Cole has become quite the backseat driver. He is curious about speed limits, the difference between speed and rpm, when to roll the windows up (on the freeway), etc. Very cute… So we’re driving to speech therapy and he comments, “the sign says 30/40 Mama.”
“What?” I reply?
“It says 30/40 here.”
“I’m not sure what you mean Buddy. The speed limit says 30.”
“Yes, so when Daddy’s driving it says 30 and Daddy goes 40!”
Tonight while putting Cole to bed….
“Have a good sleep baby.”
“I will always be your baby Mommy. I can always wear a diaper!”
“No. You don’t wear a diaper now. But even when you are bigger than Daddy, and older than Papa, you will still be my baby – because I’m your Mommy.”
“Noooo. I don’t want to be your baby. I want to be your MAN!”
(Ha!)
“Yes. You will be a man, but you will also be my baby.”
Cole, we know, likes to know ahead of time how things are going to happen, so he can plan for them. This became extremely apparent today as we discussed, once again, NOT pushing his brother. He has been put in time out repeatedly (like 10 times in a day) for pushing Alex. Finally, I got fed up.
“Cole, things are going to be different now,” I said. I turned his face towards mine, showing how serious I was. “If you push Alex again, I will spank you. No more stairs. Just spanking.”
He paused, thinking. “Tomorrow Mommy, not today.”
“What?”
“Tomorrow. Spanking tomorrow. Not today.”
“What? What are you talking about?” I replied.
“So I have time to put all my pants on for the spanking.”
Yep. He’s a planner.
Jesus is everywhere.
Today, Cole was playing “doctor.” He had the stethoscope, the tweezers, the blood pressure pump, etc. One of the items in his kit was a bedpan looking item with a Medical logo in the middle (“+” sign for the Red Cross). About 15 minutes in to his play he asked what the pan was for. After hearing my explanation, he informed me that “no, it’s just for music.” Completely mystified, I asked, “Music? Where have you seen this sign before?”
“Church!” he answered.
It took me a minute. Church is where he LOVES the music and sees the “+” sign (for the cross!). My beautiful boy finds Jesus everywhere!
So anyone who knows us knows, from the tired and haggard looks in our eyes, that Alex doesn’t sleep well.
We recently found a (temporary) solution: Alex would wake around 2am and we would bring him in to our bed. He would circle around a few times, find the right place then go back to sleep for the night. We were all getting sleep and it was sweet to feel his little hands or feet pressed in to us. This solution, however, began to lose its appeal when he stopped sleeping and began playing for an hour at 2am. Time for a new solution.
We talked (albeit SO briefly) that Alex has to spend the night in his crib. That sounded great until 3am when the screaming started. At 4am – it was definitely not sounding fun. After minimal discussion again, I went in his room.
With my pillow in hand, I went to Alex’s room and lay on the floor, putting my hand between the crib slats to touch him. As he realized I was there, he immediately stopped crying and dropped down to find my hand. Then… then he lay down, wiggling around so his face was on my hand. His breathing slowed, he began to relax. He turned his head so the other side of his face was on my hand. Deeper breaths. Slowing. And then, he was back asleep. He stayed asleep in his crib until 7:30 this morning.
Sometimes, a boy just needs his Mama’s hands.