17 Months

I haven't written about Declan in forever. I think my last update was his 48 week photo. And while this was partially for you (because who truly wants to read about another person's baby that much...?) it was mostly just laziness. But this must end. Because his changes have been gradual and slow day to day, yet overall add up to leaps and bounds. It's like sand between my fingers and I just want to snatch it all back up.

So what describes that boy these days?

He leans in for hugs and smacks a big opened mouth guppy kiss right on your lips. He gives these sneak attacks to strangers and animals and mama and daddy when he's feeling happy. He's affectionate to a whole new level, a very welcome level at that. And while this affection is sweet, on the flip side are his (mostly rare) emotional tantrums when he doesn't get his way. He is just living big.

Organization flows from his fingertips as he moves my clothes from one drawer to the next then puts everything from the floor into the clean laundry basket. And he's helpful, oh so helpful. Constantly closing the refrigerator door for us and spilling milk from his bottle so he can bring a towel over to wipe it up. He shuts the dishwasher and turns the buttons on the dryer. And he could care less about the word "no." It holds only humor to him.

He loves playing in Tegan's water bowl and running away from us screaming and telling us exactly what a cat, dog, lion, or sheep say. His dance moves are on FIRE, complete with head bobbing to one side, a little sway, and sometimes a spin or two. He could live on fruit. He's constantly going, going, going- bringing us books only to leave by page two or pushing limits to climb onto the table. It's exhausting and amusing all at once.

And while I love all these amazing changes that come with growing up, I look back on his baby pictures and just want to slink back in. Just for one day to hold that soft, teeny body and soak in those early emotions. But I can't. So instead I'll focus on commemorating today, since in the not too distant future I'll surely long to come back.

LIVE THE MURRAYED LIFE

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