Fun Facts

As I envision Malachi growing up and going to school, I have this vision in my mind of that kid that keeps ending up in the principal's office, but every teacher loves him and is secretly laughing while they write him up. And if any other teachers are suckers for dimples like I was, it's going to be hard not to give in to that grin. Malachi has to be one of the funniest kids I know. He is rarely upset (though starting to get a temper when he doesn't get his way) and never afraid to try something, which leads to some hilarious situations. So here are some of the things about Malachi that make me happy:

1) Malachi loves to be chased, and he crawls off as fast as he can around the corner and then stops and waits for me to get there. As I round the corner he starts giggling uncontrollably and falls straight backward (usually hitting his head). It's the funniest reaction I've ever seen, and he does it over and over again. Hopefully it won't cause brain damage.

2) Malachi gargles his water. He takes sip after sip from his cup and then throws his head back and gargles. Hilarious.

3) He likes to take his blankie (his favorite blankie that he simply can't live without) and when he's supposed to be napping or going to bed at night, he stands at the edge of his crib and drops the blankie on the floor. He then peers over the crib laughing and squealing, followed by loud cries because he realizes he has lost his blankie. This is both funny and annoying.

4) Malachi loves to crawl as fast as he can to one side of his crib, stand up, and fall backwards, bouncing off the mattress. Then he laughs hysterically, crawls to the other side and repeats. This can go on for 5-10 minutes. The kid has way too much fun.

5) Malachi is a picky eater. He absolutely refuses to eat some textures (mainly anything that I cook) and will spit it out and then pull the food (soup included) off his tongue. It then usually ends up in his hair (thus, the reason he had a haircut).

6) Malachi loves grilled cheese. This is a very good thing (as anyone who knows me can attest), as I eat grilled cheese nearly every day. Now I simply share my grilled cheese with Malachi, meaning I get the crust and he gets the rest.

7) Malachi loves to lie on his back on the floor and squeal in a high-pitched girly voice while kicking his legs and swinging his arms back and forth. Can we say hyper?

8) Malachi has learned to wave, but prefers to wave not at people, but at lampposts. Every day as we walk to the car, he begins to wave at all of the lampposts we pass. Waving at people, however, has not occurred to him.

9) Malachi will probably play the cymbals when he grows up. If he has two different objects in his hands, no matter what they are, he will bang them together smiling happily. Today it was a spoon and a cup, two metal mixing bowls (talk about loud), and a baby's two feet at Bible study.

10) Malachi gets into all kinds of trouble when I'm trying to get ready in the morning. This includes: Tearing pieces of paper into tiny shreds. Smashing his fingers in the toilet bowl, which he also tried to lick. Eating my and Aaron's shoes. Trying to read "Les Miserables." Turning my heated mattress cover on and off, and then trying to eat the cords. Throwing anything he can find into the bathtub, and then nearly falling in trying to get them back. Etc.

There are so many other things Malachi does that make me laugh or bring a smile to my face. It's hard to believe he will be 1 in less than 3 weeks. Wow. I never knew a child could make me smile this much (and I also never imagined myself saying things like, "Please don't lick the toilet bowl. That's yucky.") Being a parent has its trials, but we wouldn't trade it for the world. Malachi, we love you. Thanks for bringing us so much joy.