Normal...

I woke up to the sound of my son demanding to be let out of his room. I gave him his cup and his toys and let him play for a while. A little later I fixed him breakfast- a waffle with butter and syrup. Once he was done I changed his stinky diaper, apple juice goes right through him, and put him in clothes. We watched a movie for a little while. He played with his toys some more while I cleaned. Laundry and dishes and sweeping.
We checked in on the puppies. Still squirming around. A few were starting to open their eyes. He got into things he wasn't supposed to. He climbed onto the rolling computer chair and stood on the edge. I made him sit since he's already fallen off a couple times. He yelled at me and got over it. I put music on and he did his silly dancing.
I fed him lunch. Peanut butter and jelly. He ate most of it and smeared the rest of it. On his tray, on his belly, on the floor. I cleaned him up so we could go outside. He led the way. To the riding lawnmower he loves to sit on and play with. Down the hill to the lake. Being careful to sidestep the momma bird because she's guarding her eggs and gets generally pissy if you get anywhere near her.
I laid him down for his nap, which he fought. I made him dinner. Gave him a bath. Got him out and enjoyed the smell of freshly washed baby. Put him in his jammies.
Went to sleep and woke up the next morning to find out that my perfectly normal day was anything but normal for someone else. That a great daddy wouldn't be able to do those things again with his beautiful twin girls. His heart and head were in pain and he felt this world would be better off without him. Those girls are only a year older than Preston.
And I realized just how precious the previous day had been. How everytihng, from his stinky diapers to his little hugs and sloppy kisses, was such a privilege. Because he needs me and I'm his only mommy and if anything happened to me or his daddy he would be so so sad

Things I Love About My Baby Boy

How awake he was when he was first born. His eyes were open wide, trying to take everything in

He snuggled so perfectly as a newborn. Just right there by our side. He snuggles so well now, just draped over the top of us

He's such a happy kid most of the time. Even when he wakes up in the morning or from his naps. I open the door and I get this great big smile and "Hi"

On a warm day when he's been outside for a while he gets that sweaty little boy smell

He likes his baths, the more splashing he does the better. I like when he's fresh out of his bath and smells like Johnson and Johnson bedtime bath

He will be doing his baby thing and just stop and come over and love on us- hugs, sloppy baby kisses... the works

I know we will have to teach him stranger danger but right now I love how social he is. He just loves people

His energy. Endless amounts of it. All day, every day. Unless he's sick

A double edged sword, his lack of fear. Nothing in the world is impossible, or might hurt him. I try to keep him away from stitches and smile as he discovers possibilities

His dancing. Very cute

I give him crayons to color with and he tries to eat them

I give him food to eat and he smears it around like he's coloring with it

He likes what he likes and wants what he wants. Give it a day, though, and his mind will likely change

He gets great enjoyment from animals. He used to laugh hysterically if they even walked past him. Now he laughs hysterically when he is running after them

Prestons awfully curious about everything right now. He leaps from the end table to the couch with no fear. He climbs all over everything. Locks himself in the bathroom. Wants to touch the hot oven. You get the picture.

When we go down to the lake he always wants to know what Scotts doing with the fishing pole and his tackle box. Try getting him to touch the fish or worms or anything else slimy and/or squirmy and forget about it. Kinda funny.

Big o storm

Holy cow! I've been talking about getting a good thunderstorm since we moved to Mississippi. The kind I remembered loving as a kid. Shake the ground, light up the sky kind of stuff. We've had a few okay ones but nothing had matched up yet.
I guess I had been doing my little rain/voodoo dance for long enough because at the beginning of last week the weathermen started predicting a big one. Boy did it live up to everything they said. By Friday night and well into Saturday we watched the lightning roll across the sky. Touching everywhere. A few times the thunder cracked so load it sounded like it was right over us. Bout peed my pants! The power was flickering and going out. Absolute downpours, where you're soaked running twenty feet in it. Tornado warnings everywhere. We were in the purple zone on the weather stations, thats bad. They even touched down in a few places, that's the really bad part because they destroy homes and several people didn't make it.
Saturday morning there was something like 110 lightning strikes in our area alone in just a few hours. Preston did so good. When the thunder and lightning was hitting his eyes would get real big and he wouldn't look away from they sky but he didn't cry or freak out. I hope he has the same enjoyment and respect for the awesome power of nature as I do

Prestons been a ladys man almost since he was born. As soon as he could focus his eyes he would lock into any girl or woman, fellow baby or senior citizen. Once he figured out he could make noise at will he would coo, laugh, babble, or screech until he got said females attention. It's not secret that kids seem to think it's fascinating when they encounter another little person in public. Our love bug is no different but he definetly reserves a majority of his charm for anything female.
We were at Wal-Mart the other day strolling down the ice cream aisle when I spotted this darling little baby first. Maybe nine or ten months with copper red hair and blue eyes. Of course being the baby freak I am I struck up a conversation with her mom.
Preston? He honed in on the little girl and pretty soon they were having a conversation in babble while she tried to climb out of her cart and into ours. Her temper even matched his. She started screaming when her mom walked away. Haha

Parenthood. Gotta love it

I've pretty much learned all of Prestons tricks. He likes remotes and phones and closing doors- espeically if he can't open them.
I know that when I first let him out of his room in the morning he usually runs into the living room. Yesterday started out normal. I picked up the remote off the floor only to turn around just in time to hear the bathroom door I had left open shutting. Prestons done this before so when I turned the knob I fully expected it to open. Except it didn't. Turns out my demon spawn had managed to lock the door in the 2 seconds it had taken me to get to it.
Visions of him consuming comet or shaving cream ran through my brain. Forty minutes later, having tried to unscrew the lock- which was too close to the door jam to unscrew- and open the window- figuring out that too was locked only after prying the screen off- I had the brilliant idea to slip a card into the lock. Worked like a charm.
And what was our love bug doing the whole time? Eating his toddler toothpaste and getting pissed I wouldn't let HIM out. My kids hellarious

Totally true of any toddler out there

A TODDLERS CREED
If it is on, I must turn it off.If it is off, I must turn it on.If it is folded, I must unfold it.If it is a liquid, it must be shaken, then spilled.If it a solid, it must be crumbled, chewed or smeared.If it is high, it must be reached.If it is shelved, it must be unshelved.If it is pointed, it must be run with at top speed.If it has leaves or flowers, they must be picked.If it is plugged, it must be unplugged.If it is not trash, it must be thrown away.If it is in the trash, it must be removed, inspected, and thrown on the floor.If it is closed, it must be opened.If it does not open, it must be screamed at.If it has drawers, they must be rifled.If it is a pencil, it must write on the refrigerator, monitor, or table.If it is full, it will be more interesting emptied.If it is empty, it will be more interesting full.If it is a pile of dirt, it must be laid upon.If it is stroller, it must under no circumstances be ridden in without protest.If it is a shopping cart, it also may not be ridden in, it must be pushed by me instead.If it has a flat surface, it must be banged upon.If Mommy’s hands are full, I must be carried.If Mommy is in a hurry and wants to carry me, I must walk alone.If it is paper, it must be torn.If it has buttons, they must be pressed.If the volume is low, it must go high.If it is toilet paper, it must be unrolled on the floor.If it is a drawer, it must be pulled upon.If it is a toothbrush, it must be inserted into my mouth.If it has a faucet, it must be turned on at full force.If it is a phone, I must talk to it.If it is a bug, it must be swallowed.If it doesn’t stay on my spoon, it must be dropped on the floor.If it is not food, it must be tasted.If it IS food, it must not be tasted.If it is dry, it must be made wet with drool, milk, or toilet water.If it is Mommy, it must be hugged.I am toddler . . . and I am proud!