Emerson Mitchell.

This week I’ve been thinking a lot about my adorable little guy. The past year and a half has been the best of my life because of him. I cannot believe I am so lucky to stay home with him every day. I get to chase him everywhere from the park to the pool and even around our living room. I get to have tickle and wrestle wars with him and dance along to Raffi songs with him. We get to sing Itsy Bitsy Spider and Popcorn and laugh when we splash water all over ourselves at the waterpark. He comes with me to do my grocery shopping and home décor shopping and even lets me wheel him around fabric stores while I look for things he doesn’t care about. If he sees any trash on the floor he immediately picks it up and puts it in the trash. He cleans up his toys when he’s done and pushes his high-chair back to its place. He gives me hugs and kisses all day. And he throws tantrums, but mainly when I leave him, which kind of melts my heart. This kid has a zeal for life and is infinitely kind.  He likes to get up early and run himself ragged until he crashes. In a crowd he will walk around and shake everyone’s hand, or give you a high-five, or knuckles, or hug if you ask. He plunges face first into pools. He tries to jump down the stairs and off his bed. He went skiing and loved it when he was 17 months old, he started sleeping in a bunk bed at 18 months old, and will have a little sister at 20 months. At any given point in time he has 15 scratches or bruises on his body because he’s always jumping off things and running so fast he falls over. I still look at little babies and wonder how they will sleep in their mother’s arms—this little wiggler would only sleep in his crib, not in anyone’s arms, from 3 months on. He still barely lets me hold him, but I adore his enthusiasm (even if it kills my back chasing him sometimes while I’m pregnant). He is my little go-getter.

Getting ready to have another baby makes me feel like I’m abandoning my little buddy in some ways, but in others I know this is really good for him to learn how to share me and my time. I cannot wait to see him give his little sister hugs and teach her how to ransack our house. He is the best little guy any mother could ask for and I’m so grateful for the time we’ve had one-on-one. This kid made me a mom and I will love him to pieces for forever.