What about this little boy?

Motherhood is something I knew I always wanted.  What little girl doesn't?  I can tell you though that I was not prepared for how amazing it would be to be a mom.  More than that though, it's incredible to watch your child grow into a person.  I want to know when little r went from this completely dependent little baby to this vibrant young boy.  And he's only TWO!!! Time has flashed before my eyes, and I find myself in awe when I look at him and watch him do his little r things.

When we found out we were going to have a baby, I can't remember feeling one way or the other about whether I wanted a boy or a girl.  I am probably not unlike many women and probably wanted to have a girl only because that's what I knew best and it seemed a girl is what everyone wanted us to have.  Now that I have this crazy little man in my life, I can't imagine it any other way.    

Having a boy has been very cool. From what I can remember, I was always a bit of a tomboy, that or I just didn't want to accept that being a girl was anything less than being a boy.  Guess the feminism set in at an early age.  Not that you can't do all the things you want with a boy or a girl (and many people do), but I'm starting to see that gender can make the little ones different.  With little r it was clear from the very beginning that his veins were teaming with an overabundance of testosterone.  It's been cars crashing, balls throwing, and girl hugging from the start.  

Just like any mom, I think little r is the cutest and smartest two year old EVER.  His smile lightens a room, and when he giggles you can't help but laugh with him.  He can also stop a room in its tracks with his scream that he often does just because he can.  The intelligence of this little man baffles me.  He can remember the darn-dest things, and I find it amusing to see the little mannerisms he picks up from us.  

So, what is this little man up to these days? 

He loves walking his puppy.  We do this every day.  There's a field near our house where we let Rani run off-leash, and little r always says, "puppy happy!"  The poor old girl is going deaf, so calling her back can often be an adventure into itself.  I tend to use my low, gruff voice and cup my hand over my mouth when I'm calling her (not sure why I do this - she can't hear me either way).  I started to notice that little r does this, too.  He'll get this stern look in his face, put his fingers in his mouth, and growl, "R-A-N-I!"  The crazy little man has also learned that "puppy eeewww" is not to be messed with.  This somehow became the phrase we use to describe animal excrement, and it's pretty hilarious.  The other day he was walking her up the hill on a family walk, and she went to pee.  He dropped the leash and ran behind me screaming, "PUPPY EEEWWWW!"  Try not giggling at that. I chuckled for at least five minutes...

He loves snuggling with his kitty.  The older little r gets, the more attention she lets him give her.  You will notice that she is quickly searching for her escape route...      

 

He loves reading his National Geographic magazines just like his Daddy...

And he adores riding the "boo bus"... and the train, and taking trips in Daddy's car.  The kid loves everything that moves and has a window so he can watch the world around him and take it all in.  

I could just eat him up.  He might not be the cutest thing in the whole wide world, but he is definitely the cutest thing in mine.