Having a toddler is um… challenging? I thought it might be fun to come up with a list of my favorite memories and things about Gus since he came home. This list is in no particular order.

1. Gus’s favorite Christmas song is Jingle Bell Rock. He can’t hear it without dancing, or at the very least, waving his hands around.

2. He used to fall asleep anywhere.

(This was one of his first full days home.)

3. When I tell him that I love him in Russian, he usually responds “Da!” (That means “yes!”)

4. Gus calls Lena something like “Vy-ya.” One of the only other words he uses often is one of our dogs’ names “Nina!”

5. He loves to say “quack quack” and sometimes uses it like our own version of Marco Polo, to check in with me without finding me or turning to see me.

6. He also loves to say “mooo” and if you tell him that, he might show you the cows on his shoes.

7. The thumb-sucking. Oh so cute.

8. Gus often kisses me or rests his head on my shoulder when I pick him up.

9. The incredibly soft baby skin. Those kissable cheeks.

10. Waking up to this. Not yelling or wiggling away, but those very rare mornings when he just wants to lay in bed and cuddle.

11. The pants… did I ever share this? He used to like to pick up a pair of pants and carry it around with him.

12. What a baby he seemed to be when he first came home. I’m sure this picture was taken while saying “Reed, you need to put him down.” Reed would not attempt this now, because he’s aware he’ll get screamed at (by G!).

13. Sitting in baskets. I haven’t seen him do this in awhile, but he used to do it with everything. He’d take baskets of toys, even tiny ones, dump them out and climb inside.

14. Carrying a car everywhere with him. He has mostly stopped doing this and I miss it.

15. Tired evenings when all he wants to do is rest his head on me.

16. His love of things that make scratchy sounds.

17. And, of course, his obsession with that airplane.

18. Playing cars in the bathtub.

19. Sometimes he goes down the slide unexpectedly.

20. His first cupcake experience.

21. He loves his rocking horse, still.

22. His use of the doggie door. Okay, there are times when I really hate it, but it mostly is funny.