It’s startling how quickly my little man is growing. Over night, he seems so much taller and just more child-like, less baby-like. It hit me this morning like a ton of bricks just how much he’s grown over the past little while. He fills the booster seat most comfortably, his little legs dangling over the edge of the oak chair. And his expressions are identical to those of his father’s. I love just how much he looks like Matt, how he smiles like him.
I love that he still sucks/chews on his tongue…all the time. For comfort, when he’s tired, as he falls asleep, when he first wakes up, when he’s bored, when he’s waiting. He’s been doing that since he was just a tiny wee babe, barely able to lift his own head. I love that he still does it. I know it would be silly to see a grown man sucking/chewing on his own tongue, but is it wrong for me to say I hope he doesn’t ever grow out of it? (I know, I’ll probably regret those words when he’s 35 and living in my basement…HAHA! As if!).
There are other things that he does that make my heart melt. That monkey on his crib bumper is in his “favourite corner”, he falls asleep every night sucking/chewing his tongue, cuddling with the giraffe and Kevin the bear, and petting this monkey – which is why it’s so worn. I love it. It gives me a slight reminder that he hasn’t completely left his infant years, not yet anyway.
Then there is his ability to destroy his room when I leave him alone for five minutes to switch a load of laundry or make a tree. The boy is hulk-like, and can move his furniture around (well, the lighter ones anyway). When I peer in and see the attempts at rearranging his room, he always gives me the same look: what ma? It wasn’t ME!
He climbs like crazy; to reach things, or to look out the bay window. He’s still a little too short to look out the bay window by himself, so he always drags his wooden chair over and stands on it so he can watch the cars drive by. I’ll be right there, behind him, listening to him point at them all and say CAAA with such excitement. He is resourceful and it blows me away.
He’s better than I expected with the Christmas tree, I expected him to rip all the ornaments off and push the whole thing over. I guess the solution to worrying is to assume the worst is going to happen, then you’re so much happier with what actually happens. He stares at it nonstop, and chatters away about the “massmass teee”. Then he’ll get this look in his eyes, and slowly creep towards it, ignoring me when I say “don’t touch the tree Nolan!” He’ll tentatively reach a little hand out and gently tap the ornaments. I’ll repeat; “please don’t touch the tree Nolan, it’s not a toy” and he’ll toss me a look over his shoulder that says I CAN’T HELP IT MOM! and do it again. Then he’ll race over to his time out chair and sit down, because he knows he’s not supposed to touch the tree but he just can’t help it. He’s like his father that way. If there was a red button that would do something super horrible, Matt would push it because he wouldn’t be able to stop himself. Nolan has to see how everything works, how everything feels. When we go to family or friends’ houses, and if they have an area rug or carpet, he has to inspect it and touch the different textures. Matt was the same way when he was little.
All these little things are so humbling and beautiful. Watching him grow into a beautiful boy is such a wonderful experience, I couldn’t ask for a better “job” than this. This isn’t work, this is a daily reminder about how precious and beautiful life is. Sure, there are some days where I’ve reached my limit with an uncooperative toddler, and I just want to escape for a bit. But my five-minute breaks in the kitchen with a cup of hot tea really help, mostly because I get to sit here and watch him play. He is enthralled with the world around him, as I am with him.
I love watching him experience this world; it’s so beautiful through his eyes. I love that we’re going to be able to give him everything he needs, and more. He is the light that keeps our drive to do better for ourselves and him burning strong, he is the inspiration and our muse.
It’s a beautiful life ❤
How did I get so lucky?
The Bottle Chronicles 
lovely post. lovely. also i don’t know about when he’s thirty five, but he may very well keep on chewing his tongue into adulthood. i chewed my tongue as a kid and still do. it’s not so bad tho, sometimes if people notice they just assume i’m chewing gum (which i don’t cuz i hate gum, yea i’m a freak). in fact in grade school teachers would harass me about spitting out my gum because it wasn’t allowed at school and i would tell them i didn’t have any gum and they would insist i did, etc. even going as far as inspecting my mouth and once even insisting i swallowed my gum to dispose of the evidence (my words, not the teacher’s). but yea, i still do it all the time to different degrees. i thought i was the only one. glad i’m not 🙂
I love that he chews and sucks on his tongue, it’s the cutest thing ever and it always makes my heart melt ❤ I used to suck on my thumb when I was his age.
And that's pretty funny (about the teacher) LOL!
I’M ACTUALLY GOING TO EAT HIS LITTLE TOES!
you are so, so lucky mama! nolan is obviously a beautiful little babe (infant! sniff!) and you’re doing a remarkable job raising him. he may be a wonderful kid, but know you and matt had a hand in making him that way. of course kids get into all kinds of mischief but regardless of that- he’s resourceful, and helpful, and brilliant. he’s funny and empathetic and challenging. he’s all these wonderful qualities he acquired from his family, so you have so much to be proud of.
did i mention im going to eat his toes? nom nom nom!
kisses!
Oh Elle, you’re making me gooey again! lol! Thank you ❤ I suppose you're right, Nolan IS super awesome because we're super awesome 😛
Holy ego inflation, bahaha! ❤ oh I heart you tons!
(and don't worry, I am super proud!!)
The definitely melt your heart don’t they? I like massmass tree! 😀
I know! It’s uber cute! But he has like 3 different ways of saying “christmas tree”…that one is my favourite (and the most commonly used one).
Aw Jess that’s such an awesome post! It’s crazy how you feel much the same way that I do about parenthood, I never would have known without this blog! I’m working on mine now, YAY, can’t wait to get it up! As soon as our tree is up, I think I’m going to try and teach Serena the “one finger rule”. I remember reading about it somewhere and though it was so cool! It’s for young children with insatiable curiosity like Nolan. Imagine taking them to a non-baby proofed house with lots of decorations around… you’d spend the whole time pulling them away from stuff and telling them not to touch, right? Well this person’s theory is that instead, you teach them to touch things gently with one finger. That way their curiosity is satisfied and nothing gets broken. Apparently it worked really well with her grandchildren. So I thought I’d try it! Sounds like Nolan is ahead of the game, lol!
I broke down and got an artificial tree, btw. They had a nice one for $54 at Walmart, and I found a $50 gift card in my wallet, so yeah… no brainer, ha! I’ll always be a “real tree” girl at heart, but since we have no vehicle to bring one home this year and Serena is so young, I decided a “fakie” will do for this year! I think we are gonna set it up tomorrow night after she’s in bed, wanna come over? After the tree we can have hot chocolate and watch stuff, maybe I”ll find private practice on the internet! 🙂
You know what? That “one finger rule” is a GREAT idea for Nolan! I just mentioned it to Matt; he thinks it just might work, so we’re going to try THAT. It’s certainly better than constantly saying “no Nolan, don’t touch please!” and chasing him away hehe.
And about the tree…how silly, I was just telling Matt tonight that I’d love to buy a REAL one next Christmas, because Nolan will be a little older and better able to grasp the “don’t push the tree” concept. I used to have a real tree when I was little, and going out on a hunt for the perfect tree with my parents and sisters was pretty fun. I want to have those memories with Nolan 🙂 plus, I would LOVE the smell of the real Christmas tree!
(although, I’m sorta not game for the amount of poor trees that get cut down just for this occassion! sigh).
Tomorrow we have plans 😦 we’re making an appearance at my SILs little party. I’m sorry love! But we need to get together soon times! Nolan and I are still fighting off this lingering cold, but I DOUBT we’ll get you guys sick – we’ve had it for well over a week, we must be past that stage!!!
Hurry up and finish your blog so I can read it!!
❤