Things that we love about Tanner

So, Tanner is the most amazing big brother. Last summer when we had some kids over from the ward (in Ogden), Tanner did NOT like them playing with his toys, getting on his bed, etc, and he hauled off and hit one or two of the kids! I was mortified!! And extremely nervous of what would become of Tanner's younger sibling when he/she was born. As some of you may or may not know, I (a first born), did not do too well when my younger brother, Will, was born. I told my mom that we should "kill Willie," I pushed him down the stairs in his walker, and I went after him with scissors on one occasion, and covered him with dish soap on another occassion! Amazingly enough, he is still alive! Anyway, back to Tanner. I had visions of a mini-me when I envisioned Tanner and the new baby. Thanksfully though, I was very wrong.....



Tanner totally adores "Mes-uhn" (Tanner-ese for "Preston") and is a huge help. We are always asking him to take Preston's (and his own) soiled diapers to the diaper champ (a fancy diaper pail), and Tanner has really taken this job seriously. If we ask him to 'put Preston's diaper away,' he will always jump up and do it--regardless of what he is doing. Tonight he noticed a diaper we had forgotten to throw away in our bedroom, and Tanner grabbed it and took it to the diaper pail--without being asked!

If Preston is crying, Tanner will come tell me, "Mommy, Preston sad!" Tanner is very diligent about getting me Preston's binky--all the time. Sometimes this is great, othertimes he will bring me the binky when Preston is (breast) feeding. Tanner has caught onto the fact that Preston + bottle= Preston is eating. But the sight of Preston breastfeeding befuddles Tanner, and he tries to shove the binky in his mouth at the same time. :-) Fortunately, he is starting to do this a little less often.

Anyway, I have had lots of people ask how Tanner is handling the transition with Preston, and I thought it was a blog-worthy post topic. There have been occasions when Tanner sees Preston being held, and he wants to sit on my lap too. Last night I changed Preston's diaper, and after I finished, Tanner got a diaper his size and came running up saying, "Mommy, I poop!" He hadn't really, but it was funny!

After we say prayer at night, we do hugs and kisses and tell Tanner we love him, and he does the same to us. But in these past few nights he makes sure he gives Preston a hug, and last night he said, "love you Mes-uhn," without any prompts or anything! Nathan and I just kind of stood there in awe. Our two year old who can throw a fit and scream like a banchee at the drop of a hat likes his baby brother enough to tell him he loves him! Miracles have not ceased, let me tell you.

And finally, the issue of "bless you." A little-known-fact about Nathan is that he doesn't sneeze just once at a time. No, it is usually more like 7-8 times. And his sneezes are LOUD, especially if we're in the car. Thus, when he sneezes, I feel like he should say "Bless you" to ME (and my sense of hearing), so I rarely say it. What a rude sucker I am, I know. Well, Nathan decided he wants his son to have better manners that me, the rude and tasteless wife, so he decided to teach Tanner to say "bless you." Now, when Nathan sneezes, Tanner usually yells, "BESS YOU DADDY....BESS YOU!!" He yells this basically for each sneeze, so he says it sometimes 5-6 times. It is so funny. However, his most recent (Tanner's, not Nathan's), is that HE wants to be told "bless you," whenever he sneezes. Or hiccups. Or coughs. Etc. Etc. And if you don't say it, he will remind you. "Bess you, Tanner" he will say. He currently has a cough, so we hear this constantly.

Anyway, last night Nathan got home around 10pm from his trip for the week. He had been gone since Wednesday at FIVE IN THE MORNING. That is four days of single parenting from sun up to sun down. I am such a boob--it wore me out! We get to do the same trip again this week, and I am so not ready for it. I DO love being up here in Pasco though, in MY OWN HOUSE, with Nathan's wonderful, incredible parents who help us/me out SO much, and with a ward that we already feel like we have several friends in! With all this rainy weather lately, I have been trying to think of simple, fun crafts or activites to do with Tanner, so if you have stumbled accross any great ideas, pass them along!