It's been a while, and the unfinished drafts are piling up.
I have been a busy mom in the last several months, focusing all my time on work, family, and household work. Needless to say, my blogging has fallen by the wayside. I have 18 unposted drafts because I have started so many that I have been unable or unwilling to finish that I keep thinking I'm going to have time to finish. Maybe this one will finally make it.
Our kids have grown so fast and so much has happened that I don't even know where to start. With each new baby, I have done a progressively worse job of writing and recording memories from their childhoods. There is still plenty of time, but it still makes me sad knowing how fast that first year goes. That being said, little Darwin is almost ready to turn 2, and I probably have less than half the number of posts for him than I did for the first three kids. Funny how we grow to understand what our own parents went through as each subsequent child has fewer pictures and keepsakes.
One funny thing about our littlest guy (for now): he's a singing machine. He loves music, learning new songs, and best of all, singing them at the top of his lungs. Yes, most kids love to sing, but how many can really carry a tune? Darwin is unique amongst our kids for this quality. He not only has good pitch, but he also pays attention to the timing and the other details in songs. His favorite sing along: MJ's "Beat It". I don't expect him to be the next Andrea Bocelli, but it's one thing I want to remember about him as a baby. One of these days we're going to remember to tape him.
He's also talking up a storm now, repeating anything and everything he hears. He likes to tell the kids what to do, what not to do, and if they make him mad, he's not afraid to fight back. He's a bit of a screamer, but we're working on that. He's an easy baby in so many ways that his difficult habits seem small by comparison.
He likes to wake up and say "Good Morning!" to Baby Tiny by pulling up my shirt and smacking my belly. He always remembers to tell me he loves me when I leave for work in the morning, which always melts me. I know one day he'll stop, so I'll cherish it while it lasts.
I think to date, he's our easiest bedtime baby, or he's a close 2nd to Truman. He's not always immediately willing, but he never puts up much of a fight. He has a stuffed frog that plays music, whom he affectionately calls "Grog", and a teddy bear, known as "Baby Bear". They're his morning buddies as Mom & Dad struggle with mornings earlier than 7:30 a.m.
There's no doubt that he's in a big hurry to grow up, so I'm clinging to the end of his babyhood. I guess with Baby Tiny on her way, he's going to have to get used to being the big brother. I'm looking forward to introducing them, so hopefully, Baby Tiny and I make it safely through pregnancy and delivery. I'm sure he'll make a great big brother. He has 3 great models.
(originally drafted 6/6/2011)
