End of an Era

Two years, seven months, and six idyllic days came to an end this morning. Jonathan got out of bed. In all that time he'd never figured out that he can get out of his firetruck bed, open the door, stroll into our room and demand breakfast. Granted, with Alex around these last few months, we haven't exactly been sleeping in. But it was nice to know that once we got the baby settled back down, we could shower, eat breakfast, and read the paper before heading back upstairs. We'd open the door and find Jonathan sitting up in bed. He'd grin, say "I'm all done!" and clamber out eagerly.

The morning, I'd just snuggled in next to Alex for a few minutes more rest when I heard Jonathan saying "It's time to get up!" Next thing I knew, he was standing at my bedside, his eyes level with mine (when did he get so tall?) and he was demanding "uppia!" for a cuddle.

Oh well. He's gotten pretty smart recently. If Chris waits on law school for a few more years, he and Jonathan can go together. Jonathan's come up with an iron-clad defense (in his mind) for any wrongdoing. We'll tell him to pick up his toys, or to stop poking Alex's cheeks, or to use his spoon rather than his fingers at the dinner table. And he'll look up plaintively at us and say "But I'm a good listener!" He's also gotten much more assertive. It's not good to laugh when he unleashes a tirade such as "No, Mommy, come over HERE! It's not your stepstool, it's MINE! Jonathan do it! No hold my feet!" but it's hard not to.

While Jonathan plays Mr. Intensity, Alex is Mr. Mellow. He loves to smile and babble with everyone. He's stil teething and there are two tiny dimples on his lwoer gums. He's become a proficient at thumb-sucking and is a champion knuckle-chewer. And at his four month checkup he weighed 19 pounds, 1 ounce! He's in nine to twelve month clothing sizes.