Kavaun,
Today you covered me with all of your toys and books and held me hostage in your play tent. Your sneaky smile and excitement to keep adding to the pile made me laugh. I took one of those mental pictures that daddy's sometimes take. I know, we have a lot of real pictures, but this one is seared into my head and will be for a while I think. I was looking up at you through the toy rubble and your eyes were smiling as you stared at me before you unleashed a hearty chuckle. It was sweet. That was the most I have seen your mom laugh in quite a while too. Thanks buddy.
I keep hearing that you "play" us and that you have us wrapped around your tiny little finger. Today, your mom and I acknowledged to one another that we think that is at least partially true, but we also admitted that we kind of like it. Maybe, that will change? (the liking part, not that fact that you call the shots.) You are a very insistent little boy with quite a will. Before, you would insist that we rock you to sleep and "sneak" you into your crib peacefully. Hell, some nights I remember army crawling in and out of that room so you would not detect me. I am surprised I did not purchase unscented soap and camouflage pj's. Your latest development has been to go into your crib awake and even push us away so you can get some shut-eye. We like that you are becoming independent . . . I guess. The other fun developments are your identification of you body parts in English and Farsi, identifying and calling out, ball and happily saying, hi. You say more, no and car in addition to mom and sometimes baba.
You also sucked and chewed very aggressively on ice cubes tonight. Those teeth coming in (moellers I think) seem to be really bothering you. (although we always ask one another, "do you think his teeth hurt?" every time you throw a fit. This goes back to that other point of you playing us.)
Today, you screamed and cried instead of napping and I took the opportunity to rock you on my lap. You fell asleep as I ran my fingers through your curly hair. Then within minutes, with my hand resting on your head and the other under your arm, we were both asleep.
Right now the Super Bowl is on TV and forever the Super Bowl will bring back a memory of one of the best days of my life. At the time it was a BIG day, but looking back now it was one of the BEST. Your mom told me on Super Bowl Sunday two years ago that she was pregnant with you. Of course, her timing was a little odd. She asked me in the middle of the game to turn the TV off because she had an early Valentine's Day gift. I kind of blew her off and ended up eventually giving in. When I sat by the fireplace and opened a box which had a bib that read, "I love daddy" and the positive result from a home pregnancy test, I was very surprised. And ecstatic. Everything started to change that day. Everything.
Then Operation Baby Secret took us on an 8 or 9 week journey and we only had each other to share the excitement with everyday. I was so happy and your mom was too. She is more responsible than I am so I think she was already in planning mode and I had no idea what was coming that summer - painting, buying and putting together furniture and making sure we had everything in order. We now realize that "in order" thing is impossible.
Kavaun, you have made our world. Sometimes it scares me how much I love you and how differently I see your mom now. You magnify and shine a light on her best qualities.
Thanks buddy,
Ba ba
