Happy Holidays!

In my family we have traditions. Lots and lots of them. When it comes time for the holidays I know just what to expect. It begins with Cousins shopping night. Then Applegate family Christmas the Saturday prior to Christmas. Followed by Christmas Eve dinner with my parents...lasagna. Christmas breakfast is next and then a rest until we head to LBI for a week with my parents and my brother and his family where we ring in the new year with crazy hats and noisemakers. Least I forget all our family photos.

Within the long list of events are little treasures. Memories. Laughing about my cousin Debby never being quite sure what her children would like as we wander around toys r us for the fifth time.  The stories my Uncle George has told a thousand times but we either pretend it is the first time or just flat out enjoy hearing them over and over. Shelling on the beach and trying to determine if that shore store with the things we want to get is actually open and what street it is actually on. Our family Christmas gift that is always red and matching. Walks on the beach. Football. The polar bear swim. The noise. The laughter.

We are so lucky to have a wonderful crazy family. This time of year is precious in its routine and as Brenton grows up he shares in the traditions. He already listens to my cousin Christopher's Christmas album as we drive in the car. Someday he will probably even sing along. He has had his second Applegate family Christmas and was the star of the show with his cousins. He ate icing while I made his gingerbread house. A new tradition. He giggled and stayed relatively still for the family photo. He stayed up way past his bed time. 

I cannot wait for our time at the beach. My mother hopes he will take his first unassisted steps and so do I. I am looking forward to the family photo in our red lumberjack shirts. To reconnected with my brother and my sister in law and my nephews. To hang out with my mom and dad. To just be quiet as a family with a beautiful view of the ocean.

All of this comes after a difficult year but one that is behind us now. It is time to celebrate and be a family and remember those who are gone and expand our family gatherings as well. I say to my sweet baby boy and to all of my friends and family...Happy Holidays!

Walking and Talking

Milestones are a funny thing.  Most are anxiously awaited and when they arrive they are met with great joy and fanfare. Right now I am waiting for two milestones. Walking and talking.

Brenton cruises like a maniac.  Give him something to hold onto and he will walk and walk and walk.  Take it away and plop right on his bottom.  It is adorable and infuriating.

He crawls quickly, so I am not entirely convinced he recognizes that crawling is an inferior form of transportation. But yet if his father or I walk away too quickly and leave him a few steps behind he whimpers and even cries on occasion. Then I allow him to pull himself up on my hands and walk while he clings to each finger.  He will walk holding just one finger on one hand as well.  I am waiting for him to forget and let go and just keep walking.

I think he is cautious when it comes to taking those first unassisted steps.  Not like his mother, who apparently took off running from those early steps at 9 months old.  Perhaps he is more like his father in his deliberate ways.

He babbles like his mother.  Making noises just to hear himself.  I enjoy talking back to him.  Sometimes in words and other time mimicking his sounds. The best part of the babbling are the shrieks of delight mixed with the occasional raspberry.

He says mama all the time, but never to me directly.  He calls many things mama.  The chair is mama, the wall is mama, when he is trying to get someones attention he says mama and occasionally he just repeats it mamamamamamamamamamamamamamamama. Again adorable and infuriating.

He will not say words when asked to say them. He does this only on his own terms much like his walking or lack thereof. I am hoping his next deliberate word is mama so inevitably it will be ball or something else. Each time he says mama to something else I say, "What do you need Brenton?"  I also point to myself and ask, "Who am I?"  I am hopeful the association will be helpful someday resulting in the response "mama". I try.

I truly believe he has said dada twice to my husband.  He touched him and said it clearly. Dada. I count it as his first word.  The first time my husband was asleep, but the second time he heard it and whirled around in bed asking "Did he just?" and I smiled and said. He did!

That moment was very special even though it was not my name he uttered. Each of his milestones have been very special in their own ways. I keep picturing his first steps in my mind and the excitement that will inevitably ensue, but no matter what I imagine it will be better. I know because so far I have not been disappointed by the amazing rush of watching my boy do things I take for granted every day. Walking and talking.