Jaren

Oh, my sweet, sweet boy. This child has turned everything I learned about parenting from my girls inside-out. He is subborn, a tease, funny, darling, engaging, destructive, and oh-so-cute. He still isn't walking, but he can crawl faster than any baby I think I've seen. He has ZERO desire to walk. We put him behind the walker and he crumples to the floor because it is just TOO much effort. The only word he has said more than one is 'mama' and I hear this all day as he follows me around. Sometimes it's a question: mama?? Other times it's a statement: mama. Other times, it's a demand: maMA!!!!! He has said other words once or twice, but that seems to be enough for him. He's done. No performing from him. He won't even wave bye bye or clap any more. He CAN, he just won't. He can empty a drawer with lightening speed. He has a sixth sense about the stair gate. He can tell if it's not up and if it isn't he ONLY wants to get up the stairs. He loves to tease Kramer by taking his toys away from him and holding them out of reach. Then he will feed Kramer all of his dinner if he doesn't like it. Everything goes over the side of the high chair. We have a very picky boy and a very well fed dog. He loves the Eensy Weensy Spider and can do the actions. Kinda. He knows where his head and nose are. He knows where socks and hats go. He loves his blankie. He will cuddle up to me when he knows it's time for naps and we are heading to bed. But if he doesn't WANT to go to bed he will entertain himself for HOURS before finally falling asleep at night. He loves music and enjoys "helping" me teach my piano students. When I put him in his playpen so my students can play solos instead of duets he launches everything out of the playpen with the arm of a major league pitcher.

He is a boy of a thousand expressions. He smiles all time time. Especially when he is being told "no." But not when he is getting his picture taken. For that we can't even keep him STILL. It took TWO photo sessions to get pictures that will work to make into wallets for Christmas Cards (both girls have school pictures, I can't leave him out!). We got many great CANDID shots, lots of great "looking down at the toy we gave him in hopes that he would stay still" shots. But he was NOT cooperative for the "sit still, smile, and look cute" shots. The kid is 15 months old. I should give him a break. Shannon was very patient and insisted that we come back to try again and yesterday we got some really good ones. Here are some of my favorites:

I love this one. Shannon's four year old son wanted to see the Halloween Snow Globe that Jaren has and this his his "not on your life" look: