Sweet child of mine

Today was the first day that Kaleb and I really got to spend some good quality time together while Josh was in school, his nap was shorter which meant I could drop Josh off a touch early which meant that I was home for a full hour before needing to head back. We played with the light switch (great fun I assure you), and we enjoyed cuddles, tickles and games of 1.2.3 (free to Kaleb) where I swing him in the air and on three he gets plunked onto the couch. It was totally enjoyable, so amusing, so fun!

Kaleb is a joy to be with, he's funny, he's sweet, he's sensitive and he is so charming. This little man is going to break some hearts one day I am afraid. He's the one that will give up his favorite toy if it will stop his brother from crying, he's the one who will wrap his arms around me for a long hug if we have been separated for any amount of time, or sometimes for no reason at all. He's the one who will work to make me laugh and then grin and giggle when he succeeds, and he's the one that will curl up in my lap at any available chance, stick him thumb in his mouth and snuggle for as long as I will let him.

I talk a lot about Josh in the Blog, I spend a lot of time sharing his struggles with you and the ups and downs of living with a child with a heart defect. I don't share enough about the joys of parenting my youngest child. He has a way about him that is so sweet and kind and loving that when you see him your heart melts. His eyes light up with new discoveries, and his dramatic pauses are meant to spark delight in the viewer. He will not pass a stranger on the street without saying 'hi' and waving, nor will he leave a room (even the empty house) without first waving and saying 'bye'. He is my social guy, he's the one most like me in many ways. I see in him what I was like as a child, the funny faces, the drama, the love, and the wonder of being completely loved.

Today as I was playing with him it dawned on me that I don't do this enough, not just spend alone time playing with just him, but posting about him. The things he does, the delights he sees, the fun he shares with us as a family.

Just the other day when we went to get Josh from school he walked into the school entrance, greeted everyone like he was the king, then when Josh came bursting out of his class room Kaleb ran over, threw his arms around his big brother and said 'hi' with a huge smile. He made Josh's face light up brighter than the sun, and everyone in the room who saw it was beaming too. He would do anything his brother asked of him (except give up Tiggy of course), and he would do it with a smile. He gets up from the table and helps me clear it, and he laughs when he shuts the dishwasher door and I tell him what a big helper he is.

He is also stubborn, feisty, and has a temper when pushed, he likes to use the word no but should you use it on him he becomes a beast, but at the end of the day when he curls up in your lap, smelling sweet and clean from his shampoo, his damp hair and warm skin pressed up against your chest, his thumb secured in his mouth and Tiggy cuddled up in his arms, there is no room for doubt that he is one of the most special people I know, one of the sweetest and my heart fills with so much love and joy and pride because he is my son.