Andrew Silas, Age One

I am not being overly dramatic when I say that we walked into the preschool building this morning, and Andrew's sweet new teacher whisked him out of my arms and into an exciting day of new friends and playtime and adventures all in the space of about half a second. One moment, his sturdy little legs were wrapped around my waist, and the next minute, he was in someone else's arms and craning towards the room full of playing toddlers. I would liked to have shed a quick tear, but Sarah was tugging me on towards her new classroom, proudly hefting the bouquet of flowers she'd chosen for her new teachers...

But here's what I have to say: That baby boy is growing up way too fast. 

He will turn one on Thursday, and he has already surpassed his siblings' baby achievements by taking his first steps a few weeks ago. In just the last week, he has mastered the primitive baby signs that I've haphazardly used over the last few months, and he wields his pointer finger like a magic wand, capable of transporting him to any location to which he desires to go (assuming the adult holding him is disposed to following his tyrannical leads). He can say "Air-ah" in exactly the same tones that cousin Ava uses to call Sarah, and he's getting much more accurate with his weepy "Mommas" and "Dadas." You would not believe how well (or how often) he sings "Let It Go." I'm not even kidding.

He has had his first haircut, and although he behaved well for the stylist, we immediately regretted losing the curls and the baby wisps. The new cut is growing on me, but it leaves no doubt that this boy is growing up. Way too fast.

A couple of weeks ago, just after school started, Luke came down with a pretty bad cold, and Andrew soon followed. It took Andrew a full ten days to work through the snot and low fevers, but he has finally emerged, and I feel even more as if he is a totally different person than the baby who got sick two weeks ago. He laughs and sings (mostly his version of "Let It Go"), he watches his siblings with great interest, and he eats with gusto. He runs the gamut with his facial expressions, from "Pitiful Soul" to "On Top of the World" to his personal favorite, "Do You See Me Trying To Do Something I'm Not Allowed To Do?" 

He loves playing with balls or anything that can be thrown like a ball, and he is lately fascinated with heights, constantly perching himself on top of a table or standing in a chair. Because he is still too little to be trusted with Legos and Barbie shoes, we don't often allow him to be in the big kids' room; thus, it is his Favorite Place and the goal of his every endeavor. He also loves the stairs, just like every other child before him. We have spent time and money on a fancy gate to keep him contained downstairs, but one need only leave it open a smidge, and Andrew's keen baby sense hones in from anywhere else in the house, and he's immediately on a beeline toward that opening. If he manages to achieve the goal, he is often so proud of himself that instead of continuing up the stairs, he pauses and waits for one of us to come discover him; once we do, he grins big and turns back around, hightailing it up the rest of those stairs as fast as those chunky little legs will go. 

Yesterday, I took the kids to the toy store to look for a birthday gift for Andrew. It was fun to think about this coming year and the ways he will continue to grow, the things he will enjoy doing and the toys he will play with. The kids selected a Cuddle Me Elmo, which will be perfect for this little tyke whose older siblings have greedily swiped all the other teddies and stuffed animals. Mommy and Daddy are giving him a giant Fisher Price toy that will surely be a headache when we try to vacuum but should also be tons of fun for him because it involves cars and dropping things from a great height. I suspect that his siblings will get most of the fun out of that toy for a while, but that's okay. He will watch and learn, as he has with so many other things.

It's amazing how a new human can come into your life but then seem to have always been there. It's happened that way with all of these kids, but Andrew seemed to be especially comfortable with this wild crew that is our family, even from that very first (rough) snuggle session with his big brother. He is certainly capable of making his presence known, but most of the time, it's as if he's just happy to be here, to be a part of it all. He doesn't demand much (except large meals, of course), and he's a pretty good sleeper. He only occasionally does the "straight wooden legs" act when I'm trying to tie him into his carseat, and he is comfortable in lots of different situations. 

We've laughed recently over a new facial  expression of his - the "Dark and Furrowed Brow" - which is uncannily similar to one that cousin Ava often makes. He has startled more than one adult with the look, but I'm coming to the conclusion that it isn't an angry face (although it certainly looks it!) but a face of deep contemplation. His dad makes that same face when he is thinking hard about things. 

How fun is that? The kid is thinking hard about things. He's figuring some of it out, like the sign language and the trick to the baby gate, and other stuff he's putting on the back burner, like how to handle a young woman throwing a tantrum (Sarah), or whether or not he likes cantaloupe (sometimes yes, sometimes no). We have such a fun year ahead with that kid. And a wild, exhausting one... I hope I can always keep up with you, my sweet, busy, self-assured Andrew! Happy Birthday to you!