It is going by way too fast. As much as it is no fun to change diapers and deal with naptimes, I am not ready to say goodbye to the baby years just yet. I love, love, love the way this child says, "Mommy" (likes it's an exclamation combined with a question) when I walk into the room. I love the way, when he runs he works one of his arms up and down to help propel him. I love how hard he grabs on when he gives me a hug. I love that "down" means "up" (as well as "down") and that all animals make the same noise as a cat. I love that he is trying so hard to do so many big kid things and I love watching him when he succeeds. (Eat with a spoon. Check. Climb up the slide and go down it. Check. Climb onto the couch. Check. Sit in a chair without his toddler seat. Check. "Read" a book. Check. Scooch down the stairs. Check. Ride a bike. Uhhh...how about sit on it? Check.) I love that if you say, "Hugo, say ____", he will try to say something like what you said and whatever comes out is inevitably as cute as can be. I love that he does not know how to be sassy or talk back. (He does, however, have a good set of lungs and can scream quite loudly and annoyingly when he does not get his way.) I love that I can sneak into his room and watch him sleep with his little butt up in the air and his hippo buried underneath him in a bear (hippo?) hug. I love the way he giggles when tickled and the way his face lights up when people he loves come over to the house. I love how he likes everything dipped in ketchup, or syrup, or soy sauce, so long as he can make a big mess with it all over my table.
Basically, I just love this boy. I know there are lots of fun things to come, but I wish I could freeze time and just enjoy his littleness a little bit more. This is the last time I will have an 18-month old and I am sad for myself to have to say goodbye to all those years of baby soft skin and bald heads and rocking in the chair. If I could have videoed every moment of his life so far, I think I would be some kind of vid-addict and just sit and watch it on replay while my children proceed to raise themselves, because as they get older everything becomes more difficult. The problems more serious. The challenges more challenging. I would like to hit rewind and just live these last nine years over again and maybe again. Sigh.
