Everett gets more comprehension, more independence, and more hilarious every day! The way he parrots our phrases is amazing and humbling all at once.
Goober - April 16, 2018
Elizabeth: When we get home, I need to put the milk in the fridge and then start the dishwasher. THEN we can play in the big room.
Everett: I'm sorry Mommy, we need to play in the big room first and put the milk in the fridge after. Deal?
Chris: Ow, I bumped my elbow on the edge of the table.
Everett: Daddy, you should be more careful next time, OK?
Everett: [tumbles over, gets up] I'm OK, I'm OK.
Elizabeth: I'm glad you're OK!
Everett: [making scrunched up, intense face] I want to go to the museum, RIGHT NOW!
Chris: The museum is closed right now, we will have to go tomorrow.
Everett: [happily] Oh, OK.
Some of his new favorite concepts include dessert, days of the week, and the car doctor. Yep, we were rear-ended and our car had to go to the doctor for a couple weeks to get fixed up. Everyone is fine, but it was a chilling experience being in the car with Everett and Imogen and getting hit. We all got checked out and we have brand new car seats.
Everett can remember the words to so many books - some we haven't touched in months! He notices and recalls such minute details, it really is amazing. We love interacting with him and trying to decipher his new words and notions. While his diction isn't perfect, it is improving! He can successfully ask our Amazon Echo (Alexa) for the time. It's adorable.
Reading Mater's Backwards ABC Book - April 16, 2018
Yes, he has meltdowns over ridiculous things (putting on pajamas, leaving his toy trucks in the house, can't use adult sized hiking poles, wrong kind of apple sauce, can't play with scissors, wrong cup for his milk, food is broken, wants mommy sunglasses, no cookies for breakfast, etc.). Yes, he is incredibly persistent at times, but most of the time we are able to laugh it off (on the inside or the outside). We are able to understand his perspective, that the world can still be very overwhelming at times. That he doesn't understand why he can't have the thing he wants, or keep playing, or run a toy car over Daddy's face.
Daddy's boy - April 21, 2018
And Imogen loves it all. She is enamored with Everett and will watch him do just about anything. We used to think having two living kids would be so much harder, but it really hasn't been for us. Everett is endlessly entertaining, we've done these things before (though it does take some remembering), and we know that the rough phases turn into something else very quickly. It's one thing to hear it, and another to experience it.
Swingin' - April 14, 2018
Snuggles - April 19, 2018
Of course, it could also be that she's just the happiest and calmest baby on the planet. We wouldn't argue if you took that point.
Having the two of them is a blast. As always, those happy moments dance on the edge. The edge of wondering what life would be like with Oberon still here. The thought of only having living children. Of seeing Everett experience life as a "little" and not only a "big." Of having a boy nearly three and a half. It's hard. It's hard to live in the moment and not be pulled into what could have, should have, been.
Sibling snuggles - April 10, 2018
When we are able to live in the moment without guilt and grief taking center stage, it's a pretty great moment. Toddler time has its challenges, but on the whole it's terrific.
Oh yeah, and this happened - April 15, 2018
