Amazed

Today, Jonah was sitting on the floor in the living room playing with a coaster. He would pick it up and slide it through the slats of the baby gate, then reach through and pick it back up again off the floor on the other side of the gate. I sat down on the floor facing him the and watched his game for a while. At one point, I picked up the coaster and said, "Here Jonah," holding it out to him. He smiled and took the coaster from my hand. Then, I said, "Give it to mama?" and held out my hand. He slid the coaster through the slats and into my hand. We went back and forth like this for a few minutes, with him smiling and bouncing each time we passed the coaster through the gate.

Later, I was changing his diaper. Sometimes, he doesn't like to have his diaper changed. I think it's because he hates to be confined to the changing table, now that he is so good at getting himself around. So, I do what I can to make it pleasant and help cheer him up. There is a small, plastic toy lion that I keep near the changing table. Jonah likes to hold it and "talk" to it and chew on it when he's getting his diaper changed. Today, when he started to complain as I lay him on the changing table, I picked up the lion and said, "Here's your little lion friend" and made the lion "walk" through the air into Jonah's hands. Today, I made kissy noises at the lion. When I did this, Jonah held the lion toward my face. I said, "Can mama kiss the lion?" Jonah smiled and held the lion up for me to kiss. I hurried to finish changing his diaper because I couldn't wait to pick him up and squeeze him tight, my amazing, sweet, smart, growing little boy. ~ Nicole