While I’m sitting here with a sick baby on my lap, I’m reflecting on the little things. Cale is so sad right now, he’s whimpering, but his face lights up with a smile when I can get him to make eye contact with me. Such a lovey child! My over-shirt is pretty damp, between his snot and his sucking on my buttons. I remember when his big brother went through a button-sucking phase around this age. But there are also the little things that I forgot so quickly. I forgot that while the baby is in “the bucket” (the infant car seat that can be removed from its base), I have callouses at the base of my fingers from hauling around all that weight. When I need to balance the bucket, maybe to scoop up big brother, I rest it on the back on my legs where I now have big bruises. The callouses, bruises, and memories thereof fade quickly once the bucket stage is over around 9 months of age. I remember 9 months was a big transition. The bucket retired, but it was also (thankfully!) the end of needing a whole new wardrobe every 3 months. Oh, and toys are now de rigueur instead of what’s this? With all the personality, it’s a pretty fun phase!