Our Big Boy

It's very late, but I just couldn't go to bed without a little post. I won't add pictures tonight, but maybe in the next day or two.

Gabriel is growing in leaps and bounds. When we moved to Frederick, he could run around everywhere, including under the kitchen table. The other day, he was running around chasing his Spiderman soccer ball (or football for you Brits), and it rolled right under the table. He ran after it and BUMP! The table hit him smack in the middle of the forehead. It surprised Gabriel almost as much as it surprised me. I hadn't realized how much taller Gabriel had grown in just a couple months! I knew he had grown, as we had to buy new jeans and slacks for him, but I didn't think it was quite that much!

AND THEN, today he learned a new trick with Daddy. We have more stairs than I've ever had before in a house. Since we have three stories and are uphill from the parking lot, Gabriel has had to learn to negotiate stairs. He is great at climbing them, but has had a few difficulties coming down. He wants to walk down like Mommy and Daddy, but he doesn't quite understand the whole gravity thing (he gets that from me...). Jake has really worked to help him learn to bump down on his little bum, but he gets impatient and wants to go go go! Today G made it from the top floor to the bottom by himself! Jake only had to assist a couple times, but the rest was all Gabriel, mostly sliding on his bottom, with a few backward crawls. I am so proud of him!

He has also mastered using a grown-up fork (toddler ones just will not do, apparently), and can often properly use a spoon in the last few weeks. It doubles as a sword or drumstick, so we do have to watch our fingers. If we are eating with utensils, the G-Man has to have his own! And if I want to give him a bite of whatever I have, he usually wants to take the fork from me and feed it to himself. What a big kid he's getting to be.

These days, Gabriel wants to be outside 24/7, regardless of time of day or weather. It's been so nice that I have been able to indulge him, but today was yucky. It was torture for him to stay inside all day, but we raced around on his bike and that made things better. He still ended up banging his head against the front door a few times and trying to use a spatula to manipulate the doorknob throughout the day. Thankfully tomorrow is supposed to be lovely! We'll be sure to go to the park and do some major climbing and sliding. He really loves all the other kids, and makes sure to point out all of their noses. So far, they have all been sweet and obliging!

As for other small achievements, he uses the word Mama constantly, and Daddy is usually "Da" or "Da-Da," but occasionally "Ga." His favorite words are still "duck," "dog," "cat," "mama," "ack," and "da," but "light" and "eye" are currently slightly out of favor. He loves to play with saucepans and lids, and the new thing is filling them up and putting the lid on. He is excited to find his treasures still in there when the lid comes off! He loves rocks, and carries them everywhere, and really loves dirt. We walk the sidewalks searching for dogs and motorcycles, and he gets very excited about planes, helicopters and ice cream trucks. He is great at piling up blocks, but now he is able to help me put them away as well. At the grocery store, he gets to pick out produce and put them in the bag for me. He actually cries when we leave the produce section! Can you believe that he can help out already? I didn't expect that from a 14 month old! He also loves to do Mommy and Baby Yoga with me, and his favorite move is downward dog -- he especially likes to peek through is legs and see Mama and Daddy upside-down!

I think that is everything of note. We still have a few boxes to unpack, but our momentum has way dropped! Someday we'll be all unpacked. We're getting closer!!! We still haven't decided on a church, but we also have a few we want to visit. That is such a difficult decision. I'm trying to decide if I should join MOPS or the MOMS Club here, so let me know if anyone has any advice.

I have really had Eldorado, Texas on my heart lately. As Christians, we think polygamy is wrong (much less somewhat illegal), and the situation with the young girls being forced to marry is deplorable. But I just can't imagine what those families are going through right now. Many of the women have never left the compound and think that the rest of the world is evil -- how terrifying for them to have to leave their home and their husbands and be in such an insecure situation. I feel even worse for the kids. I'm sure they don't understand what's going on, and no matter how it ends up, their safety and security is compromised. I just can't imagine Gabriel being away from Jake for so long. It makes me so thankful to be married to such a loving, supportive and strong Christian man, and I am so humbled to be so loved by our little baby. It literally makes my heart ache to think of anything happening to Gabriel, or to imagine him growing up without his Mama or Daddy. We are blessed with many friends and family members that love and support us, and we are so thankful for everything we have!

P.S. If you haven't tried a Magic Eraser, you have to. It's magical!!! Scuffs, rust, crayon, and stains are no match. Just be careful, as it can take the paint off your walls if you scrub too hard. I also love Chlorox Bleach Pens for little spots on white fabrics or surfaces -- one of the best inventions ever!