Kid 2, year 2
As we begin this second year of Milo’s life, I keep thinking about what a different kind of first year Milo had, as opposed to Holden’s first year. It’s funny how I often think that in the long run (we mathematicians like to say “as their age approaches infinity”) they’re really quite close in age. But right now, Holden is the amazing rambunctious 2 1/2 year old who is so articulate and so specific about what he wants, and Milo is the baby who just crawls around trying to get our attention.
Heather and I are both the oldest in our immediate nuclear families, so we don’t really know what it’s going to be like for him to be the youngest.
And so Milo begins his life playing second fiddle to this kid thousands of times his age who can do a hundred times more. At least now, at 1, he’s approaching half Holden’s age, and as that gap closes, so will Holden’s ability to monopolize the conversation! 
But it does mean he gets to ride along for all of the different activities that Holden gets to participate in.
Highlights so far:
- Steam trains at 2 weeks
- The Zoo at 2 months
- Carseat facing forward 3 weeks before his birthday
- Music Together at 2 or 3 weeks
- Science Museum at 11 months
So in a lot of ways, his position as youngest in the family has some perks!
And I think Milo is starting to come into his own, too. He’s stubborn - much happier feeding himself than having us try to feed him. And he’s intensely curious. Combine those together and you get a kid who is determined to explore every inch of every room, undeterred by people picking him up and telling him not to climb into the dishwasher.
Maybe he’s just instinctually developing his skills in dealing with his increasingly bossy older brother: “Milo do NOT climb in the dishwasher. Do NOT! I said do NOT!”
