Joshua has taken to calling his daddy, "MY PAPI!" (just like Dora) It is totally hilarious, and it might drive Chad bonkers expect that when Joshua calls him "my papi" his eyes absolutely dance with love, joy, and admiration. So instead of being annoying, it is the sweetest thing ever.
A couple nights ago Joshua insisted I take some pictures of him and HIS PAPI!
It is so very fun to watch him falling head-over-heels for his papi! It has been a long slow road. Joshua was polite, yet distant for a long time. While he never totally rejected daddy, his daddy would also be the last one he would greet or choose to sit near. Being left with daddy was NOT fun! Daddy could NOT put him to bed. Even as he really began to enjoy and trust his daddy, Joshua would still seem more excited to see Grandpa and several other special guys than his daddy. That was hard. It is hard to be ignored, hard to watch the little guy - the son - you adore interact with other guys in more "special" way than you. It is hard to go to lift your son from his carseat and have him push you away, insisting mommy help him. It is hard to keep loving, to keep offering, to continue trying. But "Chad" means warrior, and daddy chose to persevere, to be patient, loving, kind, and silly for as long as it took.
NOW Joshua runs to be the first to the door to greet his papi after work. He asks to call daddy and see when he will be home to eatie supper. He chooses to climb up on his papi's lap to snuggle. He asks to sit between mommy and papi so he can be by both of us. When he sees his daddy from afar he points and yells, "There MY PAPI!"It is a thing of beauty to be Joshua's papi!
Other BIG and EXCITING news in our household is that Brenna has lost both front teeth. I think toothless kids are so cute! So, perhaps, in Brenna's case the song should go "all I want for Easter is my two front teeth?"
