Savoring These Two

So we are just one day away from wrapping up this 31 day series.  Often throughout this past month, I have been reflecting on and just enjoying these two little lambs.  They change and grow so quickly, and I don’t write down their little stages and idiosyncrasies often enough.  It has been a sweet thing, just being a little family of four and seeing the friendship grow between these two.  They are usually pretty inseparable and love to do most things together.

Noah is almost two.  He is talking up a storm, and repeats a lot of what we say.  He loves anything to do with trucks, tractors, airplanes, trains, and firetrucks.  I love how when he sees something or wants to say something, it’s almost always directed at me.  “A truck, momma!”  “See a car, momma.”  “All done, momma.”  (Although in my weary moments, it can be exhausting, it is the sweetest thing ever to be the one he wants to share everything with.  I hope it never changes.)  He is just beginning to really love books, and now brings me books to read to him and says, “Gook, momma.”  (He never used to sit still long enough.)  His favorite is a board book we have that has 100 first words, and he wants to “read” it at least five times a day, which entails me having him find things in it or tell me the word for the picture. He loves “spiky hair” in the bath that Daddy gives him.  Daddy whips it up into two spikes and he smacks it down, squealing and laughing.  He loves music more than even Phoebe I think, and breaks out dancing as soon as we turn it on.  His favorite songs to sing at night before bed are “Jesus” (Jesus loves me) and “Ka-kee-us” (Zacchaeus was a Wee Little Man) and “David” (Only a Boy Named David).  When we ask him what he’s thankful for each night, it’s almost always “Jesus.”  After his bath and jammies are on he comes running for me down the hall saying “momma, momma, momma” and then shows me his clean snuggly self and just jumps up and down around the room.    When he’s thirsty he says, “water, me,” so I call him my little plant.  Lately he loves to lay down and drive his cars slowly back and forth, staring closely at the wheels and looking at how they work.  Yogurt is “whoa-gurt.”  He comes up to me often out of the blue and says “I la lu tooo, momma.”  He is obsessed with his blankie (“Dee-dee”) and always has to chew it.  One of his happiest moments is when I say in the morning “Ok guys, shoes on.”  He screams with arms in the air “Shoes on!” and runs downstairs for his shoes.  He’s pretty shy with new people and other kids, but he’s starting to warm up more to others.  He seems to be understanding that a baby is in my tummy and he sits on my lap, facing my tummy, poking it and talking to the baby.  He’s starting to love saying hi to people when we’re out, realizing often people will talk back to him.  He shoots his hand straight out like he’s jabbing them and says “Hey dare.” (Hey there).

Phoebe is almost four.  She loves wearing dresses, and changing outfits at least ten times a day.  Half they time she’s just running around half naked in between “costume” changes.  She loves to dress up in her tutu’s, or be “the bride,” or “Laura (from Little House on the Prairie).”  She could read books all day long if you would read to her.  Pretty much, if you sit down for more than thirty seconds, she will run to your lap with a book for you to read to her.  She loves to play with Noah probably more than he needs to play with her and is always scampering around to see what he’s up to.  And often pestering him, though she usually doesn’t mean to.  She loves to sing, often her own renditions of things like “If you’re happy, then you know it, clap your hands.”  She loves being outside, jumping on the trampoline, riding her trike or scooter, playing at the park, and going for walks.  She’s starting to be really interested in bugs and getting up close to examine them.  She loves when you play Doctor with her (she usually only wants to be the patient).  And she cannot wait to have another little baby in the house to hold and help mommie with.

I know that when baby girl comes, our “normal” will be thrown for a loop for a bit, but then we won’t be able to remember what it was like before she was a part of things.  It’s good for me to find things to look forward to in the next season so that saying goodbye to this one is easier.  It’ll be so fun to see Noah get to be the big brother.  And to see what Phoebe is like with a sister we can dress up, a real, live doll.

As this month closes and we are almost all ready for baby girl to come, I’m looking forward to slowing down the busy rushing and just enjoy and snuggle on these two kiddos a whole lot.