finished that lovely post, including how much my oldest son loves his little brother...only to watch that oldest lob his cup at the other, simply because Charlie was sitting in his own gym. Poor little guy. Jack, for not understanding that the gym was made for infants, and Charlie for getting a cup in the head. These are the days.