The "other child"

Haha. I feel bad because the last 3 posts have starred Bebe, and I have yet to introduce you to my other child, Dois.

Without further ado, introducing the child otherwise known as "Dois", my little man, Luca.

Let me tell you about this boy. He is that "zen baby" that typically follows a "spirited" child. A few months after he was born, D actually commented, "If I had known he'd be this easy, we would've had him years ago!" Apparently, he was anticipating another high-needs child. He's very laid-back in general, and it is pretty easy to meet his needs (once you figure out what they are--THAT can be challenging).

He is ALL BOY. When he was born and I was told we had a son, I figured, "Hey I can do this." Bebe's always been a bit of a tomboy so I figured he'd be a lot like her as he got older. Whoooo boy, was I wrong! First, he's been the king of gas for as long as I can remember. That's a boy thing. Farting like a grown man at only a few weeks old... he put his father to shame. Secondly, he's very physical. When he was only 10 months old, any little frustration (toy wasn't doing what he wanted, was bored, etc.) and he would smack himself in the head. I was terrified that I was raising a psychopath, ESPECIALLY when he'd look me dead in the eyes and then do it as if to say, "Come on, try and stop me." Thankfully, this phase has passed as he's getting more verbal--but still, he's very physical in other ways. He loves to run, jump, army crawl, spin around in circles, etc. He's constantly in motion. At this age/stage, Bebe was more clingy than anything. He's a snuggly boy when he wants to be, but in general, he wants to be DOWN and GOING!

He is going to give me gray hair. Over Labor Day weekend, we went to a BBQ and pool party at a friend's house. There was a moment where D thought I had him and I thought D had him. I leaned over the pool to talk to Bebe and the next thing I hear is SPLASH! and see him in the water--wearing his clothes, diaper, and sandals... AND PADDLING HIMSELF! He kept himself above water for the 5 seconds or so for someone in the pool to grab him. It was the strangest thing to see--I was panicked but at the same time totally calm because HE WAS SWIMMING (at 21 months, wearing clothes, a cloth diaper, and shoes)... guess our weekly trips to the swimming pool ARE doing something!

I think we have a future artist on our hands. He spends at least an hour a day, every day, like this:

We are so blessed that (some weeks) at Mass, all it takes is a few crayons and a blank book to keep him occupied. He draws squiggles and attempts circles. It is the most adorable thing, and we have a growing collection of his artwork already!

We're so glad he's a part of our family. We didn't know what we were missing until he arrived!