eighteen months

oh goodness. eighteen months big and eighteen months sweet and eighteen months strong and eighteen months curious. this boy is tender when tenderly scolded for little naughty antics, like dumping his drink onto his plate while proclaiming to all in earshot "Nawdy! Nawdy!" or trying to open the oven. But he gets over the grumpiness quickly. This boy stays near to mommy and is anxious of strangers and repeats everything his big brother says. Nanuk would very much like to be a nudist, resisting with vigor all attempts at diapering and clothing him.  He gets excited from his toes on up when his brother enters the room, yet defends himself with confidence when necessary. Brothers just wrestle with each other, right? It's just what they do?

I love how Nanuk takes such pleasure in emptying every cabinet/drawer/ bin of it's entire contents, tossing items of little interest over his shoulder. I love that he still wants to be cradled in my arms for lullabies at bedtime. I love that while he is snuggled up against me he stares into my eyes with utmost faith. I love how he pretends to put his finger in my mouth while I pretend to gobble it right up and he thinks it's hilarious every time.

A happy eater, bananas for bananas and smoothies which I often make just him say "moo-ie! moo-ie!" Story time, which is whenever and wherever he plops himself on my lap, frequently includes 3 rounds of Panda Bear, Panda Bear. He totally digs animals, action figures ("guys"), swings, and coloring; his favorite crayon is "geen." Nanuk is a treat, that's for certain. Soon he'll be climbing the pantry shelves to reach the cookies. Soon he'll be too big for the safety and confinement of a crib. Soon he'll be able to dish out everything his brother does, with equal gusto. Soon his soft baby scent will be gone and I'll no longer be able to call him my baby. And soon, I'll have to accept it.