The power of love

Sometimes, I simply cannot believe how much love my heart can hold. For Christopher particularly at this time, I am just SO. IN. LOVE. with that baby boy! I think everyone wonders if they'd be able to love their second child as much as their first, since their first child was around first, and has been around longer, how could we possibly love another child as much? Part of me wonders if, following on from an earlier post, I actually love Christopher more than I did Robert. In some respects, it's easy to imagine that is true, as I had PTSD following Robert's birth, and just pure babymooning bliss with Christopher! But then at the same time I think maybe it just seems like I love Christopher at this age more than I loved Robert at the same age because Christopher is here NOW, and Robert was 13 months old almost 2 years ago, so the memory is dimmer.

But either way... boy, I just am IN LOVE with Christopher, I really am. I just ADORE that he is at the age where he is happiest in my arms, that he is learning all about giving kisses, and beginning the basic communication that lets me know what he wants. Oh I could write an essay about all the little things Christopher does right now! All the things I love about him, all the things I notice from time to time and as a matter of course! But where to start!

Communication wise, he says "dada" a lot, so much so I don't think it holds a LOT of meaning... But he definitely seems to say "mama" when he's aggitated and wants me, and hardly ever otherwise! He has made up his own sign for "I want that"!! He holds his hand up towards what he wants and makes a grabbing/beckoning motion with his fist!

He LOVES songs, and singing! His favourite song is by far Twinkle twinkle little star, and he opens and closes his hand in the air to signal that he wants us to sing it! And when we do he grins so much, and starts "singing" along with us, which consists of "dadadadadada!" in a sweet singsong voice! I would sing all day to him if I could, but Robert quite often starts shouting "HE'S BETTER! HE'S OK! STOP SINGING MUMMY!!!" as we ask him sometimes to sing to Christopher to cheer him up haha.

What else? Well he's just moved into size 9-12 month clothing (at 13 months!!), so he's quite diddy still! But that just endears him to me all the more! I could just hold him all day and kiss his soft cheeks! And tickle him to hear his sweet chuckle! And ohhhh his dimples!!! He has the cutest little dimples ever!!







Oooh what else... He is walking so well now!! He hardly ever crawls anywhere now, and is so confident in just standing himself up and toddling off. He gets sturdier and steadier all the time, and is SO FAST now too! I swear he was RUNNING away from Robert earlier today! He climbs too... ohhhh he climbs! The stairs are oh so easy for him now, we have to keep the stairgate closed or he'll be up them in no time! Like this evening, I was in the kitchen checking something, and came back in the living room, saw Robert, could NOT see Christopher... started to panic until I saw the stair gate open, and went upstairs, sure enough, there he was, at the top, grinning down at me! But now also he does not think anything of climbing onto the toy box to climb onto the sofa... or onto Robert's chair to climb onto the table! I stop him from climbing on Robert's chair and table!! He's getting so adept at getting down off things now too!

Sleepwise, we have started to nightwean him. Robert was nightweaned at 8-9 months old, and just over a week ago we decided to do the same finally with Christopher. When he woke up not even 3 hours after he'd gone to bed, we just cuddled him, attempted to put him down in his cot and pat him to sleep. When he started writhing about, trying to sit up, we would go and lay back in bed, leaving him in the cot. We left the light on so he could still see us, so he knew we were there, and left him for 5 minutes. Then we got up and repeated the process, the next time left him for 6 minutes. And so on. I think we got to 9 minutes, before Jonathan finally managed to settle him to silence in his cot. He got back into bed, which creaked horribly, and started Christopher off again, so I leapt out of bed to pat him back to sleep, which he did, and I crept into my slightly less creaky side of the bed. Turned off the light, which disturbed him and he moaned for about a minute, but then went to sleep, and didn't wake til 6! Granted he was awake screaming from 10.40pm til 12.10am, but 6 hours was fabulous! The next night we were expecting to have to do the same again, but he slept all the way from 7.45 until 6am!! And the next night he woke at 5am, which I think is the earliest I wanted to give him milk, and he went to sleep again. Next morning was 4am-ish, but Jonathan cuddled and patted him to sleep again. But sooo much better than 11ish, then 2ish, then 4ish, then 6ish... :) It won't be long before we can put him in Robert's room! But how I think I'll miss him! And worry about him probably too!

I just love him sooo much! And every day I love him a little bit more! I simply can't imagine not being able to love subsequent babies with all my heart! The thought that I wouldn't love them as much as the ones I already have is sooo alien to me! And I just can't wait to have more squishy babies who I will love to pieces! I just adore holding my littlest man and having precious cuddles... I know before long they will be few and far between...