Enjoying the little things

I'm sure some of you think that all I do is focus on the bad things that happen. Although the start of this year has been a little stressful already, that's not entirely true. Here are a few of the little things that I really enjoy while spending my day with Little Man A.

The way he has started to run around the room when I chase after him when he managed to grab the remote. The little hop in his step really makes me smile.

The way I sneak up behind him and start to whisper noises in his ear and he leans his forehead against my cheek.

The way we sit together watching tv and he sometimes leans in toward me (probably more because of the couch, but I'll take it).

The way he doesn't mind being semi-cradled again since he's the one holding the bottle. He hasn't quite gotten used to tipping up the bottle to be able to get the last of the milk. Unfortunately, I think this milestone set back is my fault because when he tried to hold the bottle before he always stuck his fingers in his mouth and I would tell him "No fingers". We're working on getting him switched over to the sippy cup. I'm thinking I might just have to do it cold turkey and deal with the tantrums.

The way he reaches out his hand when we go out for a walk and pass by a low hanging branch. He especially likes the pine needles because they remind him of the porcupine "spiny tails" in his "Tails" book.

I love the way he stops what he's doing in the middle of playing, stares me down, and comes in to give me a kiss. Thankfully, they aren't full, open mouthed, wet kisses anymore.

I love the way he looks outside his bedroom window and gazes at the birds, squirrels, and especially trucks going by. I envy the way he sees the world sometimes.
The way he smiles at me and reaches his arms up for me to take him out of bed in the morning or after his nap.

The way he's recently started patting me on the back after I pick him up. This usually happens when he's getting tired or just bonked his head on the bottom of the dining room table.

The way he laughs at the different noises that we come up with. For instance, he was playing with our cat's tail the other day. When he would slide his hand down her tail, she would whip it back to her body. My husband made a noise like a whip and he started laughing so hard he got the hiccups. I love when he does that too!

There are allot more little things that he does that I really do enjoy. I know this next year is going to be very taxing for me, especially with such a short temper myself (and he gets it from hubby too by the way). So, I need to stop, step back, count to three (maybe ten), and remind myself of all the good things rather than focus on the negative. These little moments won't be around much longer. But hopefully, they will be replaced with new ones.