the other one

i know you don't hear much about him- and no, i'm not talking about the dog (yes we have a dog and yes she makes us crazy). i'm talking about oz. its come to my attention that i really don't talk much about him. so much of my time and energy and consequently writing is devoted to our firstborn- when the reality is we have on our hands a beautiful and complicated little boy.
oliver cain was born about 19 months after his sister lily pearl. although i was pretty sure i was going to die giving birth to him, he came out unusually mellow. this behaviour continued most of his first year of life. perhaps he was forced to- with a big sister demanding most of our energy, oz resigned to just existing. oz took a paci, which i think largely contributed to way less crying than his sister, and he started sleeping through the night on his own at 6 months old. once he started crawling i surely thought some of that "boy" energy would start to rear its head- but to no avail. he was still super mellow, and generally very sweet. by the time his first birthday rolled around, i was convinced he'd be walking in no time.. 3 months later- at a whopping 16 months he finally took the plunge. it was around 14 months that i really started feeling the effects of having my kids so close together. oz was super obsessed with me- screaming every time i left the room- constantly clinging to me. i seriously thought i was going crazy. it took awhile, but his overall disposition did improve when he finally started walking. it was around this time that i started to notice the paci wasn't working any more. by 17 months- he was paci free! so here i was with a walking, pacifier less toddler, who was gradually becoming a little man.


a few things about oz. he's really cute- that's not a back brag- its your basic brag. he's one good looking kid. however, like lily, he doesn't exactly have the personality to match. i would even venture to say he's worse. when anyone says hi to him, he snarls hard at them. in fact the only people exempt are myself, brandon and my mom. he even does it to b's parents. if anyone would dare to touch or hold him, he'll snarl and possible bang his head on the nearest wall. it's rather unnerving, and often really embarrassing trying to explain it.. "sorry, its not you, its him- well its you affecting him- but whatever right- he does it to everyone, i promise its not your face."
like most parents though, we do get the side of oz that we wish all of you could experience- like smiles, funny talk, laughing, wrestling, growling- you know all the normal things kids do. oz calls all cars trucks, and whenever he sees a eurovan, he says "mama truck." he says a lot of words. like lily he was, and is very vocal. he'll pretty much repeat any word lily or i say if we ask, and it always gets us all a lot of laughs. he likes trucks and balls, but he's not obsessed with either- he loves a good wiggles, and eats next to nothing. no joke, oz eats trader joes mac and cheese every night. for lunch its tj's cottage cheese, and he'll sample the odd cheerio every so often. he won't even taste a bite of a cookie, and hasn't had meat in over 6 months.

but oz's favorite thing ever (besides me) is "back on." back on is what he calls ceiling fans. i really wish i could convey this obsession. he is totally crazy for ceiling fans, and the switches that control them. at his worst tantrum if we pick him up and take him over to the light switches, all is ok. he will lurch out of his stroller or bolt if we are walking downtown and he sees one. worse yet, if we are somewhere and the fan is not on, he will unceasingly say "back on, back on, back on" until the fan is in fact on.
i was telling b i can't remember lil at this age- but perhaps its cause we had a 3 month old- but whatever the case, i'm enjoying him more and more.
with his platinum hair and deep brown eyes, he's got my number. so cheers to you oz... you truly have my heart.