A Little Bit About Preston

Preston is getting busier every day.  I had hoped the mischief we experienced with Dylan would pass us by with our mellow little fellow, but it seems I was wrong.  He is getting to be so independent.  He'll usually listen to what you say, but if you try to help him do it, he's going to let you know you're bothering him.  I love this stage, but it definitely keeps a mom busy.  Here are some of the things I hope I never forget about Preston at 16 months.

• I love watching him discover his world.  He is so intrigued with such simple things.  It's amazing how much I've forgotten about having a young toddler.  He'll turn something over and over examining it with such amazing intensity.  I forget how new this world is to him still.
• I love how he lights up when he finally gets something right.  I could not take my eyes off of him at the park today.  He saw the shaky bridge in front of him and wasn't sure how to proceed.  He turned around backwards like he does on the stairs, but realized he then had to stand right back up.  He went across that bridge several dozen times and by the end was carefully stepping down while he cautiously kept one hand close to the railing.   You could see him beaming with pride at his new skill.  
• I love his baby posture - shoulders back, chest and belly poking out, neck supporting his big bobble-head, long arms swinging along as his legs assume a wide-stance position to balance his awkward little body.
• I love the way he runs.  His chubby little cheeks bounce just a bit while his short baby legs move at lightning speed.  I think his brain must get ahead of his body sometimes because he can't keep up with how fast he wants to go and trips over himself more times than not.  It's so cute.  He just pops right back up and keeps on going as if nothing had happened.  It's part of his daily routine.  
• He's still so easy to please.  His favorite thing to do when he is upset is to scream.  It's a high-pitched, annoying sound, but I'm getting quite used to it.  As soon as you can figure out what he wants (the big cup with the straw instead of the small one with the lid) he shuts right up.  It's like an automatic switch.  It's drama at its best.  You'd think his life was over and then he's completely over it.  
• He's starting to climb on things when he needs to reach higher.  I found him on top of the totes that hold the plastic animals today.  He was using them as a stool of sorts to reach Dylan's cash register - the one that I purposely keep on the top shelf.  I remember this phase with Dylan.  I'm hoping he doesn't have as much of a need to reach things up high because he's got Dylan to help him out.  Finding Dylan on top of the freezer at 18 months was a traumatic event and something I would rather not repeat with Preston.
  
• I love his friendly personality.  At first we thought he was going to be so much more shy than Dylan, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  He and Dylan seem to both love people, but in different ways.  Dylan loves the attention he gets from people, while Preston seems to thrive on the connection he has with others.  Recently it has become much more apparent.  He will wander away at church and end up on some older man's lap.  He will often stare at them for minutes without moving.  It's like he's trying to make a connection with a new person.  It's truly a beautiful quality my little one possesses.  It's almost healing to watch how he connects to others.  I can't help but wonder why he has chosen a certain person to "bond" with at that particular moment.  He really is a sweet soul.   
• I have always and will always love Preston's innocent smile.  His smile is so sincere and honest and is reflected through his eyes.  It's like you're staring right into his soul.  It's one of my favorite things about him.  

There are so many things Preston loves right now.  Here is a short list of things I can think of off the top of my head.

• Holding something.  He always has to have something in his hands while he's running around.  It's often a ball, but can be just about anything.  You rarely see this kid without something in his hand or mouth right now.
• Water.  Everything water goes.  He loves putting his hand under the faucet, splashing by his water table, playing in the pool or hanging out in the tub.  And yes, I've even caught him playing in the toilet a few times.  I just about gag every time I have to scrub him down after his toilet adventures.  Ah, the disgusting things moms have to endure.
• Dirt or sand.  He loves both.  Getting dirty happens many times a day.  He loves everything about dirt.
• Eating everything.  If he can get his hands on something, he puts it in his mouth.  No matter how many times he has tried it, he continues to eat dirt, rocks, flowers and other fun outdoor things.  If he's choking outside, it's usually on one of my flowers.  He can't help himself - he reaches for them and just pops them in his mouth.  Crazy kid! 
• Throwing things.  Preston LOVES throwing things, but has yet to master hard throws and soft throws.  Everything is full throttle with a pretty good aim, which is very dangerous when he's got a heavy toy car in his hand and is standing right over you.  In case you wonder, Preston's bruises on his forehead come from falling down all the time and Dylan's come from Preston's good aim.  
• Playing games.  He is starting to really understand humor and thinks it is hilarious if I turn around quickly to look at him in the car and then turn back to face forward.  Little games like these can go on forever with the same belly laugh reaction from Preston.
• Dylan.  Preston loves playing with Dylan.  He climbs on him, tries to take Dylan's toys, imitates Dylan's dinosaur noises, plays ball with him and basically just follows him around.  It's so cute to look over and see Preston watching Dylan and trying to copy his every move.  He's so used to being with big brother all the time that whenever Dylan is gone, Preston's not sure what to do with himself.  One time, Marcos took Dylan in his car and I had Preston with me in the other car.  He started crying and looking around as if he were lost.  He's rarely alone in the back seat and wasn't sure what to think about it.  I tried to talk to him and play with him, but he was pretty serious the whole drive home.  
• Sliding down the stairs.  We taught him to go down the stairs backwards and now it's just a belly slide for him.  He can take all 10 stairs in two seconds flat and then looks up at me and smiles.  

This is not even close to a complete list, but I wanted to at least mention some of the things Preston is up to these days.  For those who are not completely captivated with my children the way I am, I apologize.  I've been using my blog as a journal of sorts and wanted to update myself (and everyone else) on the life of my sweet little boy.