Days like these

Our days have begun to pick up and run together again, blurring the line between winter and spring, and all of the sudden we've found ourselves in mid-march with an energetic fifteen month old who loves daylight savings more than anyone else, except that pesky part of trying adjust to bedtime an "hour earlier". 

The house is in need of a good scrub, the dogs need baths and manicures, weeks' worth of clean clothes remain to be put away, and toys are strewn across the house as far as the eye can see.  Yet, it doesn't bother me.  Our little family has spent the last few weeks recouping from the harsh winter (well, harsh end of winter at least), just doing what we do best - hanging out and having fun. 

Sure, work stress is at an all time high, but I've taken to running during lunchtime, which not only helps me blow off steam that would otherwise leave me tearing up in anger at the idiocy of an egotistical maniac, but it's giving me more time to sleep in, make Gobble's breakfast & lunch in the morning, or just be.  Bonuses are that I don't eat the sweets strewn about the office and that if my 4th metatarsal holds up, I'm on track for broad street. 

So back to the fun. 

I absolutely LOVE this age.  Yes there are diapers, yes there is a paci (for sleeping only), yes there is the occasional barf (sorry again sis about your birthday cake!!).  But there are no bottles to warm up, no baby food to mush, and no bedtime blues.  If Gobbles doesn't feel like going to sleep, then he'll lay in his crib talking to himself for an hour without fussing (as long as the aforementioned pacifier doesn't fall out of the crib.  yikes.)

And my boy?  Smartest little man ever.  But he may have his Momma's stubbornness as well (or Daddy's... he may be more stubborn than me!).  Last Tuesday morning, for the first time since we heard him say the word six months ago, Gobbles began running around the house.  Mommma, Momma, Mom-MAAA!!!!  This after MONTHS of calling me Da-Da to get a rise out of me.  And yes, it was purely for a rise, because he'd call me Dada, I'd say, "No, MAMMA", and he'd laugh and shake his head no, sending us all into fits of giggles.

But, ever since last week, my heart leaps out of my chest every time I hear those two little syllables, Mom-ma.  A finger point directed at me along with the word makes me fall to pieces with joy.
Gobbles is funny like that.  He knows a lot more than he lets on, and just waits for the right time to let it out.  Earlier this week, after he'd gone to bed, hubs and I hear a very distinct, "Hi!" come from his room.  We flip the monitor on and turn up the volume, assuming he'd managed to turn on one of his talking animals.  "Hi, Hi, Hi!".  We both looked at each other - assuring the other that we were not hiding any new words, we'd really never heard him say it before.  Next day at daycare, I asked, "Um, so does Gobbles say Hi?".  Oh yes, he says hi all the time! 

That little bugger. 

I told them of the night before and they just laughed well, that's Gobbles.  He only says what he needs to, but then again, it's hard to get him to stop...hmmm not sure why he's holding back "Hi". Ahh.  So the poor child is conflicted it seems with that DNA combo we gave him.  His father's dry reserve coupled with his mother's incessant need to overshare - one will have to win out in the end, we'll have to wait and see which.

Another new word he frequents now is Again (Gan!). I've started playing ring around the rosie (black plague be damned) with him, and he LOVES it.  Half the time he falls down a little early, but as soon as I'm on the ground next to him?  Gan, Gan, Gan! as he holds out his hands.  And boy, the physical demand of getting up and down off the floor to play 27 times in a row is actually really hard, and I consider myself somewhat in shape.  Gobbles loves this game so much that he'll randomly abandon a toy and run over to me, pulling my arms out and positioning my hands so we can go another round.

So as of now it looks like our words of choice are Dada, Momma, Wiggle, Dog, Stop, Go, Car, Bus, Again, This, That, Ball, Cheese, and a few others I can't think of at the moment.  The words Gobbles understands but doesn't say yet are innumerable.  Ask him to go get his shoes and he gets them, tell him to say hi to Spoons and he runs over to give her a hug.  Direct him to play with Cannoli and he finds a toy on the ground, approaches him, and sticks the toy into the dog's mouth. 

I could go on and on, and don't get me wrong, it's not bragging, I'm just amazed at how much my boy can do when a year ago he couldn't even roll over.  That and I feel the need to list things here since the baby book has gone untouched for so long, I need to document these things somewhere!

So our weekends have been filled with playtime, talking, laughter, and trips to the playground.  Gobbles had his first (and second) trips to the park recently.  I don't know why it took us so long to get there, but being a winter baby by the time he was big enough to go I was back at work and chaos ruled.  Anyway, he has an irrational fear of the swings which I actually find quite cute.  But the slides and the captains wheel?  We could go up and down or spin spin spin all. day. long.  Typically, Mommy or Daddy will get tired of getting tangled up going down the twisty slide (seriously, no fun as an adult!) and call it a day.  But it's ok, because we usually take that energy from the park and come back to our own backyard chasing the puppies around until naptime. 

The only downside of all this fun is the complete lack of pictures.  I've been taking hubs' advice and living life for what it is, instead of watching from behind a camera.  So, I've got a few cell phone shots but that's about it....

But never fear, I've been taking pics all week of my lil Irish lad in his St. Patty's day pride.  That'll be for the next post!


I'm on top of the worrlllllld!




Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!



So much fun to be had in my own backyard!



Look at those puppies run!

Just wait one minute and this lawn will be mowed!