On the move....

Can you see it? The twinkle in the eye? That's the look that brings the squeal of excitement to my lips and the catch in the throat. Our baby? He's on the move.

Luke is rapidly crawling his way out of that baby stage and letting us know that the toddler he will become isn't all that far away. He cruises the house at a rapid pace, and pulls up on anything in reach. From hoisting himself into the empty bathtub to trying to ride Max's push bike, he's taking life head on, and has the bumps and bruises to prove it. And while he isn't the comparative giant that he used to be (at his 9 month appointment he was 30 inches - 95th percentile, but only 20 lbs - 50th percentile) his personality and smile are bigger than ever.

One of my favorite things happened this last weekend. The light bulb went on in a major way, and he has started actively, consistently started signing "milk" to us when he is hungry. We saw it with Max, but it amazes me all over again to watch the glee in his eyes when he knows we understand what he is trying to tell us. Yeah, it's lead to an increase in nursing sessions, because he's often just trying it out to see if it still works. But you know what? Who cares?

The other change? For this month, anyway, Luke has become quite the mama's boy. I don't know if it is me being back at work, or just a phase, but he wants mama in sight or holding him almost all the time. It's tiring - especially at the end of a long day. But you know what? Since the rest of his day is dedicated to moving up and away, I'm going to take full advantage of those times when he wants to be held close. It won't be much longer.