life with the little ones, currently.
my favorite corner just got even better with the addition of this airplane that ridley received from grandpa and grandma.
it is amazing how important this little nook was for a few short months. those first weeks of ridley's life. countless hours spent nursing. bedtime feedings. nighttime feedings. early morning feedings. getting to know each other. rocking. singing. reading. it was everything. and then, over.
these days, our hours are spent elsewhere. feedings are conducted from the couch so that i can keep an eye on miss elinor. nighttime feedings vanished long ago. the newborn things are old news. and while i wouldn't trade this phase for anything, there are moments when i grab some toys and books and take our playtime upstairs so we can roll around on the floor of ridley's room and do a little reading in our little corner. just because. life moves so fast. don't blink.
oh, this sweet boy. he is so happy and content and smiley. the mostest charmingest. he wakes up with gusto. he always greets me (and elinor) with a hearty smile and some bouncing and kicking and rocking on his knees. ready to take on the day. he giggles. he flirts. he is all things cheerful. i love watching his personality develop. seeing what he does. what he is like. what he enjoys. his quirks. it is such fun getting to know our little prince. and i know it will keep getting better.
and speaking of getting better... our strapping lad is becoming more big boy and less baby, with every day. he is getting longer and leaner and losing his chubbiness. the arm rolls are being replaced by mini muscles as he works tirelessly on his mobility. let me tell ya, he has some serious moves. and while he has the strength and will and dexterity to take off in a "standard" crawl, his modus operandi is his signature downward-dog-walk-crawl-which-transitions-to-side-plank-and-then-back-to-downward-dog-frog-squat-forward-launch. that's how he likes to get around. it takes way more exertion. and i don't know why he does that instead of simply moving his knees. but, that's what he likes. that's his way. and boy oh boy does it keep me on alert. an almost 7 month old "crawling" around in downward dog is exhausting to supervise. but he hasn't cracked his forehead yet. so, there's that.
and in other news, he is getting pretty good at pulling up so, the crib is going to be lowered asap. his new favorite trick is to move from side plank to sitting up and then grabbing whatever object is nearby and using it to pull himself up so he can stand and bounce. always bouncing, this one.
and p.s. yes, he is eating solids now. and it was like no big deal to him. took to it like a fish to water. one day, baby. the next day, big boy eating entire avocados for dinner. avocados break the bank, man. so, we have since moved to bananas and now, sweet potatoes. he ate half of a sweet potato that i sautéed in coconut oil and celtic salt. big fan. next up: butter and then egg yolks. from what i can tell, he likes food. don't even get me started on what our grocery bill is going to look like in twelve years. send money. send avocados.
and then there's the growing bond between these two. it is such a lovefest like, all day long. and it just wrecks me in such a good way. he adores his big sister. and elinor is the very best with him. doting and caring and affectionate and helpful and kind and sharing. all the very best adjectives and adverbs. superlatives, all over the place.
she plays with him. she shares her toys. she teaches him. she is the best cheerleader. she encourages him constantly. she strokes his face when he fails and reassures him. she squishes his cheeks and tells him how handsome he is. she gives the biggest hugs and sweetest smooches. she wants to be a part of everything related to him. diapers and feeding and playing and lullaby singing. i love this new role. it suits her splendidly. and it expands my love for her and appreciation of her daily.
God is good.