Meet Buckwheat

 



 

   Born exactly 2 months before his due date, but you would never know it. He is now a brawny large and in-charge 3 year old who is actually pretty big for his age.
 

 

Buckwheat (as previously stated - Buckwheat is not his real name) lived in the NICU for many weeks when he was born, in which I was only allowed to hold him maybe 1 hour a day. Combine that with the fact that I just barely got to nurse him, and ended up with severe post-partum - I'd say he and I had a rocky start. He showed me little affection until he was 3, yet wanted constant attention and stimulation. In fact if he was actually affectionate back to me, that used to be my biggest sign that he was coming down with some sort of illness.

He was the most unhappy baby ever, poor thing! with painful acid reflux, he screamed at the top of his lungs for 3, sometimes 4 hours straight. all I could do was hold him, as the meds did little to help. His big turnaround was mobility. He didn't walk till 13 months, after which I realized that half of his screaming was because he was so large-motor-skilled that he was literally meant to be in the walk/running stage and anything else was like torture for him (vs the baby who happily lays cooing). Now that he's a toddler, he is much happier!

 

At 18 months

  Buckwheat has a reeeally big personality. A fearless, stubborn, natural-born leader. He is loud, extroverted and very out-going. Here he is getting the party started on New Year's Eve - first on the dance-floor.

 

Bustin' a move - 2014

 

He is also hilarious. And a total charmer. My mom likes to call him "a ham on rye".

 

Mister Performer. Two and a half years old.
 

He has the energy of ten toddlers. When the energy is too much, sometimes he will just run in circles.  Yes he is wild, but he is also so much fun. Something about all that life in him really inspires me.

The child does not stop. Ever. Except to sleep.

 

Nothin' like getting your nap on mid-chew.

In a nutshell, he reminds me of what Huckleberry Finn would have been like at three. Although my sister actually likened him to "Denis the Menace".

Despite his abrasiveness and rough ways. Buckwheat has an uncanny way of catching me off-guard with sudden sweetness and focused caring. If he thinks I am sick or sad he will get in my face and be dripping with tender empathy saying "You sick? Awwww, it's okay mommy! You not feel good - an' I wanna protect you!"

 

 

A few months ago, we went to New Mexico just the two of us to visit my mom for 1 week. It was glorious! We actually bonded like never before, and our relationship has been closer ever since.