The Cheerio Wiggle

Every morning I put Spencer and Alex in their highchairs for breakfast. While I boil the water for their hot cereal or cut up fresh fruit for their yogurt, I give them Cheerios to snack on. I ask them "Do you want Cheerios?" and then I bring out the box. That's when it happens: The Cheerio Wiggle. The boys wave their arms around frantically and wiggle their little hineys in their seats, big smiles on their faces. I love our morning ritual.

My babies are growing up too fast. What is it about we moms? We await each milestone with eager anticipation, we encourage, even push, our babies to learn and grow, and when they finally reach each goal our joy is tempered with sadness. This week I bought Spencer's big boy car seat. My little, itty bitty, tiny guy is outgrowing his carrier. He's not my little tiny baby anymore. Even though he's still little (just over sixteen pounds) he is crawling, trying to pull up, and doesn't want to be held still and cuddled anymore. He wants to go, go, go!

Alex began sitting up on his own without propping himself on his hands yesterday. He is getting so much stronger. Every day I see improvement. This despite the fact that he has had two surgeries in the last two weeks, the first to excise the scar from his ostomy takedown, and the second to reopen the new incision because it became infected. The kid has a big, open wound on his belly right now, which I have to pack with wet gauze several times a day, and he is just as happy as ever. He's such a trooper. I clap and cheer for Alex every time he works on his developmental milestones. Just today I began teaching him how to clap, too. It's so cute when he actually gets it right. We'll be practicing!

Tonight for dinner I cooked Annie's Organic Whole Wheat Shells and Cheddar for the boys. I chopped some broccoli and threw that in with the shells. This is the first time they've had "real" mac and cheese. I didn't cut up the shells at all, and they ate them. In fact they ate several shells at a time. They are eating like toddlers (and they look like messy toddlers when they're done, believe me). I love every minute of it!

The biggest change is that Alex and Spencer are now drinking regular cow's milk. I am so glad to not have to mix formula anymore, but it's just another reminder that my babies are growing up. I know they can't stay babies forever, and I'm looking forward to watching them learn and grow. I just wish I could still feel the way I did when I cuddled my tiny, warm, soft, precious babies against my chest.

Spence and Alex went to the park the weekend before last with their cousins. Here they are their first time in the baby swings.

Alex just sat up for about five minutes with absolutely no assistance. This is a major development for him. He also began rotating when on his tummy this evening (to reach his favorite Baby Einstein toy). Spencer is beginning to use his knees and get his belly off the floor when doing his "commando crawl"; he's getting so close. They had an amazing PT session today. Both their therapist and I were astounded by how they just took off. Where is this coming from? Is it the fact that they'll be 12 months corrected next month and they're saying to themselves "I've gotta start catching up!"? I don't know, but I am so blessed and so incredibly proud of them.



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