Emotional Child

I just love this picture of Isaac. It's kind of pathetic really, but I love the pout. Aidan had a similar one, but I never did catch his on camera. This is about the extent of Isaac's emotions right now. Pout, cry, content, sleeping...and the cycle continues. :) Still awaiting the smiles.
Aidan on the other hand is making me contemplate so many things, particularly in my parenting style and my past. He is becoming increasingly independent (note the eating cereal with milk and even drinking the milk too...) which is wonderful, but that also means he doesn't need me quite as much. He's not interested in playing with me anymore. I think it's because I'm not much of a "player" anyways. I've always been better at the daily "stuff" and Chris has always been an excellent playmate for Aidan. He growls, plays hide and seek/tag mixture that Aidan so loves, and is so creative (go figure!).

But I think what makes me think the most at night is Aidan's emotional health...his "feelings". Now that I'm watching him understand more about the world around him and his relationships/interactions with others I am becoming increasingly concerned that he's not getting hurt. I still worry about his physical well-being, but overall he's doing well in that arena, but this emotional stuff is all new to me in the game of parenting.

I watch him interact with other kids at the park. Some are older and are actually teasing him (running away and hiding in a way that only kids can do), although I don't think that Aidan has caught on yet. But I worry about the day that he does realize the way others can hurt him, and I hope I've given him the tools to be able to handle these instances.
I'm not much of a writer and these posts always sound better in my head at 2 AM then they actually appear to me on here, but this is what I've been thinking about right now. I just hope that my silly little sweet boy can stay that way for a long time and enjoy the friendship and relationships he has for years to come. Someday wearing your underwear on the outside of your shorts might be just the slightest bit embarrassing! :)