Everyone told us that time would go faster with each child, and everyone was right. On May 18, our Elijah turned two.
We call Elijah our happy-to-be-here kid. He really is just happy to be here. Happy to be included. Happy. Mostly.
When he turned one, he was referred to the birth-to-three program because he was quite behind in gross motor skills. Like, he had the ability of a six-month-old when he turned one. For a minute I was like, “Is this a muscle thing?? Should I be worried?” And then the physical therapist came and evaluated him and was like, “Oh, he’s just lazy.” Right after he turned 18 months old, almost exactly a month before I had Ellen, Elijah started walking. And after that, his personality exploded.
Elijah loves making us laugh. He also happens to have the BEST laugh. It’s super infectious, and the more we laugh, the more he laughs, and it’s just the best cycle in the world. Our own in-house comedian, he dramatically falls to the ground, pretends to be hiding in plain sight and will say or do just about anything to get a chuckle out of his biggest fans. He has a goofy smile thanks to his beloved Nukie and honestly, I can’t get enough of it.
Elijah adores Daniel. He will do just about anything Daniel does – good and bad. If Daniel claims he is done with his meal, Elijah immediately puts down his fork or whatever he has in his hand and is done too. Never mind that when he gets up from his chair, he often stands at the table grabbing whatever is still in reach on his plate and eating a few more bites. Elijah went right from his high chair to the regular kitchen chair; Daniel didn’t use a booster seat and neither would he. Never mind that his chin barely cleared the table. The two have become the best of friends, and it is so much fun watching them play. Elijah wants Daniel to help him take off his shoes, wants to hold Daniel’s hand in the parking lot and always needs to give Daniel a hug and a kiss goodnight. Whenever I see my boys helping each other, playing together or wanting to cuddle on the couch, my heart simply melts.
Elijah is an instigator. When they really started to play together and I would hear Elijah crying, I would immediately put the blame on Daniel; he’s older and should know better. Then, I witnessed what was happening and wouldn’t you know it – ELIJAH was the problem. When the boys rough-house, Elijah is always the one to start it, chasing Daniel around saying, “Push me! Push me!” Inevitably, Elijah is always the first one to start whining or complain of an injustice. And do you know what? Daniel doesn’t even really DO anything to Elijah. So I separate the brothers only to hear Elijah yelling, “Push me!” ten minutes later to start it all up again.
Elijah is close to fearless. He climbs, jumps and takes risks that Daniel still doesn’t. Because of this, Elijah always has bumps and bruises, often times on his face. But the tumbles and falls don’t deter him like I want them to. All ailments are better with a kiss, and I never want that to end. When the tears are done, he’s right back at it and we’re often left wondering when the next inevitable fall with come.
Elijah is a mama’s boy. I was so nervous to bring Ellen home from the hospital. On our car ride to begin our lives as a family of five, I told Peter I had a nervous stomach, not because we were bringing home a new baby, but because I didn’t know how my bubby bear would react. He was always on my lap, by my side, wanting mama to cut up his dinner, read him books or fix the hurt. And now a baby sister was going to impose on that. I shouldn’t have been so worried. Elijah cherished Ellen from the moment he set his eyes on her. Even six months later, he can’t get enough of the baby, and I can’t get enough of watching him loving her.
Elijah loves singing and dancing. He grabs the play guitar and strums along to any music that is playing. He insists we listen to “Moana Maui” every time we get into the car. I’m his personal jukebox, singing songs on demand so he can dance along. If I don’t know what song he’s asking for it is a BIG DEAL, and I always end up listing every song I know until I stumble upon the right one. He performs for others and is starting to love the spotlight.
Our Elijah is the perfect middle child, often the breath of fresh air we need when struggling with an emotional four-year-old or trying to soothe a fussy six-month old. Always up for a cuddle and a kiss, always ready to celebrate anyone’s excitement, always the life of the party.
Our Elijah is two.
Real World Romenesko 