Over the past few weeks, we've been on a ride. One minute Declan's happy and giggly and the next he's throwing a tantrum and all his food on the ground. We've fed him while holding him, while sitting with him, inside, outside, on a train, on a plane...you get the idea.
In between tantrums, Declan has turned into quite the ham. Recently, he's discovered dipping. He takes his fork, spears whatever is on his plate, and dips it into a sauce (usually barbecue). Such a little feat for us, but for Declan it defines his whole meal experience. I know if I offer him something to dip, we'll have a good mealtime. A few nights ago, Declan wanted to dip his bread in my tomato soup. He loves this particular soup (Amy's Chunky), so I wasn't surprised. Then dessert time came. We gave him oranges, which are a new favorite, but he still wanted my soup. And as soon as the spoon came up to his mouth, he smiled. Not a "thanks, mommy" kind of smile, but a calculating, idea-forming smile. And the orange went into the spoon. Oranges and tomato soup? I thought he'd screw up his face in that "this is nasty" look, but he happily chewed and then pointed to my soup for more. Yes, he ate all of his oranges with tomato soup that day. This is a kid that doesn't like mac and cheese, and refuses pizza half the time, but this he adored.
One of my favorite things about being a mom is watching Declan's personality emerge. He is just the most mischievous thing. And I can see his little brain coming up with new ways to explore, destroy, and maneuver everything. I swear he scans a room, terminator style, and evaluates how fast he can tear it apart.
A few weeks ago, Jess and Charlie came to visit, which is always so fun. Declan adores Charlie, and I swear he soaks up everything Charlie does like a sponge. In February, he tried to say no, no, no after seeing Charlie, and this time it was the front roll. Charlie and Declan have the cute hambone thing in common. And one of Char's best party tricks is a perfect front roll. It always elicits a round of applause and while it looked like Declan was just standing by watching, it turns out he was learning how. He's certainly not as agile as Charlie, and the downward dog turns into a side roll, but he expects applause all the same. And he giggles. He is immensely proud of himself. He hopes to one day be just like Charlie.
And the thing I've been waiting for the most...Declan finally started dancing! Tonight he kept picking the same song, looking to Rich and I and as soon as we started bopping to the music, Dec's legs started a Flashdance "Maniac" march and kept going until the music stopped. I think Rich was more proud when he started dunking the basketball or playing t-ball, but this was my heart bursting moment. In the end, I don't really care what Declan ends up loving, but I want him to grow up knowing that every option is open to him. And it doesn't hurt that he seems to love music along with climbing and throwing and dunking.
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