toddler bug
I don’t really get “baby bug.” These past 5 months I’ve held baby Henry and baby Ian at church and playgroup, and they are sweet babies (and nice and small — I hope this next one isn’t into gaining a pound a week!). I enjoy holding them, but I feel no maternal draw or special impulse, and I am fine handing them back.
Each stage is very special and I love my babies through them all. But the newborn stage isn’t my favorite. They’re fragile and needy and demanding. 4-6 months is a nice reprieve as they learn to play and make noises and stay in one place. Then comes the food stage. Make food, pack food, refrigerate food, think about 2 separate meals for each meal. Slowly, then, comes the magical age: I love the second year, 12-24 months. He can eat food from our table all by himself. He can walk out to the car all by himself. He can entertain himself. He can play with his brother. He loves to learn what things are and mimic noises.
I could spend an hour watching Jaeger play and discover things and try to talk. I love the 16-20 month stage. I really enjoy the twos, also, but this is my favorite time. They babble and want to communicate, but do it mostly with facial expressions. They get so excited. “Good job” makes Jaeger’s whole face light up. He toddles around taking things out and putting things back in and clapping and singing and grinning. I want to squeeze him to pieces.
I don’t get “baby bug.” I get “toddler bug.” I look at Jaeger and think, “Oh, you’re so cute! You’re going to grow out of this stage too soon. I better get working on another one!.” :)
