Elliot surprises me every day with how much he can understand and respond to. He knows what he likes, he knows when it's time for bed, he knows that he should pee in the potty and has to tell us when he has to go (because he can't quite pull his own pants up or down yet, or just doesn't want to), he knows when he did something wrong, he knows that the cats are mostly not interested in him but he still loves them, he knows how to get extra sympathy out of adults, he knows how to push our buttons, and he knows that if he looks out the bedroom window for a little while he's sure to see a BUS (his favorite thing in the world).
The thing that has been making me extra fuzzy inside lately is his affectionate nature. He loves to give kisses, and not only to people! He gives kisses to the cats, even when they're clearly trying to get away from him, he gives kisses to objects he likes, and he even gives an air kiss and waves goodbye to his poopies when we flush them down the toilet.
Then there's this toddler behavior, lining up all his cars in neat little rows, back-to-back or side-to-side. He's so proud when they're all lined up he'll call our attention to it :)
It's incredible how I can see his true nature, from while he was still in my belly he's had this fiery energetic essence and yet such a sweetness and curiosity too. I imagine that it'll be hard for me to be surprised by what sort of person he'll be. He'll probably be athletic and focused and incredibly kind, oh now I'm just getting ahead of myself.
With the whole hoopla of the outrage of 'Attachment Parenting' making news recently I can't help but think about what sort of parens Josh and I are. While we are certainly loving and nurturing, we are also probably less attached than some 'attached' parents. We are totally comfortable with letting him do his thing because we want him to learn to do things by himself, explore the world on his own, and develop his own way of seeing and thinking. We're always there to give love and support and teach him things, but it wouldn't be good for either of us if I, or Josh, were to be at his side constantly, doing everything for him and praising every little action. He is not an extension of us, he is a completely independent individual who happened to have come into the world through our union, but our job is not to continually create him. It is to nurture his natural growth and encourage him to learn on his own and do and be whatever he wants. The ultimate goal is a happy and healthy individual who is caring and kind towards others and his environment, and is a productive contributor to society. If we can do that, I'd say we did a pretty good job.
