Being Topher's Mama

When I was growing up, I wasn't around many babies. The one I was around a bit was my "baby" cousin Sarah, who is now 20.

I thought Sarah was the sweetest baby and when we would have to say goodbye to her and my aunt and uncle I would think, "Man, Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren are so lucky because they get to be around her ALL the time."

This thought would cross my mind at various points of my life when I encountered other sweet babies, but that was the first time I had such a thought.

I think about my nine year old self and I still relate to her. Now, however, I look at my own sweet Topher and I think, "Man, we are so lucky because we get to be around him ALL the time."

Being Topher's mama has been the sweetest part of my life. I have never smiled as much, never have I laughed as much and never have I felt such pride. It's a wonderful thing, being his mama.

Here's what he's been up to lately:

• He refers to our cats as Memmy (Merry) and Peepee (Pippen). They're also mows (/mou/). He calls himself "Toter."  Yes, it's as cute as it sounds.

• He uses the potty every single time he sits on it.  And he cheers as he's going.

• He sings songs.  He loves his ABCs, Old MacDonald, Skinnamarinky Dinky Doo, The Wheels on the Bus and EVERY Raffi song out there.  The child is a musical being.  He also cheers when a song is over.

• He can definitively say YES to questions.  He can say no too and does so very well.

•  He has the uncanny ability to climb on things that seem impossible to climb.

• He would be happy as a clam if I let him eat cheese for every single meal for the rest of his life, but he also loves blueberry jam toast and honey crisp apples.

•  The slide at the park is his very favorite thing.  At most parks, he can climb up by himself and go down by himself.

• He makes monumental messes in a very short amount of time. 

• Sometimes Mama and Daddy help him make said messes.

• He is beginning to imaginatively play.  Many times I see him with his little elephant and tiger and he is in his own little world with them.

• He loves to wear mama's shoes.

• He likes to play a game where he shouts, "BEE!" and laughs as Matt acts like there is a bee buzzing his head.  They seriously play it over and over and over, the giggling more and more hysterical.

• He knows yellow and purple and can distinguish them.  He also can "count." I use that term loosely because he will touch pictures on a page and "count," starting with one but then making up numbers after that.

• He loves to read his books and I believe his favorites are the Little Pookie series by Sandra Boynton.  

• He make his animal noises accurately.  My favorite is when he oinks.

• He loves animals but he did NOT like his lion costume that we wanted him to wear for Halloween.  So much so that he had a meltdown and Mama and Daddy thought it would be best if Topher just handed out candy dressed as a little boy about to go to bed.  (We didn't take him trick or treating this year; he doesn't eat processed sugar so it's kind of like, what's the point?)

•  He gives random kisses.  Let me tell you, you will never be the same after your son reaches up and kisses you for no reason other than he loves you.

Being Topher's mama is so, so sweet.