One of My Favorite Things

If you know me at all, you know I have a thing for baby's heads. You know, the smell that is unspoiled by solid foods and too much shampoo. I love that smell and everytime I see a small baby at church, I have to smell his (or her...I'm not sexist when it comes to a baby's head!) head. It may be weird to some, but my friend's father understands. And something about that smell makes my heart catch just a little, my stomach tighten, and just for a minute, I can't NOT have any more kids.

Even though Ju Ju Bees is almost one year old (the 30th!), I still love to smell the top of his head. He's long past the smell of "Baby" but something about that kid and his soft downy head...it makes my heart swell everytime he is still enough to let me take a whiff. I told DH the other night, "Y'know, I wish I could bottle him up, and just keep the sweet that he is, so that when he's three and screaming at me or five and sassing me, I could just sprinkle a little of my sweet Ju Ju Bees on him." DH knows what I'm talking about.

Ju Ju Bees is easy-going (maybe it's because he's the third and has no choice) and I can't imagine life without him. I catch him sometimes as he's sitting playing with his toe or some other innocuous object, and I just watch him. More often than not, he'll scrunch up his nose and shrug his shoulders and just grin. He does have an opinion if something's removed from his chubby little hand, but it's usually short-lived. He loves the computer and is constantly trying to "check his me-mail" as Bounce says. DH and I are pretty strict about not letting him play with the computer and will swat his hand (barely, Grandmom!) and say "NO!" and move him away. Yesterday, he was really struggling after being told "no" twice. The third time I moved him, I walked away and just watched him. He sat there and shook his head "no" and then? He crawled off! Of course, he was back at it today, but a glimpse of obedience is better than nothing, I suppose.

Last week, we visited my extended family in Portland, and everyone made over the boys. Ju Ju Bees went to every "Granny Aunt" there and even all the cousins. He had the "Geraldine" look at first with everyone, but he never cried or even acted like he didn't want them to hold him. He's just sweet that way. I think Sunday School has definitely been a big help with that as none of the boys are criers when they have to go to class (and only have been when they've not felt well or something).

Anyway, that's a lot of words just to say, I love my Ju Ju Bees and could just squeeze him all the time...if he'd just be still long enough! I guess I'm feeling a little like Mary as she pondered all these things in her heart. Ju Ju Bees is on the beginning end of walking and has taken 3-5 steps at a time. Maybe it just seems so bittersweet because he'll probably be our last or maybe because of his surgery, but whatever the reason, I cherish every day I have with him and with his brothers. I am grateful to the Lord Jesus who has given us every good and perfect gift, and I know that those gifts include my sons.