Getting too big

No, I'm not talking about my huge pregnant belly (although...it's getting too big too. Actually this morning my doctor complimented me emensely about where my weight gain and everything is this pregnancy and told me that I'm doing "awesome")

But GABE is getting too big! Too grown up.

I was reading a post on another blogger's blog about her little boy going down a slide at the swimming pool by himself - and it made me cry. It's so hard to let go, and let our kids do something by themself - I really struggle with that.

However, in the coming weeks and months that will be the story of our life! Like it or not Gabe will be growing up more and more.

This past week his favorite word seems to be "TRY" (or twy in Gabe speak) - or "Try it". If he's really into it, and really wants my attention he says "Babe twy" (Gabe try), and he's trying to tell me that he wants to try to do something. It can be that he wants to eat something, wants to try playing with something, wants to climb up on my lap and play on the computer - but he is really venturing out and wanting to "TWY" more things. Breaks my heart one minute, and makes me so proud the next.

He's really starting to socialize and loves other kids! He is particuarly in love with my good friend Denae's little girl Olivia "Wivvy" who is exactly a year older than him. He LOVES to play with her, pretends he calls her on the phone, calls out her name if we turn down her street, and gets so excited to see her. She has 3 other sisters too, and they all adore Gabe. Today I went to pick him up from playing at their house, and the oldest sister Mariah (who's 7) got so upset that Gabe had to go home. I explained to her that Gabe needed to go home for a nap. She looked totally upset and said, "But he's happy right now - he doesn't look like he needs a nap to me!" It's fun to see other kids enjoy him too.

And a couple of nights ago Cory had Gabe out on the Ranger (our favorite thing in the cooler evenings) and they stopped to talk to someone who's kids were out. Cory said that Gabe kept yelling out, "Hi kids! KIDS - play! HI KIDS!" He was upset because they weren't saying hi back to him. I hope he'll always be friendly and have fun with other kids.

Another sign of him growing up makes me really sad, and kind of makes me dread time to come. This week my friend's little boy who's a couple months older than Gabe was over for a few minutes. They were playing cars and trucks. The little boy that was visiting had a car Gabe wanted and Gabe walked up, took it from him and shouted, "MINE". Now you're reading this thinking - totally normal for a 23 month old little boy. But it wasn't normal for Gabe. He will see something he wants to play with and just look at it normally - not take it, and not yell, "MINE". I was so sad. But since then he's taken stuff from my lap or hands and yelled "MINE" as well. Bummer....we'll be working on the sharing concept at our house in the coming days.

Gabe also LOVES babies - which is a good thing right now :). Every day at one point or another I find him climbing up on our barstool so he can get to the laptop in the kitchen. He tells me he wants to look at the babies. That means he wants to look at pictures of himself when he was a baby. We pull them up and he makes the cutest sounds and faces. "Ahhh....baby!" I am really excited that he is enjoying baby pictures, and hope he's as excited as this new one comes into our home and life.

Anyway - just a few things that are cute about Gabe. I find I rarely write in a journal, but this blog helps me keep track of milestones and things for Gabe - as well as sharing it with you all - so I hope that's ok.

Have a great day!