Month 26 - Recap

My darling boy,
One of your current favorite games is playing 'jail' (or, 'dail', since you're not a fan of Js). This rousing game involves me (or Daddy) sitting on the couch with our feet propped up on the coffee table. You crawl under our legs and pop through between them, effectively in 'dail'. You're trapped by our legs and you try to wiggle and grunt your way free. Sometimes you're the jailbird, where you escape from our clutches and run around the house screaming in glee. Other times, just to remind you that I'm stronger than you (for the time being at least), I don't let you break free (at least not on purpose) and you end up pouting and whining. It makes me smile.

I love hearing you talk. You're starting to put some three-and-four-word sentences together (so feel free to nip in the bud your favorite one-word sentence of "STOP".) There are many things you say so well, and then there are things that just reduce me to giggles when you say them.

• rectangle: wept-anguh
• oval: o-bull
• yogurt: yogurk
• dinosaur: dy-do
• green: geesh
• Ratatouille: waa-too-ee
• teeth: teesh
• Magformers: muh-FAWM-uhs
• Christmas: kiss-biss
• movie: mooney
• puzzle: puzz-null
• Silent Night (your go-to lullaby since you were born): ho-nigh [Holy Night]
• school: coos
• ketchup: kep-bup

Just like your sister ended her last month by being super sick, you did, too. Just after she got over her bout with the flu and pink eye, you became really whiny and pitiful, walking around the house saying your head hurt ('heh huwt'). I knew something was wrong, especially when you kept up a low-grade fever for a few days. And let's not forget the three straight nights where you got approximately 11 minutes of sleep total. I slept with you on the couch, we (which quickly turned into just Daddy) slept with you in our bed, we slept in your glider, we slept on the floor right by your crib. You would sleep for about 20 seconds, we thought we were home free, then you'd jolt awake and start whimpering. You'd flail, you'd kick, you'd roll over, you'd flip, you'd flop, you were so miserable. I took you to the doctor (because I was sure you had an ear infection) but he said your ears looked fine. Fast forward two days and I took you to Urgent Care in Dothan because, again, I KNEW something was wrong. The doctor took one look in your ears and said "Oh yeah, definitely a double ear infection." He also diagnosed me with an upper respiratory infection. You and I are just starting to feel better. Which means that now Daddy is sick. MERCY.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to praise my way through hard circumstances. I often enjoy a good pity party, but in reality, it serves no purpose. Finding things to be thankful for doesn't always come naturally; it's a skill that I must practice and perfect. It's a conscious decision to be thankful when you don't feel thankful. Has it been awful that we've been sick, non-stop, for more than two weeks? You betcha. Has it taken every ounce of my being not to lose my noodle? Yep (although my noodle is still precariously close to being lost on a daily basis). Is it fair that Natalie was sick on her birthday? Of course not. But you know what's awesome? You and Natalie weren't sick at the same time. Daddy and I weren't sick at the same time. There have been plenty of new Christmas toys, movies, and books to occupy the healthy members of Team Smith. I've had some serious cuddle time with both you and Natalie. And let's not forget that Angry Bird graham crackers were BOGO at Winn Dixie (that's your current favorite snack). There is always something to be thankful for, my boy. It might be small, it might be gigantic - it doesn't matter. What matters is that you don't dwell on the bad stuff. Fix your eyes on the blessings. You, my sweet bear, are what my eyes are often fixed on. While yours are often fixed on Angry Bird graham crackers.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Headlines for January 9, 2014:

• Bullock, DeGeneres win People's Choice Awards
• Gabby Giffords: Skydive is my way of saying 'I'm alive'
• Rodman Apologizes for Outlandish Interview, Admits He Was Drinking
• Former NFL Player, Todd Williams, Found Dead
• 2 dead after Navy helicopter crashes near Virginia coast
• Texas firefighter uses beer to extinguish truck tire blaze