Changes...big and small

It's hard to believe in just a few short months, we will be welcoming our second bundle of joy! Since this will be our second time around we are in on the secret and know that a very small person brings very big changes. So from now until March, I will be savoring my 8 hours of sleep each night as well as my 2-3 hour "breaks" during Nathan's afternoon nap. Both of those luxuries will pretty much be non-existent once Baby #2 shows up. But I guess an adorable little newborn is totally worth the sacrifice!

We have been trying to prepare Nathan as much as possible. He has been the center of our world for the past 2 1/2 years and although I am so excited for him to have a sibling, I worry that his tiny little world will be shaken up big time. We have stocked his bookshelf with lots of Big Brother/New Baby books. We talk about the baby in Mommy's belly, although according to Nathan it's in his belly. And we tell him all the exciting things he'll get to do as a big brother.

I have moments where I get very sad knowing he won't be my little baby anymore, that someone new will be taking over that title. However, the truth is that he he hasn't been a little baby for a long time. In the past couple months he has changed so much. I can carry on full, coherent conversations with him. He can dress himself including putting on his own shoes...talk about a time saver! And this week he learned how to pump on the big boy swing! In our little Chenivan world, it's the little things that bring us the biggest joys.

The black ring of defiance

Nathan loves taking baths. What he doesn't love is having his neck washed. Every single night he willingly lets me pour water over his head and his eyes to wash his hear but try to go near his neck? This kid has the reflexes of a jungle cat.

He bends his head down as low as it will go and yells "No tickle, no tickle" over and over. Apparently his neck is extremely ticklish! I try telling him "I have to clean your neck, it's my job." And then the screaming changes to "No it's your job, no it's your job."

I don't know what to do. On days that he's been out playing in the dirt, he can get really dirty and I've seen the infamous black line kids get in their little neck creases. If he doesn't let up on me soon, I'm going to have to invest in some turtlenecks. Good thing the fall weather is coming!