Hyrum's Greatest Hits

Hyrum and Max are my dear friend Sarah's boys. Sarah and I have been friends since high school, of the close variety, such that I am Auntie Hannah and given to call the boys my nephews. Do technicalities matter? They do not.

Max is two months old today. His entire purpose in life right now is to be adorable. Unfortunately, he can't do that verbally yet. But Hyrum can! Oh, Hyrum can. Here are some of my favorite things about Hyrum (in no particular order, because how could I put them in order?).

1. He makes the sound of a whipped cream spray-can and says, "I need to eat some whipteam."

2. He points to "Al-a-BAMA," "Teckas," and West Virginia (I haven't heard him say our state's name yet) on the map.

3. He says, "Roll Tide!" when I prompt him. I'm hoping he'll start doing it anytime someone mentions Alabama, but he looked skeptical when I told him that was the thing to do.

5. He plays with Sarah's hair and says things like, "Flying a kite! Flying a kite in Mommy's hair!" and "Yightbub in Mommy's hair!"

6. He lets me read to him. A little.

7. He rubs balloons on his head. I taught him that, because aunties are in charge of teaching silly things.

8. He says, "Jeeeesus!" with glee anytime he sees a picture of Him.

9. He "needs" "somdat! [some of that]." A lot. Most frequently: "I need somdat iceteam!" "I need somdat cake!" "I need somdat whipteam!"

10. He LOVES books.

11. Birthday parties and deserts are pretty much his priorities. Yesterday, I was showing him pictures on my phone (looking at mobile pictures is one of his great hobbies) of another friend's daughter at her first birthday party. When I put my phone away, he said, "I want to see the cake."

12. He puts on one boot (I believe it belongs to Aunt Hannah--Sarah's sister) and stomps with vigor around the house.

13. He wears a Spiderman hat and asks to play baseball.

14. He shoots baskets with pretty much any round object he can find.

15. Yesterday, Sarah was teaching him states on his big map. When she pointed to and said, "Mississippi," he said, "I need to sing about the cup." She asked him what cup, and he said, "Mississippi." He thinks Mississippi is a sippy cup!

16. Sarah told me that when I left yesterday, he said, "I want to pat her! She go out! Auntie Hannah in...AlaBAMA!" Is there anything cooler than the first time a kid calls you by name? There isn't.

17. He hands out diapers "for Baby Max."

18. I don't know if he does this any more, but he used to make the sound of a clock by clicking his tongue. Evidently, a clucked "tick-tock!" was one of his first words.

19. He knows his Auntie Kaitlin and I are connected (Sarah, Kaitlin, and I are a close-trio. We call ourselves SaKaHa). When he saw me, he immediately said, "'Poons!" Evidently Kaitlin brought some the last time she visited.

20. He likes to pick his own clothes. Evidently the Elmo shirt I bought is very popular.