For the First Second Time

I remember cherishing every moment of my first child's life. Every single second. I hung onto every phase, every new little thing, as tight as I could. But then it slipped through my fingers more quickly than I wanted it to. Fortunately just as quickly as it vanished, another one appeared for me to cherish and hold onto. I remember always thinking what a unique experience having my first child was and I wanted to hang onto that for as long as I could, thinking that it was going to end one day. While I'm happy I thought that, because it really made me cherish everything, my thinking was a little off.

Sure, it was my first time being pregnant and being a mom and they were unique, but I realized quickly that having your second child is having a whole new set of firsts. It was my first time being pregnant with Cameron. It was my first time going into labor on my own. It was my first time feeling contractions. It was my first time holding him in my arms. It was a first time being a mom of two. It was my first time trying to figure out how to meet the needs of two little ones in diapers.


Everything about my second son is a first time experience. I cherish them equally and so appreciate the new and unique experiences he's brought into our lives. He's my first Cameron. My first blonde haired, blue eyed boy. My first baby to take a binki. My first baby to wake up at night to eat. My first baby to almost never cry. So many firsts this second time around. I could go on and on. There are so many new and fun memories to cherish. So many firsts to slip through my fingers more quickly than ever before. And so many new firsts to fill up my hands and cherish. Every child is a first.


My first second boy is 10, almost 11 months now. He's funnier than ever. He has a silly little personality that is really starting to emerge and entertain us all. Lots of silly faces, sounds, gestures, and games come from this little guy. He just may grow up to be life of the party. If I had to describe him with just one word, it would by JOY. He has been and continues to be happy by nature. His first reaction to everyone and everything is a smile. His smile attracts a lot of people. I think his good looks do as well, but he flashes those blue eyes and that big toothless smile to everyone and it makes them feel so good they can't help but stop and talk to him. I just always hope his brother isn't noticing that Cameron is really stealing the show when we're out in public.

Here is a clip of Cameron I recently took. It was after lunch and I was doing some dishes. I looked over to find him trying out a new trick with a lid. He's so clever and funny....



His favorite toy, hands down, is Ty. He loves everything about him. He watches, learns, laughs at, and wants to be right next to his brother every minute he's awake. If Ty has his sippy cup, Cameron wants one too. If Ty is eating, Cameron wants to eat too. I can't wait to watch the bond these two will form as they grow up together. I love watching the roots of their relationship starting to grow deeply already. It's going to blossom into something really incredible.

Cameron also loves to talk. He talks a lot. His new latest sounds are that of the letter G and T. And I'm pretty sure his first official word is "Ty". Last night when I said "Where's Ty?" He looked right at him and said it. He's been saying momma, mom, dadda, and dad for quite sometime, but they were sounds before they were words and I'm still not totally convinced he knows what they mean...although sometimes I wonder.


He's mellow and content but I can tell he is ready to move and is about to start crawling. From a sitting position he leans foward like he's about to take off and when I lay him down he rolls over and starts scooting backwards. He gets up on his knees and will figure it out any day now. He loves to stand assisted by furniture or a toy. I think it makes him feel like his big brother. He beams with pride whenever he's doing it.

He likes his binki, but only sparingly. You'll only see it in his mouth just before he's falling asleep and then it's out. He doesn't want it any other time. He has a favorite blanket. It's blue with white letters on it. It wasn't the blanket I intended to be his, but he fell in love with the edge of it early on and decided on his own what would be his blanket. Who am I to think I get to choose these things? He loves having it with his binky when he goes to sleep.


He also loves sleep. He never fights nap or bedtime, expect a few times when he's been congested and can't breathe well. It's like he appreciates being able to take a nap and welcomes it. Smart boy. And speaking of smart, I find that I always underestimate how much babies can learn. He can point out a nose on any face, find the lights in every room, along with the clock and of course his brother Ty. He will also point his cute little finger in the direction he wants you to take him and at the thing he'd like to have right now please, thank you.

Since he's not quite interested in hearing an entire story from a book just yet, I have a great collection of touch and feel books. These interactive stories keep him interested in reading and we have fun playing with them together. However, now he thinks that all books have some exiting texture on each page and will feel all over to find where they part is he's supposed to play with, even if there isn't one. I wonder how long he'll keep that up. And why shouldn't he? To him all books are for is touching and feeling.

He loves to clap and kick and jump in his jumparoo. He quite often throws his hands in the air and waves them like he just don't care. He's just always happy. It's like he's always celebrating something. Everything is new and exciting and brings him so much joy. From Grandma's dog to the keyboard on the computer, it's all amazing and fun to discover, and funny to laugh at, and so exciting, he just might burst!

At the end of the day, when I lay my head on my pillow, I think about all the happy moments of the day and all the fun we had and I feel like I might burst too. It's' the first second time I'm amazed at how much love you can feel for someone else.