Eidan the Destroyer

Probably the only thing harder than herding cats is trying to change a cat’s diaper. Unless he’s asleep, Eidan simply does not sit still, and that means I often can’t change his diaper without getting into a test of will, strength, and agility (since I only win consistently on strength, the outcome is not always certain). Eidan is much more boisterous and expressive than Kai was as a baby, so Maria and I are getting a whole new experience in parenting. One if his favorite games is for you to get on your hands and knees and square off against him in several rounds of head-butting. He will wiggle and clap to any tune he hears, and he’s generous with hugs and kisses. But if you’re not giving him the attention he thinks he deserves, he won’t hesitate to crawl over and slap you in the face. He’s at an age that is quite challenging for parenting, in that he’s very active and adventurous, doesn’t fully understand the risks around him (stairs, electrical outlets, etc), and his ability to understand us and take direction is very limited. Kai has nicknamed him infanto destructo, as he will pull down, tear up, chew up, and throw around anything he can get his hands on. Books and toys are the things he most commonly leaves scattered behind him in his path of destruction. He was measured at 92nd percentile for height at his most recent checkup, which means even though he’s only 10 months old, he can reach up onto most tables now. So trying to keep things out of his reach is like trying to move things out of the way of a flood. Even though he’s a little guy moving on all fours, he is very, very fast. As the saying goes, you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.

Back in May, Maria took the boys the Denver, and then made a short trip from there to San Francisco with Kai (I stayed home and worked on our 3rd floor bathroom). Here’s a random assortment of photos from their trip, from home, and Kai’s graduation from pre-school.