My Boys

I used to be better at updating about them, well, about Joseph, but life got busier when I had Kenny. I stopped blogging twice a week so I tend to forget some things.

My little guys are really different from each other.

Before Joseph was born, I'd been thinking about him for many years, as long as I'd ever thought about having kids. Once he was born and I looked into his eyes, he I felt that I'd met a kindred spirit. I'd been waiting so long to meet him, and that day finally happened in May of 2010.

In many ways, I see myself in Joseph. He is a pretty quiet, even-tempered child who loves to play by himself. He has a great sense of humor and also like to clean things and put them in their proper places. He even loves routine. His aptitude for words excites me, because I suspect he will love reading as much as I do. He already loves books, and he's bossy when he really wants something. He wants to do things by himself, but he forgets that he can't: he's too short! He is a careful eater and never once has put food in his hair. He was always asking me to wash his hands when they got sticky and he wasn't quite adept at a fork.

When I first met Kenny, he seemed like a total stranger to me. He looked like James but not much like Joseph (at first). After the first few months of mostly sleeping, his personality began to emerge and I was just amazed.

Kenny hates being left alone, even for a second. He used to cry when I'd leave the room, but now he just follows me. He was a very devoted Mama's boy but is finally growing out of that and will go to James. (Phew!) He's a strong-willed child. Instead of quiet obedience, like Joseph, Kenny laughs and pretends to do again what I told him not to, i.e. sticking the object right near his mouth but not in it. When no one is paying attention to him or he needs something, he screeches at the top of his lungs until he gets it...and he's taught Joseph how, the child who's never yelled in his life! He's definitely one of the loudest kids I've ever met. He's always making noise. He doesn't care about being dirty. He'll shove as much food in his mouth as humanly possible, not caring how much ends up on his face.

Both boys love to be tossed around, snuggled, and read to, just not at the same time! Kenny sits on my lap and Joseph next to me as I read, and they can almost share the book. If Kenny can't touch the book, he cries.

They are still learning how to get along, but it definitely makes me laugh to hear Joseph yelling, "No, Kenny! Shut the cabinet door!" or "Stop pulling books off the shelves!" (I never say those things myself, because why ruin the baby's fun?) Nothing can convince Joseph that Kenny isn't doing something wrong.

Sometimes they're at each other's throats, but my little boys are becoming good friends, even at not-quite-1 and not-quite-3. I love it. They keep me busy.