The OTHER Man In My Life

This weekend Blake and I drove up to Kansas to spend a little time with my nephew, who will be 2 years old soon!  It's so wonderful and strange to watch him as he grows.  I imagine my awe will triple when I have my own children, but it is nice that I have this remarkable little man to observe and love on.  Actually, nice doesn't even begin to describe it.  Blow my mind is more like it.

He's such a complete little person already, at 22 months.  He has an active imagination that I only wish I could see more fully.  He understands just about everything you ask him, and even makes little jokes.  We were sitting together watching TV when I felt a tell-tale rumble from his bottom, and I said, "Jack, did you fart on me?"  He actually giggled and said in a sing-song-I-know-I'm-gonna-lie voice "Noooo...."  Maybe my favorite moment all weekend was at the mall when we rode the elevator for the millionth time and Sara finally said "Enough."  Jack insisted on riding one more time and when Sara counted to 3 he merely marched over to the button, pressed it, and turned around crossing his arms as if to say, "So what?"

We cooked imaginary meals together, read the same 3 books a million times, destroyed and put back together puzzles, looked for Tate (the dog-every five minutes Jack looks up and says "Tate?" and won't resume his activity until he has seen the dog with his own eyes), and shared pizza.  We rode swings, watched cartoons, and made up funny games chasing each other.  I became fluent in Jack-speak.  Which is why I was absolutely mortified when I climbed up the stairs Sunday morning and was greeted with Jack walking right past me to the stairs to yell, "Blaaaake!  Blaaaake!"

Actually, it's more like "Blay" which is close to his word for "play" and "bottle" ("bay" which isn't a bottle at all, it's his sippy cup), but still!  I've only been waiting his WHOLE LIFE to hear him say my name, and I get brushed aside for Blake!  I admit, I don't blame him.  Blake is a pretty awesome guy.  I just don't think Blake's heart would break into a million pieces if Jack learned MY name first.  I'm just saying.

The only thing that made me feel better and simultaneously worse was that he cried so hard when we left.  Partly it was because he really wanted to go "Ooooouuuut!!" and for a ride, but when I talked to my brother later he said Jack was pretty upset that we actually left.  I can tell already it's going to be terrible when we leave and he actually has the words to say "Don't go" or "Please can I come with you?"...

For now we'll just work on "Aunt Nikki".  And trust me, that kid will get whatever he asks for.