Malachi's Journal part 2

Boxes still in Hawaii.
Journal still in Hawaii.
Must right about my son before these memories get lost into the vast abyss that is my mind.

(Warning: It's long, I have a whole month to catch up on.)

Malachi is now 2.  He is a 2 year old.  The night before his birthday I slept in his bed with him, just lay there, held him, and cried.  Cried because I was so sad that my little baby boy, my first born child, was no longer.  Baby Malachi doesn't exist any more.  He's gone and I can't ever have him back.  It's a sad thing to think about.  But also cried thinking about how amazing this little kid is.  How unbelievably happy he makes me.  I understand the meaning of the word JOY because of him.  I love him to death.

We had his birthday party a few days before his birthday.  His little friend Ida from nursery came with her family. Mummy made a train cake, which Malachi loved and didn't want to eat (other then picking the lollies off the top).  He finally understands what presents are and had a blast ripping through them.  He got a bunch of clothes, a giant fire truck (by far his favourite), some Mr Potato Heads ("tayto man"), a magnadoodle (that is saving so many trees from the rain forest, because this kids loves to draw and wastes so much paper!), a bunch of cars and trucks and a car play mat for them to drive on.  He was so excited about his birthday party.  I had been showing him our family albums from when I was little and being that there are 8 in our family, every couple of pages were pictures of someones birthday party.  So he figured out quite quickly that birthday party meant cake, balloons and presents.  For days before he was talking about it, when we went to the supermarket to get the food for his party his told everyone who would listen, "dat for ma'akai's birfday party!".  It was a great day.

He is still religiously obsessed with cars.  They go everywhere with him, especially since he's discovered that they can go in his pockets.  He is very organised about them, lining them up, driving them along together, having races, its amazing how he plays with them. He loves playing kicks and throws with Grandma and Grandad.  This kid has some SERIOUS ball skills.  He's 2 and he can already drop kick, dribble a ball, catch 90% of the time.  He's super co-ordinated.  Grandad loves to show him off to anyone that comes over.  His vocab is booming, he's speaking in 5-6 word sentences most of the time.  He now knows all his colors and readily points them out.  He can count to 10 in English and Tongan.  He's started singing too, all the songs that I've been singing too him for the longest time, and I thought he wasn't listening.  He can sing his ABC's (my fav is W = "duba lulu"), twinkle little star, I love to see the temple, I am a child of God, the Barney I love you song, I love mother, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, all the action songs, it's amazing.  And so cute too.

Sleep has become a battle again.  He's an amazing napper still, goes down without a hitch, falls asleep in seconds, sleeps a good 2 hours.  But going to bed at night, going to sleep, and staying asleep has just gone downhill fast.  Nothing seems to work.

That being said, it doesn't affect him being so happy during the day.  He loves giving out compliments, telling people "Good job" all the time.  And he's always asking people "you happy?".  It's so funny.  And if someone looks sad he tells them "No crying" and wipes their face to get the tears away.  He's so cute.

He's become obsessed with Mummy's a Babies.  If there's a big something and a little something, he tells them "go baby, go your mumma....see....mumma....oh cute!"  He does it with cars, animals, shoes, cups, anything.  He's ready to be a big brother.

He loves to swim and has started floating with a noodle.  He "swims" (jumps in, kicks his legs and flaps his arms, but with his head above the water) like a dolphin he tells me.  He gets to swim in Grandad's pool every day.  It's been nice for him to still have access to the water.  He loves the bubbles in the spa, and always asks for the jets to massage his back.  After being in for an hour he still cries when we make him get out.  He's a Hawaiian water baby for sure!

Malachi is such a big hit at church.  Everyone, and i means EVERYONE loves him.  He has favourites, such as Bishop (who gave Malachi a special shout out at ward conference last week, saying Malachi was his favourite little friend), Mafi, Ben (2 8 year olds that have quickly become Malachi's slaves at church), Nui (who bribes him with handfuls of lollies).  There are a bunch of old ladies at church who have started bringing snacks in their handbags, for malachi, so that he'll come and sit with them.  He loves church, and his nursery leader is amazing.  He does really well in sacrament meeting.  He sits with us quietly until after the sacrament, and then he gets to have books and toys.  But we haven't had to take him out since we got here.  It's been nice.

It's going to be interesting to see how his personality changes to adapt to being a big brother.  I imagine he's going to be a great helper, and that my biggest problem will be keeping him away from the baby to stop him from smothering him with kisses and hugs.  I hope that he'll still understand that we love him to death, because we do!!