december 2011

To My Cal:


Last month I wondered a lot about what your personality would be like. This month you've shown it to us! Your daddy-o and I were talking about how Hayes is so much like him. Quiet and reserved when he is in a room of strangers, loud and rambunctious when with friends. Hayes has these moments of being "too-cool" that remind me so much of your dad. Let's not even talk about how much they both like to sleep.


So far your personality is looking a bit more like mine. Social! Laughing! Loud! Fiery! You concentrate so hard on your toys and if you drop one, you scream and cry. You want to be good at everything, and be everywhere, and tell all the jokes. You roll all over the place. When you're on your tummy you kick your legs so hard, and stick your bum in the air you move a few inches up. Once you figure out your arms are a necessary part of that equation I'm certain you'll army crawl (scary!) You strain your neck to sit up, and if you're leaning far enough forward you'll sit up on your own for a good while. Hayes thinks it's pretty hilarious when you fall over. 


You love to shake your rattle and suck on all your toys, and you're starting to eye all our food. That is one thing I like most about being a mother of two. I'm not in a hurry to get to the next phase or milestone. I was itching to feed Hayes rice cereal, but not with you. Where's the fire? Let's slow our roll, No more growing! are common phrases out of my mouth. It's nice to be a mom twice because the hard times are nearly as bleak. I know things aren't permanent, they're phases, and if you wake up twice in a night instead of once, it's okay! (Which is amazing of you, darling, thank you.) I know it will be better tomorrow. And if it's not better tomorrow it will be next week. 


The other night your dad was reading Hayes a bedtime story, Hayes was on his lap and you were on Hayes' lap. I don't know what was particularly funny to you about Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? but every so often you would burst out in a giggle. Hayes would look surprised and look down at you, and then laugh too. You would hear Hayes laughing, and so you'd laugh again. Back and forth you made each other crack up. Of course your dad and I were laughing too.


You have brought such a new light to our home. It's amazing how it doesn't dim Hayes' light, or what makes him special to us, it just adds to it. You are your own boy, you have your own place in our family and at only a few months old we could never imagine our family without you. You have this gravitational pull and everyone wants to be around you. Especially your brother. All day long he is coming up to you "Hi baby!" over and over. He kisses your head and makes you give him high fives all day long. He lays on you, rests his head on your shoulder, and worries for you when you're sad. 


This month we moved to a different house and it got me thinking about why I wasn't feeling sentimental. I could have been really sad to leave the house we brought you home to, the home we made so many memories in, but I wasn't sad. I think that speaks volumes of you, your brother, and your dad and how you make me feel. Home really is wherever you are and I love you with my whole heart.


The world is yours, Cal.


Love,

Mom.