All Too Soon

I ventured out with Si, Sim, and Lieren on a walk this morning. It was gorgeous outside. Silas and I wore light jackets. I didn't even put jackets on the babies, just used the blanket attachment that came with our stroller. Then this evening we all played out in the backyard after Shane got home. It was perfect.

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I took Simeon to the eye doctor on Tuesday. Since birth he's had a blocked tear duct resulting in a chronic eye infection that persisted into February. We had visited the pediatric opthalmologist at the beginning of last month and had planned for Sim to have surgery at the end of March if it did not clear. I was so thankful when one morning he woke and the infection was gone. I had been massaging the duct area and praying that we wouldn't have to do surgery. So I was more than grateful to get to cancel the surgery after consulting with the doctor.

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Being out with just one is always fun for me. Gives me time to really see that child and reflect on them individually.

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Simeon is all over the place these days. He is crawling well and fast and enjoying every minute of it. He is pulling up and cruising, albeit slowly. He lets go and stands holding on to things with one hand or, if he can lean just the right way to keep his balance, he will let go of both hands. He has discovered the stairs...

Yikes! Twice he has crawled up the first step with Shane or I sitting there. I keep telling myself that I am entering the world of "No, no" all to soon. We have a whopping total of 6 gates in our house now (one each at the top and bottom of the main stairs, one at the bottom of the stairs to the finished attic, in the doorways to both children's rooms, and at the bottom of the stairs in Silas' room that lead to the loft...whew...did you catch all that?). But the entire main floor is still a free-for-all...
What's great is that when Sim is heading for something he probably shouldn't, he lets out a gleeful squeal. It's so cute. And a dead give-away.

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Just today I said to him, "Sweetheart, how am I going to keep you alive through toddlerhood?" He is fearless, this boy. He recently dove head-first, flipping over the toy he's standing at below...
Lieren lets out quite a cry when Sim takes a toy away from her. Because she's not moving she can't really defend herself. And Silas is not sure he likes the idea of a brother who can get at things. So I'm teaching Silas to move away, climb on the couch (where it's safe for the moment) or ask me to help. Honestly, they don't play together that much right now. So when I walked in the other day, it was sweet to see this...
Oh, Simeon. You are making time move quicker than I would like. Your fourth tooth is cutting through today and your growing hair makes you look like such a big boy. But the way that you need me to rock you back to sleep almost daily reminds me that you're still a baby. You're not the smallest, but you are, by 6 minutes, the baby of this family.