Monkey Spotlight: My Ethan Taterbug

This is my monkey Ethan Taterbug, Hootie, Dr. Destructo, the Tank, Ethanator. I wanted to share some some things about my baby monkey.

The Basics
He is a twin, born last in line by only a minute. This little "Big" guy came into this world a whopping 6 pounds, and some change. He was incorrectly measured at 19 inches but I believe he was only about 1/2 inch shorter than his "older" sister. He is a "man" amidst a harem of women. If and when the boy gets to speak, his sisters do most of the talking, it is usually very important boy business. He was sooo very blond when he was born it took almost two years before we saw eyebrows.

The Special
His personality is very sweet and gentle. He is my lovie, every day I get the biggest of hugs and an unsolicited "I love you mommy". He melts my heart and God help the girl that tries to marry my baby boy. When he hugs you, his little fingers give an ever so gently pat on your back. His spirit is genuine, he loves and protects his sisters. This is not to say he won't give them a what for when they push his buttons, that is what brothers do I guess, he is not afraid cuddle on the couch with his girls and watch movies. He also is a willing participant to play Prince Charming in many adventures to save the damsels in distress. I think he is well on his way to being a good man.

When he was a infant, because as you all know he is still my baby, he would softly hoot when feeding. This is how he got one of the many nicknames Hootie. He has not hooted in awhile, well since he stopped drinking from the "nottle" (a mixture of homegrown milk source and the manufactured style).

The boy does not like change in his environment. Now, he succumbs to the event, but on his own terms. I recently made some decorating changes to his room, since the boy light turned on I thought I would make his room a little more masculine. The Husband and I got decorations for the walls, trains, you know, boy-ed it up. So when he came home from a weekend at Gma's house, got excited and oohed and ahhed, then just at the last few moments before going to sleep he said to me, "Mom, take the stickers out of my room" I say "Son, they stay on the walls", he said "no, I don't want them in here" I said, "Son, the glue is permanent". Still if any of us leave items in his room which do not belong there, shoes, towels, whatever, you will find a little pile of stuff outside of his bedroom door.

He is very ticklish! It doesn't matter which part you go for, neck, tummy, toes, the result is the same. Total pee in the pants laughter. His little face turns red and he sounds like a wind up toy. I only have faint memories of laughing that hard, courtesy of Doc, Heather, Bambi, and Godzilla. After he begs you to stop, he promptly asks "Tickle me again!"

Dreamy blue eyes. The boy has hound dog, round dreamy blue eyes. They twinkle, and if I ever get to be a great photographer I might be able to produce a picture to prove it.

All boy, all the time! The light came on, so fast in fact he went to sleep and the next morning I was being invaded by boom sticks. How do they know this stuff? He is hard pressed to even take a nap, uncorked amount of energy could light an entire city.

He is a man of few words but when he speaks he has something to say. He recently has been developing a collection of stories he tells me in the car about when he was a baby, and how he had to go down the tracks. It is very similar to Abbiedo's one time at band camp. The story usually starts, "Mommy. MOOOMMMY! This one time when I was a baby I had to walk a very long way across these tracks."

He L.O.V.E.S. trains. Can not get enough of them. On a weekly basis he would like to take a ride on a locomotive. If only I lived closer to a train museum, I think we would be there every weekend. He will sit in his room for hours playing with his toy trains, loading the cargo cars, standing over the tracks so the train will go through his legs. Like I said, all boy, all the time.

I love this boy. My children are very special to me, but a mom and her boy, that is special too. I will dearly miss those days when the hugs and kisses are not as plentiful or freely given. So for now, I will take what I can get.