Balance Sheet

Ah Michael - he is sitting squarely in the middle of an age both wonderful and horrifying. That stage in which mobility is all but fully achieved and there is no awareness of danger. He tries to crawl right off of elevated surfaces like the changing table and the bed - I would like to request doses of both depth perception and fear please.

The eating is horrifying - he LOVES to eat but is, as are most diners his age, sloppy and impatient. If you put food on his tray bite by bite, he's signing for more as soon as his fingers leave his mouth. If you offer a little more at time he picks it up by the fistful and uses both hands to stuff it in, after which he wipes his hands on every nearby surface: hair, his clothes, our clothes, the table, the chair - he doesn't discriminate. Michael is also starting to show distinct food preferences. He's getting a combination of baby food and table food, but we have to feed him the baby food before offering the table food or he won't eat it. If you offer the wrong thing he has no qualms about protesting loudly and throwing food. And of course his wrath rains down upon anyone who dares come near him with a washcloth, so that's fun.

And diaper changes, have I mentioned those? The arching of the back and more exercising of the lungs - sheer joy!

Seriously though, as much as almost-toddlers are little bodies of frustration, there are so many things to love about Michael at this age.

Like how sweet and cuddly he is just waking up from a nap:



And how he talks ALL THE TIME. Harper frequently says, "Michael is sure talkin' up a storm today!" Of course it's 99.9% nonsense, but I love, love, love to hear him babble. I haven't had much luck getting it on tape yet, but I have hope.

I am also finding it amazing how well he is moving around, pulling up, cruising a bit, and figuring out how to get down after he gets up! It amazes me because two months ago he could barely belly crawl across a room.

Aside from the food in the hair, and the arched-back screaming monster who occasionally appears, I find Michael so amusing these days. I could listen to him talk, watch his butt-waggling crawl, and witness his exploration of the world all day long.

So today was Michael's turn in front of the camera. These aren't ground-breaking videos. They aren't even particularly funny or sweet. They are just a little window into our days, and how far Michael has come.