My Max

Max.

What is there to say:

I've been experiencing a keen sense of de ja vus lately... what with Max emptying cupboards and attempting to plug things into light sockets and all.

When Cooper was 2 life was hard for me. I could not keep up with the kid. He was everywhere and into everything AT ALL TIMES! I would turn my back for a second  

literally  

and when I turned around it was pure chaos.  Perhaps I'm a slow turner. History (and experience) suggests that I stop turning. Bad things happen when people turn.

I never could figure out how to keep things picked up when Cooper was around. Oh gosh, those were such physically/emotionally/self esteem draining days.

And then Landon came along... and turned 2... and then worse yet, he turned 3. 

And Landon was different and harder. 

He wasn't necessarily into everything and causing mischief at all hours. No, he was a different hard. Like stubborn. And obstinate. And purposely naughty and belligerent. Like he lived to push buttons and throw tantrums. 

He would act out just because I said no. 

He would scream just because he felt like it.

 And he felt like it ALL THE TIME! 

(please take note that all these seemingly negative adjectives are not meant to describe Landon but rather his behavior. As anyone who has met Landon knows he is endearing and addictive and at all times a charmer. I'm merely describing personal struggles as a mom. Not a lack of love and adoration.)

I remember looking back on Cooper's "terrible twos" while in the midst of Landon's "terrible twos" and thinking: 

"what was it exactly that was so difficult about Cooper as a toddler? I remember him being challenging but I can't imagine what could be worse or even equal to this!"

...

This morning, as I cleaned butter off my toaster and down my cabinet fronts I remembered Cooper. I remembered what it felt like to constantly have to watch him to ensure that I wasn't constantly picking up after him or avoiding casualties. 

And, I know now, it's not better. It's not worse. It's just different.  

Cooper wasn't better or worse. Landon wasn't better or worse. They were just different. And oddly enough, that's endearing. 

Cooper knew how to exhaust me physically, mentally, and at times emotionally. 

Landon knew how to exhaust my patience and my willpower and occasionally my heart.

...

Max is 17 months now. What he loves the most is mischief; pure and simple. He loves to undo. He loves opening cupboards and drawers and spreading the contents through the entire house.

Which is so very much like Cooper. 

He loves figuring out things and mimicking how he has seen things done. He is forever curious. He loves combining things, and spreading things, and coloring on things, and dumping stuff into gallons of milk that should NOT be dumped into gallons of milk. (we've thrown away a lot of milk recently)

Very Cooper behavior.  

(only he's getting a head start at a much younger age than Cooper was before he started his shenanigans)

At dinner time he hops up on the table and scoots from plate to plate sampling what he wants from each family member's dinner; never content with the fact that his plate holds the same exact meal. 

He is a creature of habit and wakes up early each morning just so he can accompany his dad downstairs to wake up "the kiddos" for school.

He thinks all valuable treasure must be hidden in the dishwasher.

And his days are always spent trying to fit things where they don't belong or make chaos from order.

And he is cuddly. He, at several times during the day, will stop what he is doing to come wrap his arms around my legs. When I pick him up he always rests his head on my shoulder. And whenever I am sitting in a chair he has to climb up to sit beside me (or on me) just for a moment or two and then he's back in the game.

This is Max.

This is very much only my Max.

One of my favorite things about Cooper is his curiosity. 

His imagination. 

His creativity. 

If I look back I can remember seeing that in his escapades at 2. And now, I can see that potential, that essence, in who Max is right now. And I can hardly wait. I am grateful now for my two year old Cooper. He helps me look at my 1 year old Max and see that, although it's exhausting and disheartening at times to never be able to have anything left alone, if these pensions for mischief are a testimony of who he is,  

WOW he is one amazing kid.

Because you know what? Every time I look at Cooper that is what I say.

 Wow, he is one amazing kid. 

As a side note, I'm pretty sure this mom can only handle one Landon. I'm not sure I would live through a reincarnation of his brand of amazing.  I'm probably still too close to the belly of that beast to find it endearing to endure that again. ;)