Ford-Buddy-Mr. Man

Mr. Man is my latest nickname for Ford--I'm never sure exactly how I come up with such things. I've noticed he's not been featured much lately on my Instagram feed, so I thought I'd do a little post just for him.  (As mothers of boys can confirm, he's usually not still enough to capture on camera.)

He almost always refers to himself as "Bubby," but sometimes Ford. The rest of us have transitioned to calling him "Buddy" most of the time. (I think we're safe in that he'll be able to confidently write "Ford" on his school papers--for a while there I was certain he would always and forever and officially and semi-unfortunately go by "Bubby.")

We haven't potty trained him yet, although I think he'll do fine once we buckle down and do it. He is easily bribed with peanut M&Ms.

He's still quite attached to his pacifier, which means things will be unpleasant for a few days once he turns 3 (that's when we make our kids give up their vices).

He still naps every day -- THANK THE LORD -- for about an hour and a half (I have to wake him up, otherwise he has trouble going to sleep at night).

He wears mostly 4T clothing, but still some 3T.  He wears the same size shoe as Lorelei (and his foot is wider than her's -- kind of like Fred Flinstone's foot).

He never stops talking. A few funny things he says lately...

Ford: "Let ME cuckle up!" (referring to "buckling" the straps on his high chair)

Me: "Okay, okay, cuckle up then!"

Ford: "Not CUCKLE up--BUCKLE UP!"

Me: ***looks heavenward***

He calls muffins "nuffins."

"RUTHIE'S AWAKE!!!" Apparently he was quite impressed by Ruthie's first few weeks of life when she would sleep all the time, because he still exclaims this every time he notices she's awake. Which she is for at least 10 hours a day.

Keep in mind he's two, so he has his fair share of unpleasant, irrational moments (like earlier when he sat at the bottom of the stairs whining "YOU stop, Mommy!" for 10 straight minutes and for no apparent reason--we weren't even interacting as far as I knew), but he is delightful when it's just him, Ruthie, and me. I never thought I'd say, "The house is so quiet and calm with just a 2-year old and 6-month old in the house!" But it's true.

Today Ford, Ruthie, and I went to our first MOPS meeting. (Not the first ever, but the first one in Austin.) He waltzed right into his class wearing his little backpack (full of diapers), and then waltzed out at the end jabbering about his friends and the playground and wearing the puzzle piece necklace they made during craft time. We only had about an hour before we needed to pick up Lorelei from preschool just down the street, so we went to a local burger place and he and I shared a burger, fries, and lemonade. (He also got a cookie, because he's fun to spoil when his older sisters aren't around.) He was a sweet companion, and it feels like we're spending quality time together for the first time ever, in a way. Obviously he got all of my attention the whole first year of his life, but lately life has felt crazy with Ruthie's arrival and the move and summertime. It's nice to finally settle into a routine that allows special time with our third-born.

We love you, Ford/Bubby/Buddy/Mr. Man!