sponge

tonight, i've been contemplating all that river has learned about life in the past week: he has learned how to sniff to smell, water flowers, tickle people, and read a book. picture all of those in quotations. 


because "smelling" is actually exhaling through his nose, rather than inhaling. and it's the funniest thing to watch him do. i show him how to smell a raspberry tea bag. he wants to put it in his mouth, and has to try really hard not to open his mouth out of habit, but to sniff instead. his face is very serious, and he watches me intently as i sniff the tea bag and say enthusiastically, "mmm! it smells so good!" i'll bet it's like rubbing his head and patting his belly to him. after he has sniffed, he smiles with a crinkly nose, so proud of himself.

watering the flowers at our door is holding a half-gallon milk carton with a cup of water in it over the flowers, but not really pouring. he even pumps his arm up and down, "watering" very thoroughly the petunias. we clap and say good job, and he doesn't want to come inside. he runs from me to the other potted plant and proceeds to water that one, too. he's my outside hippie boy and he loves the green life. nothin' wrong with that.

john tickles me. a lot. i pretend to hate it, but i don't, because it's fun. so, john's tickling me, and i'm laughing uncontrollably, because i am the most ridiculously ticklish person you will meet. river is laughing and squealing, and starts rubbing my hair vigorously and patting my back excitedly and biting the back of my neck. he is "tickling" me too. and he is doing a great job...because it sure is making me laugh.

this afternoon, he catches some sunlight through the window and sits down to read a book. he opens it and flips through its pages, saying this, and saying that. when he catches me taking pictures of him, he doesn't even budge - gives me a sweet love smile, and goes back to his book. i guess he's going to be a reader, like his mama.

all of these little things melt my heart. he's soaking stuff up like you wouldn't believe. he's a little sponge and he's trying oh-so-very hard to do exactly what mama and daddy do, and it is the most pleasing thing. sometimes i feel like he's more of a toddler than a baby. it may just be first-time-mom syndrome, but... i think he's really smart.