Grinning

Guess who was grinning ear-to-ear when I dropped him off at daycare this morning?

My little handful of a toddler, that's who.

Adam decided over the weekend that he is a walking baby, not a crawling baby. He toddled everywhere, and while he still needs to crawl sometimes, his ability to take steps, turn and go other ways, and stop and stand for minutes without falling has improved times 100 in just the two days that made up our very short weekend.

When I walked in to daycare on Monday, I dropped him off in the infant room and he cringed, but didn't cry. I mentioned that he was walking all weekend, and apparently he hit their target for what graduates you out of the "boring" classroom. On Monday afternoon, I was picking him up in the Mobile Infant room, from a new teacher (who I already LOVE). Shannon dropped him off yesterday in that room, and when I picked him up he was the happiest I've seen him in a long time. When I dropped him off this morning he was thrilled to be there. And I was thrilled to see that there were only 2 other kids in the classroom. I believe in his room they've organized it to one teacher and 3 or 4 kids. FABULOUS.

I get to pick up smiley Adam and get tidbits about his day, like that on Monday he loved playing with the puppy puppet and trying to make animal sounds. And on Tuesday, he giggled uncontrollably while playing peek-a-boo. And even better... he saves some of those giggles for me when we get home.

That smile couldn't have come at a better time. Adam was definitely not feeling well last night (we believe it was probably a tummy ache -- although in the back of our minds we figure at SOME point he'll be teething). He was up crying literally every 2 hours (sometimes every thirty minutes), and I think by the time I rolled out of bed this morning I had gotten about 2 hours of sleep.

Luckily, he was feeling a little better this morning. He finished his antibiotics for the strep yesterday though, so it's only a matter of time before another sinus infection comes rolling through. I'm already seeing signs of one.

Between his constant illnesses, my own sinus infection, other family stresses, and my lack of sleep last night, if I had left him at daycare in tears this morning I might have just collapsed in tears in the parking lot and set up shop there for the day.  But now I can continue with my day knowing he's happy.

Adam is 49 weeks old today. Along with walking, he has picked up a nasty habit of hitting if he's mad or doesn't want something. If he's not thirsty he can't stand for his sippy cup to be on the highchair and will sweep it off. (As in, "I just had a sip, my cup can't be by my plate while I eat dinner.") If you open and close the refrigerator door, freezer door, dishwasher door, etc before  he has had a chance to check it out, he sticks his forehead to the floor and cries for a few seconds. I'm still trying to adjust to having a toddler instead of a baby. Toddlers require much more patience. It snuck up on me.

But he giggles at pretty much everything. He loves when I "pounce" on him. When I squeeze the backs of his thighs he rolls over in a giggling fit that's contagious. He dances. He is already trying to run. He likes to cuddle with me now (as long as there's nothing more interesting to do).

I cannot believe I'm planning his first birthday already.