Especially perfect

Isaac has been perfect at every age, but he's especially perfect now. Craig said this the other night, and I couldn't agree more. Two and a half seems to be the perfect age.

I had been saying how wonderful Isaac has been lately, how loving and curious and open and funny and eager to learn. I had also been saying how sad I was, because Isaac is bound to change soon, and then he'll be in some other stage I won't find quite as appealing. Then Craig pointed out that I'd been saying this ever since Isaac was a tiny baby! As he grows, I always expect I'm going to miss the stage he has just left, that I'll end up mourning some perfect past moment, and you know what? It hasn't happened yet. But it's bound to happen eventually -- isn't Isaac going to start going downhill soon? He can't keep getting more and more perfect, can he?

Here's an example of a stage I know I will miss. Isaac has been very affectionate his entire life, but his verbal expressions of love have become more frequent. The other night I was getting ready to put him to bed, and he decided to turn the tables. He had me lie down in his bed, and then he proceeded to tuck me in. He put his arms around me, rested his head next to mine on the pillow, and crooned, "Time for bed, my Mommity-mom." When I protested that I didn't want to go to bed, he said, "You have to go to bed. You can play more tomorrow." Then he tried to rock me a little bit, again saying soothingly, "Time for bed, my little Mommity-mom. Even when you make a mistake, I still love you."

He's not going to be doing that when he's 13, I know. I may not even hear him say "I love you" for ten years. I'm sure I'll miss hearing it, but even more I'll miss him thinking that I am so completely awesome! Right now we're a mutual adoration society. I guess that won't change for a few more years, right?

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I feel didactic and obvious whenever I tell Isaac that we still love him even when he makes a mistake or does something wrong, but apparently it has made a positive impression on him. He's got some perfectionist tendencies, and he gets worried about making mistakes, so I know it's important for him to hear. This is also why I don't want to discipline him with techniques that could appear to be removal of my affection, like solitary time-outs or angry words.

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Isaac became especially perfect when he was around 14 months old. Oh, sure, he was wonderful and perfect and adorable before then, but that was then my enjoyment of him reached a new height, and it has only grown since then. (This was also when he learned to walk and his naps consolidated into a single long afternoon nap -- perhaps not coincidental to my happiness.)