always up to no good
Always up to no good.

When I was pregnant with James, I very rarely let myself imagine what life would be like when he was here, because I was too afraid to hope he’d make it here safely. But as his due date grew closer, I would occasionally picture Annabel and a little boy playing together. The image made me happy, but the reality has been so much better – and crazier.

James is always happy, friendly, and curious. He’s also nuts. He has no fear whatsoever. Where Annabel is cautious, James runs full-steam. He’s a quick study who has boundless energy, can figure out how to open a child lock, and has scaled just about every structure in our house. You can’t leave him alone for a second. I don’t leave him alone in rooms anymore because he only needs about five seconds to get across the room and on top of something.

Needless to say, he falls down a lot. It makes me laugh that he can climb onto our kitchen counter easily, but can trip over a speck of dust. And, because he literally runs everywhere (seriously, I don’t think he knows how to walk), the spills he takes are intense. I always hold my breath, but he just pops back up like a little cartoon character. Bumps, scrapes, and falling safes can’t stop my little Wile E. Coyote.

James is an independent little guy, but he loves fiercely. He’s very attached to my mom, and he shrieks with delight every night when Mike gets home. But he still loves his “Ah-knee” more than anyone else. He hates it when we drop Annabel off at school – just yesterday day, he yelled, “Ah-knee, no bye-bye!” when she went into her classroom. He follows her around like a little duck, and wants to do everything she does. His favorite place to be is sitting as close to her as possible.

sibling love

I love my one-on-one time with him. When it’s just the two of us, he’ll momentarily stop his laps around the house to snuggle with me, grab my hands, and give me kisses. Making him smile or laugh is like receiving one of the greatest presents ever. Watching him learn new skills and phrases has been so much fun – I forgot how amazing this age is.

He turns two on Saturday, but it feels like he’s been here for so much longer. Life with this dreamy little boy has been even better than I ever would have dared to imagine. He makes us all happy in ways we never thought possible. I cannot wait to see what this next year brings for James – I have a feeling it’s going to be a good one.

Happy birthday to my best little guy. I love you to the moon and back.

me and my buddy