If you are able to watch little baby chicks, ducks, or geese with their mamas it is just so sweet to see them rallying around her; following her everywhere. Off things, under things, into ponds, and when sensing danger, like a menacing dog, they all curl up under her wing as she lifts it and swaddles them in. But there is always that one. There is always that one running in the other direction, just far enough, but not too far. The one leaping before the rest of the pack, the one jumping into the pond belly flop like with no fear far before the others slide down its muddy banks. He is the one that is the last under the wing for certain that he can handle things himself, but will then run for cover at the last second.
This chick is my Jacob.
We have never had a crawler before. Nope. The two before him did not want do it. They scooted a little bit, but were content in their little areas, not mobile. Then one day, they walked. I didn't really do so much tummy time with them, it broke my heart to see them crying in frustration. Sign of the future? 'Ok, Ok, I will solve your algebra problem, bring it to Mommy, I will google it.' I did worry a bit for E. I made myself believe that maybe he had some weird muscle tone deficiency, his bones weren't strong enough, the signals from his brain to his legs weren't working. I don't know, but you know as moms we zero in on those milestones and cling to them, will them to happen, and when they aren't right on time, we panic a bit. I would go to the pediatrician and say, 'well he isn't walking yet, he just scoots a little, not really.' And they would all look at me and say, ' he is just 12 months, just 13 months, just 14 months...' And then at 15 months he just walked, he just did it. I have posts to show it...oh he is so sweet, look at that toddle...ok...back on track, wipe the tears. Kendall walked on her first birthday at her party. She was like, 'yup today sounds like a good day to take a step and walk,' and she just did it. This is Kendall. 'Ok, yup, today I feel like writing my name,' and it is done.
Jacob, oh no, he was determined as ever to be moving. And you might say, well he has the two older siblings and he wants to keep up with them. That really didn't entice Ethan too much, and see that is E's personality. 'You do what you want, I am quite content where I am, and if my mama asks me to climb right back into her womb, I will do so.' He and I are like the italian mother and the son, he will live with me and I will feed him meatballs until he is like 35 and getting married and I will be his wife's living nightmare...'Do you fold his underwear honey? Here, let me do it, Mama knows best.'
Jake had been screaming at his toys and us for a little bit, and just about 3 weeks ago started the crawling business and can now get to things that he desires. I initially thought, oh my life just go easier, I don't have to listen to him balk about this or that, that is just out of reach and run to fetch it and make him happy.' Oh no. Nope. He is the third child. He is a mover and a shaker and he wants to go! He is into everything, climbing on everything, and wanting to be 10 years old. And so, I can be tending to one, getting a snack, turn to hear him yelling for me clinging on to the stairway banister because he thinks he can just go and walk up the stairs! Corners of tables might as well have a lit up sign on it that say, 'Hey you! Come smack your head on this!' Cabinets, in and out of them with all of its contents. The refrigerator? You leave it open just to put a splash of cream in your coffee and he is in it; like climbing up the shelves in it. You go one way and ask him to follow, he turns, looks at us, and crawls off into the other direction. Yet I refuse to have my house resemble a padded and locked anxiety striking area. I like my things. I just have to now pay a bit more attention...apparently climbing window sills will happen.
He is the potty cheerleader. Whenever anyone is doing their business he ceases this opportunity to catch up with you. He wiggles his little bottom across the floor, pulls up on bare legs, and just stands there babbling away at you. You know, since we don't close the door and all, we are that family, for now. He loves the potty when it is not occupied also....please flush when at my house. PLEASE. He thinks that it is his own bowl to splash in. Whenever you cannot find him, please check the bathrooms first. He is in there, has dumped anything in his reach into the toilet to watch it splash.
He is beginning to climb book shelves, open drawers, up and over anything. He is a caterpillar in human form. You are saying to me right now, 'This is not your first...' Got that. However this is my first determined mover. I can still corral a bunch of activities around Kendall and Ethan and instruct them to stay put, and they are still there 20 minutes later.
We have had to move and hide Stanley's water bowl at least 20 times. We finally found a spot hidden in a corner of the kitchen behind the sliding door curtains. Stanley has go and stand behind a pile of fabric in a corner just to get a drink.
He is just about 10 months. That's it. 10 months. He will be walking within this month. Do you know what this means? This just adds length and speed to the little sucker. You will see me running after him in store aisles, down sidewalks, in the library...and I will find him either climbing something or sitting dangerously atop it with some wide eyed mischievous smile that will send me to the funny farm.
I don't know. The upside to having your children so close is that you can kind of sit them in the same pot. Kendall and Ethan are growing, learning, and developing together in this sweet little package with a bow on top. I can accelerate and put on brakes as I see fit and they respond. It it tiring, yes, but it is definitely easier to initiate structure. This kid Jacob, he is like flying out there 3 years behind with his foot on the pedal and his hands all over the steering wheel, his chubbiness swatting me away.
He smirks when you say, 'hey, hey Jacob, no no.' He thinks this is just hilarious and what would have Mommy just rolling in side stitches is if I actually do it, and he does. I got tired of him crawling up to the other two in the tub, reaching over the edge, swatting at bubbles, stealing toys and wash cloths, yelling at them...'Dat, Dat, DAT!!!!!!!!!!!' So now he sits in there, happy as a clam.
Jacob likes to 'rage against the machine,' and although it quite endearing and cute to watch a personality blossom so young, it's telling isn't it? A year from now I will be informing you of how he figured out how to get the screen out of the window and climbed onto the roof. I anticipate a strong personality, a funny personality, but a determined personality.
But for now he is my little chick and though he may want to run astray at times, that ain't no challenge for my wing span.
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