Snakes & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails

There is something so sweet and special about little boys. I have 3 sisters and no brothers. (I always wanted a brother, particularly an older brother. Katelyn is lucky because she gets the benefits of an older brother, but she doesn't see Tanner enough to get on his nerves or to get torchered and teased like all of my friends who had older brothers.) Anyway, when I got pregnant with Katelyn, I wanted a girl so badly. Lucky for me, I got what I wanted and have adored buying pink clothes and stuffed animals and dolls and all that goes along with having a little girl. When I got pregnant with Carter, I wanted another little girl. Not that I didn't ever want a boy, but I justified my desire by saying that Katelyn should have a sister close to her age to play with. Really, I was terrified to have a boy. Growing up with no brothers, I have no idea what to do with boys!

So I was blessed with my little Carter, and I have gotten to experience the love of a mother for her son. Of course I love both of my children, not one more than the other. But the bond between mother and son is different from the bond between mother and daughter. I can relate to Katelyn because she likes girly things, and doesn't prefer trucks and motorcycles and wrestling every minute of the day. But Carter is the loviest little guy. I can feel that he's going to adore me for the rest of our lives. I sit next to him at the dinner table and sometimes, in the middle of dinner, he'll reach over and hug me for no reason. I end up with food all over me, but it's the sweetest thing!

I think Carter is in a grace period. He doesn't get into things quite as much as he did a month or two ago - or maybe I've gotten really good at heading him off - and he's not quite into the terrible 2's. There are days when he throws tantrums and screams all day, and of course he is so wild that he's bound to break a tooth or dislocate an arm from time to time. But he is very sweet and I find myself thinking how awesome he is more than being frustrated with him these days. I'll have to make the most of it while it lasts, because thanks to Katelyn, I know what's coming.

Happy thought: I find myself feeling grateful almost every day that we bought this house. That is due in large part to how much I love the neighborhood. I never would have thought that would be the case when we started looking at homes in this part of town!