1) His increased focus. When I watch him look at a book, he really takes the time to look at each page, and only flips one page at a time. If two pages happen to turn at the same time, he will go back and review the missed page – wanting to be sure he doesn’t miss something important and that the author didn’t come in overnight and rewrite the Belly Button Book.
2) His eagerness to help. No matter what we ask him to do (presuming he is onboard with wanting to do it) he will try to help us. If it is putting on shoes, he will throw his foot up in the air. If it is taking a bath, he will run to the bathroom and try to disrobe.
3) Hand holding. Still so friggin great. I expect this to remain on a top 10 list until he refuses to do it out of total embarrassment that I am his mother.
4) When he is too tired to walk. He will be walking beside me, holding my hand, and I will know he has walked as far as his tired little legs can carry him, because he will take a hustled step to scurry in front of me, turn to face me, place his hands on my thighs and stop me from moving another step forward and put his hands up. He is heavy, and carrying him around can be exhausting, but I do so love when he asks me to do it.
5) Thoughtful Cooper. No matter what, when we ask him a question now, like “do you want to take a bath” or “are you still hungry, do you want more?” he will stop and think before he responds. He is not always giving us the answer we want, but he seems to at least always consider what we are saying, which is more than I can say for some full grown people out there, so bravo Cooper!
6) Naked Cooper. Cooper has learned how to take off his diaper. Thus, on almost all occasions pants are a necessity (and yes, prior to this, pants were somewhat optional for Cooper). He has some interest in the potty (toying with me I am sure, as I know most boys don’t potty train for another year or so) but mainly he just likes to run around bottom half naked. On the off chance this leads to spontaneous potty training (we can hope, right?) we have allowed some naked Cooper so long as he is near his potty (potty training by association). Regardless, all the potty training talk is beside the point – he is just the cutest little naked thing in the world.
7) Monkey blanket giggles. Every night, without fail, when we cover him with his thick, soft, amazingly dreamy monkey blanket he will giggle like we are tickling his chubby little thighs… whether we are tickling his chubby little thighs or not. I don’t know if the blanket tickles him, or the giggles are merely giggles of happiness, but it is a sound I would bottle if I could. It is a giggle that comes from his belly and literally fills up all the space in the room.
8) Two-handed face grab Eskimo kiss. I say, “Cooper, give Mommy an Eskimo kiss.” He does: walks real close, reaches out both hands and puts one hand on either side of my face, oh so very gently, and then brushes his nose against mine. Those hands are so tiny and yet they hold my face and my heart and pretty much my whole world.
9) Extended patience. Cooper’s patience seems to have grown in the last few months. He was a real trooper when we went driving around looking at houses (not thrilling for a toddler), and yes we planned ahead with snacks, and yes we stopped at a park halfway through, but still, he has just been so much more chill than he should be at this age… and man is it nice.
10) Coming home “Ma Ma.” He calls my name (or rather my name in his world) out every time I come through the door from work. He says it differently than he does any other time of day he calls out to me or for me. I love every time I hear him utter “Ma Ma” because it still makes me feel special to be his Ma Ma, but there is something even more special about the way he announces my arrival home.
