This is Santiago's permanent expression. He is the happiest baby I have ever seen, he wakes up smiling and giggling and he nurses smiling, he kind of pauses every once in a while to smile at me, and of course he adores his big brother and is always smiling when Alex is around...except when Alex is smacking him on the head or poking his eyes or screaming in his ear...which happens pretty regularly.
Ah, and that leads me to good ole big brother Alex, how to describe this mixture of extreme behaviors? One minute he is saying in a very sing-songy voice:"HI SANTI, How are YOuuuuuuuuuuu?", and the next minute "SMACK", Santi has a red forehead and is screaming...or Alex silently bites his hand and Santi has a red hand with teeth marks and is screaming. Alex has a bit of a love-hate relationship for Santi and Santi is the most forgiving little person I know. I don't even think he remembers how much Alex beats up on him because he is all smiles all the time. I know Alex doesn't do things maliciously, but more out of curiosity or overzealousness...which is a trait most toddlers own.
I've heard from other friends with toddlers that roughhousing with little brother or sister is pretty normal...so I'm not too worried.
And Alex is really a sweet kid. I think being a toddler must be like going through puberty or some sort of life change, its rough! I mean, I put the sandwich together wrong and he has a total meltdown. But then he plays so sweetly and I read him a story and he listens so attentively. Or he chases a butterfly outside and seems so very happy. But then I put his pooh sticker on the wrong place on his shirt...and we go back to the meltdown. These days are days of ups and downs and I just have to remember to be kind to him and not speak in frustration because there are so many moments when I am SO frustrated with him. I think this only makes sense to people who have had a toddler. But at the end of the day, when I kiss the baby good night and he says...AH lahv you too mommy...it makes every frustration disappear and I go to sleep in love with my Alex.