Six - Eight Months

Dear Wesley,

I have been a very bad record-keeping mommy the past few months. It's been a stressful but now relieving time. The day you turned six months, I was forced to resign from my job effective in June (in short, the church isn't always very church-like and some old dinosaur pastors don't like having babies around, even when an agreement is in writing...). The day you turned seven months, I learned it was my last day of work because said pastor was "uncomfortable" with you being around still because your mommy refused to let the church go back on its agreement by putting you in daycare. While this has been a very frustrating time professionally, the past month getting to stay home with you and your brother, away from the stress of that hostile environment, has been amazing! You always come first, so I have no regrets and am excited to spend the next year or two as a stay-at-home-mommy! So I'm sorry that I have not written about all the amazing things you're doing these past couple of months. I will try to be better!

You seem to have grown in leaps and bounds these past weeks. You are over 14 lbs now, still tiny, but definitely growing steadily! You are pulling up on everything, but you still haven't quite figured out the agility required to crawl. Maybe you'll skip it altogether and go straight to walking (you know, in several months)! We started solids doing baby-led weaning a few days after you turned six months, and in the past week or two, you have really come into your own with it! You eat a scrambled egg yolk every day and your other favorite is roasted sweet potato sticks. You eat 1.5 over 6" sticks! Last night you even had rotini with homemade pesto and ate 5 whole noodles (out of the 12 I gave you, but still!). This is even more impressive since you still only have the two bottom teeth! It's been a lot of fun and definitely a new adventure compared to solids with your brother.

You are the happiest baby ever. Everyone says so since you're always smiling and giggling and getting teased. You love strangers, so long as you can snuggle into Mommy's chest if need be, and you are just such a people person! You jibber-jabber away, blowing raspberries and clucking your tongue in excitement. You definitely play favorites with your family, though, and, as long as you aren't hungry, your favorite person is definitely your big brother! You love to watch whatever he's doing and grin from ear to ear at the hilarity. You save your best giggles for him, too!

All in all, life with you is amazing! You're still not sleeping great, but since your crib is sidecar-ed to Mommy & Daddy's bed, we're still getting a decent amount of sleep. And you'll figure that whole thing out when you're ready. At least you usually take two 1.5-2+ hour naps a day, so I really can't complain!

I don't know whether you will be our last baby or not, but we're definitely in the sweet spot of infancy so I'm cherishing this time as much as possible! I can't wait to see what the next month has in store, little bit!

Love,
Mommy

Five Months

Dear Wesley,

It's been another whirlwind month! Your first Christmas. Your first really long road trip. Your first vomit (on Mommy at 2:30 AM New Year's Day...). And this morning, your first time hearing Mommy preach! You are growing by leaps and bounds and have quite the personality. You can now sit all by yourself (for a few minutes at least). You are SO curious and try to grab everything that catches your eye. You're teething hardcore, but not too upset about it. And you still charm everyone with your default ear-to-ear grin.

With the exception of the week you were REALLY sick, you've been gaining at a wonderful rate! We're still just supplementing 6-7 oz/day via SNS, and it's making all the difference. I'm so grateful for the network of mom friends who care enough about you to share their milk! We go back to the doctor on Tuesday, so hopefully all will still check out well!

This next month will hopefully be calmer. Hard to believe it'll be the last month of your first half-year! It'll also be the last month of my extra flexible office schedule, so I hope we're able to enjoy these bonus days at home. I can't wait to see what you discover next!

Love,
Mommy

Four Months

Dear Wesley,

Well what a month it's been! First of all, look how much you've filled out! Our four month appointment isn't until tomorrow, but the extra 5-7 oz. of milk a day has made all the difference! You're gaining 7 oz./week, and, while you're still little, you were also born that way, so I'm quite happy with your progress!

You seem quite pleased with yourself, too. In this past month, you've continued to be more and more interactive. Everyone comments on how alert and strong you are. Your giggles still make my heart leap with joy, and your smiles can calm the most anxious spirit, especially handy when your mommy is a pastor during Advent... And speaking of Mommy's job, this month I also got to give you the most important bath of your life as you were incorporated into Christ's body, the church. What a joy and what a privilege!

Going back to work has been an adjustment, and at times I feel like I'm treading water in every area of my life. But then I look realistically and see that you're thriving and well-loved, Ethan is happy and just showing how well he plays independently (your big brother has quite the imagination!), and if it's been a couple of weeks since our carpets were vacuumed, it's not going to kill us. This too will pass, and in the meantime, I'm savoring the baby snuggles as the cobwebs grow.

Last night you slept a 9 hour stretch, much to Mommy's joy and accompanying discomfort! You're starting to drop your last nap of the evening, and it certainly makes the nighttime routine easier as a result. And yet, each of these little signs of your growing up are met with a slight pang as I realize that these days are just flying by. Maybe things will slow down enough in the next month that I can really enjoy them. However, since the next month will see your first trip to Atlanta and your first time meeting some of your extended family, I sort of doubt it =)

Love,
Mommy

Three Months

Note: As a sign of being a second child, this blog post was penned on Wesley's three-month-day, but I was waiting to post it until I got on my computer to attach the picture. And a month later... Oops!

Dear Wesley,

Today is both a day of celebration and a day of sadness for your mommy. First the celebration: We made it to 3 months on nothing but my milk! That's three times as long as we made it with your big brother. The sadness is that you still are itty-bitty, and the doctor wants you to be slightly less itty-bitty, so as of today, you are going to get some supplements. On the bright side, Mommy has a wonderful friend who is sharing some of her milk with us, and we'll be using a SNS instead of a bottle, so not too much will change from your side of things except that you'll get a bit more bang for your suck!

Now that the issue that's most pressing on Mommy's mind at the moment is out of the way, let's focus on how amazing you are, tiny though you may be! This past month, you became your own little person in many ways. You can roll over, you grin constantly, and your personality is starting to shine through. You are such a happy baby, and you are so very loved, especially by your big brother. You're sleeping longer and longer stretches (up to 6-7 hours at times!), and you still take most of your naps in Mommy's arms, right where you belong.

Mommy started back work this week, but it remains to be seen how much that will affect our lives. Hopefully you'll remain happily oblivious as you'll still be by Mommy's side the whole time. It will certainly be an adventure, but it's one we'll go on together!

I hope that this little extra bit of milk will make all the difference, my precious boy, and my worries and anxieties over you can ease up a little bit. Just in time for you to start making me worry in other ways, I'm sure! But I wouldn't have it any other way!

Love,
Mommy

Two Months

Dear Wesley,

How in the world are you already two months old?!?!? You are becoming more and more alert and interactive, grinning from ear to ear during diaper changes, when Mommy plays with your feet, when Daddy makes funny noises, etc. You'd still rather be nursing than about anything else, but you're content to hang out in your bouncer or on your activity mat while Mommy cooks, sews, and cleans. This makes for a happier time for everyone, and you still get to be with Mommy 23/7 on average!

You are still our little bitty guy. You've grown another inch but are still gaining slowly. You're definitely gaining and your diapers are still textbook so hopefully the doctor will help us figure it out on Monday, whether this is just how you grow or if we need to dig a little deeper. I wish you wouldn't make us worry so much, but I guess it's practice for the teenage years again.

The next month will see our biggest transition yet as I prepare to go back to work days before you turn three months. Don't worry, though! Mommy will still be with you all the time. We'll just spend more time in the car and get to know Mommy's coworkers a few days a week!

So for now I'm just savoring these last few days where you and your big brother are my only job. I hope you enjoy them, too!

Love,
Mommy

Three Years Old!

Dear Ethan,

It's been quite a year! You have changed so much, and it's such a joy and a privilege to watch you grow. You are hilarious, sweet, and oh so smart! You carry on adult conversations (complete with the occasional grown-up word...), you know exactly what you want and who you are, and you are always curious to learn more about the world around you and how it works. You love construction vehicles, cars, trucks, trains, and airplanes. You spend a lot of time playing with Play-doh, and your favorite color is purple. You make up narratives and plots as you play with your cars, speaking for them as they interact. You have quite the imagination!

The biggest change this year has been becoming a big brother. You are so proud! You tell everyone you meet all about it, and you are such a big helper. Every night before bed you tell me "Let me know if you need anything for Wesley! I'll bring you a clean diaper and put the dirty one in the pail!" You hug and kiss and sing to him. You reassure him when he cries. You speak to him in a special, softer voice just for him. Sure, you crash your toys and wake him up, but you also get down on the floor and try to play with him. Wesley is one lucky little boy to have a big brother like you!

You are so independent, but you still love Mommy and Daddy. You and Daddy have tickle/sword/rubberband-gun fights and take care of the animals each night. You go fishing and to the playground together. You watch excavator movies on YouTube every night before bed on his tablet. You cuddle and read with Mommy and help her run errands. You create Play-doh scenes while Mommy fashions traffic cones and barrels. And while our nursing days seem like they may be coming to an end, you still usually ask to nurse at least once a day.

It seems like there's not much you can't do. You're even writing your name already! I think 3 might be the most fun year yet!

Love,
Mommy

One Month

Dear Wesley,

It's hard to believe it's already been a month! We've certainly been busy. None of that staying home and relaxing when you have two kids. You've probably been out more already than your big brother was in his first 3 months! You are so similar and yet so different from your brother. You certainly love your mama, and as long as you're touching her, all is well. But put you down or give you to Daddy when you want to be with Mommy? We will all feel your screaming wrath! You're a definite comfort nurser and are thus content to suck all day and night. Heck, you don't even have to suck as long as nobody tries to take it out of your mouth! But despite this, you usually go a couple of 3 hour stretches during the day, in addition to cat naps, and at night you usually give me at least one 3.5 hour stretch.

You're definitely getting enough to eat as you have at least 5 yellow, seedy poops a day (compared to Ethan's average of 1 green poop a day). You lost a good bit after birth due to your prolific pooping (9 poops each the 2nd and 3rd days alone!), but you've slowly gained it back. You're definitely on the lower end of normal, but you're still gaining just enough so I'm trying not to worry! It certainly didn't help when you caught Ethan's cold at 2 weeks!

You are a strong, social, and long little guy! You're working on holding your head up and have given Mommy several coos, especially in the morning while I get all of us ready. And you've already grown over 2"! You're going to be long and lean, just like your big brother. I can't wait to watch you as you grow and become your own little person. This is just the beginning!

Love,
Mommy

Two Years Old!

Dear Ethan,

This year has gone by faster than the first! I cannot believe you are already TWO! And yet you are so grown up. You are becoming more verbal every day and talk all day long. There is pretty much nothing motor-related that you cannot do and no surface is too high for you to climb to. You are borderline fearless and almost always eager to try new things. And there's just not much baby-ish left about you. You're fully potty-trained. You go to (and absolutely love) preschool. We even transitioned you to a toddler bed tonight (you've been insisting on sleeping on the floor with a pillow these past couple of days/nights, so we finally decided to convert the crib. You had no problem whatsoever with the conversion and liked climbing in and out of your new bed, but you are currently asleep on the floor with your pillow. Weirdo!)!

Unfortunately, you seem to be afflicted with your first case of bronchitis for your birthday, but you haven't let that stop you from enjoying all the festivities. You are such a happy and playful little guy, and your sense of humor is just enhanced as your vocabulary continues to grow. In two days, you'll be surrounded by some of the many people who love you as we celebrate your birthday with a proper party, and I know you'll just hate to be the center of attention like that =P

I am so blessed to be your mommy and am so excited to see what the next year has in store for you. And, as always, even though you're a big boy now, you're still my baby and always will be.

Love,
Mommy

Twenty-Three Months

Dear Ethan,

In one short month, you will be 2. And as momentous as your first birthday seemed, somehow your second seems like an even bigger deal! It's been a busy and accomplished month, and the last month of your second year will see even more milestones.

We're 100% done with diapers, and you're in underwear full-time. You average an accident a day, though some days you have none and occasionally you have more, so things are going pretty well! The only downside has been less sleep since you wake up earlier from both your nap and overnight in order to remain dry, but hopefully your bladder will expand some as you age. I'm so proud and amazed by how quickly you've come with this!

Your vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. You boss us around all day long and continue to crack us up with the sentences you construct. You tell jokes (not very good ones, of course), you dictate your surroundings, and you let us know what you want and need. You know all of your letters (one-to-one correspondence, even!) and are getting better with numbers (you can count to nine, though you don't always get the correspondence). Almost daily, we turn to one another and say, "Did you hear what he just said?" with a mix of awe and amusement. You're certainly becoming your own little person!

You love playing with friends, and you're going to have plenty of opportunity because in two weeks you will begin preschool! In fact, your first ever first day of school is less than 24 hours before my last ever first day of school! It will be hard to be apart from you for 4 mornings a week (between preschool and my class), but you'll be with friends and we'll both be learning so much.

You're amazing, little one, and as big as you grow, you'll always be my baby.

Love,
Mommy

Twenty-Two Months

Dear Ethan,

Yet another month has flown by. In two short months, you will be two. So hard to believe, and yet when I think of how much you've changed so far this year, it's amazing that it hasn't been so much longer!

You narrate everything you do, and at this point we are actually able to understand 75% of the words! You're up to 4 word sentences, and we're always amused by the phrases you concoct. It's amazing what all you pick up on when we didn't know you were listening. And it's amazing how much you've learned that we've actively tried to teach you. Today, I asked you if you wanted to go downstairs to get a snack, and you ran into your playroom and exclaimed "Clean up first!" before picking up all your toys. You are getting better and better with your letters and numbers, though your favorite letter is still "O" and your favorite number is "2." Colors and sorting have become your go-to activity, even in ways Mommy never imagined. Blue remains your favorite, but you will sort anything by color or shade, and lately you've become more picky about things getting mixed up.

You are so creative. In addition to the sorting activities you make up and all of your dramatic play, you're starting to come up with actual pretend scenarios. Yesterday, several of your blocks were "hot" so you and Mommy had to blow on them to cool them down and touch them very carefully if they fell. I certainly didn't expect this sort of thing already, and I'm thrilled to get to watch your mind work.

We've reached a point where food has become a non-issue, which I never thought would happen. You're still somewhat picky and definitely have your favorites, but there's no food I'm worried about you trying to eat, and you eat enough variety from each food group that meals have become easy at last. And as long as you're still nursing six times a day, I don't have any worries about you getting all the nutrients you need!

You are so strong-willed and stubborn sometimes, but those "Terrible Twos" behaviors are balanced out by your gleeful, mischievous grins and copious hugs and kisses. In short, you have us wrapped around your little finger, and it doesn't hurt that most of your tantrums are still more adorable than anything else.

I can't wait to see what the next few months have in store!

Love,
Mommy

Twenty-One Months

Dear Ethan,

In three short months, you will turn 2. Mind-boggling. And yet you've changed so much just in the past month. Most notably, you have become so much more talkative and are constantly narrating the world around you. I tried the other day to count up the words you know and eventually gave up after I hit 50. Any fears I might have had about you being slow to talk are long gone. You're up to 3 word sentences now, and I'm constantly amazed (and amused) by the things that come out of your mouth ("daddy truck poop" anyone?).

So many of the peculiarities of infanthood and even young toddlerhood seem so long ago. It was just recently that you refused any fresh fruits and vegetables but now you chow down on just about anything. You love carrots and green beans the most, raw or cooked, and you go nuts over sliced apple. I'm finally enjoying meals with you instead of it seeming like just another chore.

You are such a delight, Ethan, and I genuinely enjoy our play together. Even when you have gotten on my last nerve refusing to mind and getting into mischief, you just look up at me with that grin and it's all I can do to keep a straight face. You are considerate and empathetic beyond your years, and you love your family and friends so fiercely. I'm constantly in awe of the little boy you are becoming and I can't wait to watch you grow into the man you will be. Until then, I'll continue to savor these countless sweet moments.

Love,
Mommy

Twenty Months

Dear Ethan,

I can't believe you're 20 months. No longer in the single digits, no longer in the teens. In just four short months, you'll be 2!!! Now I understand what people meant when they said the second year goes by faster than the first!

It's been a fun and eventful month, and even this weekend attests to its busyness what with my graduation (post to come), all our visitors, Mother's Day (happy Mother's day!), and your monthly "celebration" all within two days! I feel like you've come so far and grown so much this past month, and yet I can't think of specific changes to list. You are so independent, yet you love to follow us around and mimic us. You love playing with your neighbors, yet you can also go off and do your own thing. You're learning words left and right, yet you stubbornly refuse to say certain words we know you're capable of. You are a blur of boyish energy, yet you have the focus and concentration to sit down with a task to its completion. You amaze me every day, and I feel so blessed to be your mother!

Not much has changed from last month as far as your eating, sleeping, and pottying. Naps are still fairly unpredictable in length. You are trying more foods and textures all the time, but you still make your mind up about something and refuse it no matter what I try. If your daddy and I put a little more energy into the whole potty thing, I bet you'd have it down in a few weeks, but, honestly, we've been lazy about just letting you tell us when you want to go. As quickly as you're trying to grow up, maybe it's our unconscious way of hanging onto the little remnants of "baby" as long as we can!

We've entered the months of play dates, so the coming month will see lots of socialization and fun! In fact, we're hosting one at our house tomorrow, my first since last August. Other than that, we don't have much planned! Daddy will take some time off from work with the close of busy season, and I'm sure we'll just spend our days enjoying one another and exploring. While it may not sound eventful, I feel sure I'll still have plenty of tales to tell!

Thank you, Ethan, for making me a mother. I can't imagine anything I'd rather be!

Love,
Mommy

Nineteen Months

Dear Ethan,

It figures that the worst of the 18 month sleep regression would hit just as you're turning 19 months! You've been quite a mischief this month, but you've also been so much fun!

You are becoming a little parrot. Your speech is still very much toddler-ese, but I can understand what you're saying, and you love to repeat what you hear. From "maime" (maybe) to "mimi" (music) to "dageet" (dangit), you let us know you've been listening! You have developed quite a close friendship in this past month with our neighbors, and you typically wake up from your afternoon nap demanding "Naynee" (Nathan) and "Bam" (Pam). Poor Luke is still left out of your vocabulary, but maybe you'll figure it out in this next month because I'm sure there will be hours more of playing together.

In other developments, you have definitely figure out how to walk down stairs by yourself, as discovered last night when Daddy left the gate open and Mommy found herself bombarded by a rogue toddler who was supposed to be upstairs. I still prefer to have a hand in yours, or at least be within grabbing distance, but it's pretty impressive nonetheless! Your potty "training" is still going. We definitely haven't ditched the diapers yet, but you will still use the potty at least several times a day. Some days are better than others, but it's a process! No matter how you do the rest of the day, you almost always do best when we're out of the house, which is not what I would have expected at all.

A final, and very exciting, development has occurred just in the past week. Since a new Aldi opened up a couple of weeks ago, I took you to check it out. I needed to spend $30 to get $5 off so I decided to purchase some plums since I like them and hadn't had any in a while. Later that day, I got a plum for a snack, and you immediately began motioning for some. I offered it, but you grinned and pushed it away. After several rounds of this dance, you finally put your mouth on it. And soon you took a bite. And before I knew it, you had eaten my entire plum! Since then, you've snacked on bits of plum every day, but I wasn't sure if it was just plums or if you would eat other fresh fruit as well. This morning, we were at our neighbors' for a playdate, and she offered you a cup of apple slices. And you ate them all!!! It's probably sad how proud I was of you, but I'm just so excited you're finally potentially over some of your texture aversions. You snacked on plum slices the rest of the day, and I'm anxious to try out some more fruits to see just how far you've come! Dare I hope this might also extend to some vegetables???

This next month should hold some more excitement. You'll definitely get the last of your teeth (except the 2 year molars) since you final molar is almost breaking through and you have all the rest of them. Next week will hold your last time with Miss Donna since it will be Mommy's last day of class of the semester. And a month from yesterday, you will have a very late night as you join us to watch Mommy graduate from grad school!!! That will probably be much more exciting for Mommy than for you, but I know you'll enjoy having both sets of grandparents and three great-grandparents there to play with!

I can't believe you'll be twenty months in just 30 days. If it's possible, the second year flies by even quicker than the first! But you will always be my sweet baby, no matter how rebellious and mischievous you become!

Love,
Mommy

Eighteen Months

Dear Ethan,

What a fun, eventful, and quick month! I can't believe you're already a year-and-a-half. As of tomorrow, you'll be closer to two than one and closer to three than to when you were born! Wow. And yet it's no wonder with all you're doing these days!

Today has been eventful for reasons other than your half birthday, though. For the first 2.5 hours you were awake, you used the potty every single time, including your first poop in the potty! Then, with only a few exceptions, you have told me every time you need to use the potty, even when we were out at the LLL meeting! We didn't always make it in time (about 33-50% actually), but you definitely seem to understand what's going on and are willing to communicate it to me, which still blows my mind! You were so successful today, in fact, that you were in the same diaper from 12 to 5 when you usually go through 3!

Speaking of communication, you are growing more verbal every day. I can't even recount all the new words you've said this month. You've said your first proper names, first your Uncle Nathan ("Na Na") then your sitter Donna. You called each of your grandparents by their preferred name during their visits this month (even though you often called Grandpapa "Gr-mama" just for kicks), and you have been all about your great-grandmother BeBe this past week! Granted, over half of your vocabulary is unintelligible to the outsider, and even Daddy has trouble figuring out what you're trying to say some of the time, but you are letting me know what you want, even if I don't always let you have it. My favorites are still your animal noises, which now include kitty, goat, doggy, duck, pig, horse, cow, sheep, and dinosaur! You are so very smart, Ethan, and I'm constantly impressed by the connections you make.

You're also eating slightly better. I no longer have to make you a separate dinner most nights. You don't eat everything we're eating (most notably you refuse to eat any vegetables other than potatoes and carrots), but you'll usually eat the meat by itself and almost always will when I put the meat in some bread (I can't call it a sandwich, though, since you'll only eat it if I call it a "chicken/turkey/pork ball"). You're definitely still a picky toddler, but I at least feel like you're getting a wider spread of nutrients, even if you don't always eat a lot in quantity.

This next month could see several milestones. For all I know, we could be mostly out of diapers (though I think that's probably at least several months off)! You'll probably have all of your baby teeth except your 2-year-molars since your last molars and canine are coming through now. I'm sure this next month will see new words, new stunts, and new ways to make us marvel at how we could ever have created you. You're such a special little guy, and this past year and a half has been the most amazing time of my life!

Love,
Mommy

Seventeen Months

Dear Ethan,

And yet another month that seems to have just flown by! So much so that it's hard to even remember what happened. Most notably, you finally dropped down to one nap. After a week or so of transition, it was like a flip just switched and you have only taken one nap a day ever since. You've finally figured out how to nap for 2-3 hours each day, and, as a result, your night sleep is getting back to normal. As much as I thought I would miss wearing you for naps, I honestly haven't minded as much as I thought. For almost seventeen months, I wore you at least once every day with only 2-3 exceptions, and since you've dropped your morning nap, instead I'm only wearing you once every few days. Just another sign that you're growing up.

Another sign is how much better you're getting at communicating. Here is where I've been neglectful because I don't know that I can even remember all of your new words this month. For starters, you are getting into animal noises. From "Baa" (goat) to "Rawr" (dinosaur), from "Moo" (cow) to "Meow" (cat), each one is more adorable, and you can do them all on cue! You're also learning more words for everyday use: "bobble" (bottle) for your (and my) water bottle, "hmmm" (home), "sak" (snack), "bear" (bear), "Buppy" (puppy) more specifically for your favorite stuffed animal, "dapa" (diaper) for both your diaper and for everything underneath, "baf" (bath), "bah-rone" (pinecone), and so many others that have now become a part of your daily vocabulary. Now most of your tantrums are less a failure to communicate and more a failure of us to give in to what you want (this is where your new use of "bear" to mean gummy bear comes into play...).

Food continues to be a struggle as you have persisted in your texture aversions, making it difficult to find nutritious things for you to eat. Once again, I can only hope it's something you'll outgrow, though I'm becoming more skeptical of it happening any time soon. Thankfully, you continue to grow and thrive, so I can only hope you're getting what you need!

This next month should just be more of the same. I'll try to balance school with domestic life and motherhood. You'll find new ways to get into trouble and new ways to be so adorable we can barely stand it. And the next thing we know, you'll be a year-and-a-half!

Love,
Mommy

Sixteen Months

Dear Ethan,

It's been another busy and wonderful month! We celebrated your second Christmas, we traveled down to Atlanta to visit family, and I started back for another semester in grad school. But it's also been full of those smaller moments of which memories truly consist. Each time you say a new word for the first time, each time you learn something new, each time you shock us with your independence and intelligence, those are the moments I want to remember forever.

You're so much more verbal and interactive now. You sign for what you want (and if we take too long to respond, you go and get/do it anyway), you're learning more and more words (like "open" and "diaper"), and you're using the words you love with increasing gusto (like "bye-bye" and "doggy"). You still get frustrated when we can't figure out exactly what you want, and I know you wish you could express yourself more, but it will all come with time. Already, though, you shock us with how much you're able to do.

It's also fun to see how your interests have changed. This past month has been all about books, and you're constantly running to your bookshelf, grabbing a few books, and climbing up onto the playroom sofa to "read." It's also been a month of dancing as you've finally learned the joys of moving to music. You press your toys that play songs repeatedly and bounce along to the beat. I hope it never stops being adorable, regardless of how annoying the songs can get!

We've made some small strides in your eating. Ever since our Atlanta trip, I've been able to get you to eat all three meals in your booster seat instead of roaming around. This makes meals take less time, and sometimes you even seem to eat more! You're also getting better about eating actual food instead of just cereal and crackers, though you still have a long ways to go. I think you may just be a picky eater, period, though the toddler stage can bring that out in anyone!

You still are refusing to drop that second nap, though this month saw several one-nap days. Those days were enough to convince me you probably still need a second nap, so I'm going to continue to follow your lead instead of trying to force you to give it up. However, since you're hanging on to two naps, the length of them has dropped to about an hour apiece, which can be frustrating when I've been used to having two hours to get things done. So it certainly wouldn't upset me if you dropped down to one nap soon!

This next month will see the start of a new routine as Mommy balances three classes with motherhood and caring for the house. There will still be plenty of time for playing and cuddles, though, because you will always be #1. I can't wait to see how much you're going to learn this month, and I look forward to learning right along with you!

Love,
Mommy

Fifteen Months

Dear Ethan,

To be blunt, it's been a much better month! There has been much less screaming, less illness, and a lot more fun! And it all traces back to one thing: Communication! This month has shown huge strides in your ability to let us know what you want. From signing to talking, your vocabulary exploded this month. You sign every time for "more" (which basically means "I want" now), "eat," "hungry," "drink," "nurse," and "outside," and you're picking up signs readily now, which means I need to study up to add more to your repertoire. You're also talking a lot more. Almost daily, you say "Mama," "Dada," "Bye-bye," "Kitty," and "Book." This month you've also added "Doggy," "On," "Off," "Hi," "Belly," and "Bellybutton" to your common words. The last one is my favorite because it's always accompanied with you lifting up your shirt and pointing to it! It's so much fun to listen to you talk to us, and I know it makes you happier to be able to tell us what you want.

Unfortunately, you still don't often know what you want to eat. I've almost given up on getting you to eat balanced meals in favor of just finding something you'll eat. As a result, while you get a lot of fruit, some yogurt, some vegetables, and some meat each week, a big portion of your diet comes in the form of cereal, organic "goldfish," and organic graham cracker snacks. I still can't figure out why you won't eat any meat I cook but will eat certain meats from restaurants. Surely my cooking isn't THAT bad! Hopefully we'll get past this picky toddler phase quickly, as it's starting to test my patience.

You're still taking two naps a day, though each one is down to about 1.25 hours. I miss those 2+ hour naps, but maybe we'll get them back once you finally decide to drop down to one nap a day. I never thought I'd want you to sleep less, but when all of your little friends dropped their morning nap months ago, it makes it really hard to schedule any play dates!

And we finally have time for play dates since today marked the end of the semester for Mommy! That means almost a month (and maybe more than a month depending on whether or not my Monday class is making up for MLK) of no school work, no classes, nothing to distract me from playtime with my little munchkin! That doesn't mean the next month won't be busy, though! We've got Christmas, then a trip to Atlanta, which means a lot of family time and seeing relatives who haven't seen you since you were 3 months old! My how you've changed since then! And I know that by the time I'm writing another letter to you, you will have changed even more. But what will never change is just how much we love you and how precious you are.

Love,
Mommy

Fourteen Months

Dear Ethan,

Usually this is the part where I talk about how quickly the past month has flown by, but to be honest, this month seemed to last forever. Maybe it was because you spent a good part of it sick. Maybe it's because you have been working on your tantrum-throwing skills to the point that you'd put any two-year-old to shame. Whatever the cause, your turning thirteen months seems like forever ago. And yet I still am amazed at how big you've gotten!

After a month of screaming and whining, this past week you've finally remembered you can sign to tell us what you want, even though we've been reminding you all along. You still haven't expanded your vocabulary any more, but you are such a friendly little guy, waving at every passing car and babbling to complete strangers in your own baby language. While you've been screaming a lot this month, you've also been laughing a lot. You laugh whenever anyone else laughs. You laugh when you're excited, be it about a toy, getting cereal, or nursing. You laugh when we tell you you're silly. You laugh for seemingly no reason at all. And you understand so much. You can fetch just about anything we ask for. You point or look at whatever we're talking about. If I ask you if you want to go for a walk, you run to the door. If I ask if you want a snack, you run to the pantry. I just wish you could figure out how to initiate telling us what you want, without screaming, that is!

In addition to seemingly understanding everything, you're also finally eating everything. While you still have definite likes and dislikes, there is no food that I'm afraid you won't be able to handle. Unfortunately, this has turned you into a snack-stealer, "sharing" all the snacks our friends bring at LLL meetings, but thankfully their mommies don't mind and I always bring snacks to share, too. It seems like just yesterday I was lamenting your inability to eat table foods, and now you stuff your face with whatever you can get your hands on.

You've learned some new tricks to get into trouble lately, too. From opening doors to climbing on couches, you are my little daredevil. Thankfully, you've also figured out how to safely get down from couches and beds, as well as how to climb down stairs, but we don't trust you enough to do so unattended yet. Not all your new tricks are mischievous, however. You've also figured out how to do the shape sorter, though it still takes you a little while, and anything rectangular you get your hands on immediately becomes a phone for you to babble into.

While there have been times this month where Mommy was absolutely desperate for a break, you still just bring us so much joy, and we love you so very much! Hopefully this next month will see increased communication, as well as less illness, and we'll be back to the days flying by in no time.

Love,
Mommy

Thirteen Months

Dear Ethan,

I hadn't planned to continue to write you each month after you turned one, but you are still changing and growing so much that I have to record all you're doing. This month has seen several steps forward and some steps back, and I think we've almost ended up back where we started in some regards. For about a week, you were sleeping in every morning, sometimes sleeping for over 12 straight hours! Then, all of a sudden, you reverted back to waking between 6:15 and 6:30. I think it's because you're teething again (molars!), but maybe you just like to keep us guessing. In the wake of my going back to school, you began fighting your afternoon nap horribly, as mentioned in previous posts, but I think we're finally back to normal since you are only fussing a few seconds now, if that. Your appetite also seemed to pick up for a few weeks and you seemed more willing to try new things. Now, again perhaps due to the teething, you're refusing almost everything and are also rebelling against your high chair, preferring to eat while you play and roam. You definitely keep your mommy and daddy on their toes!

You are learning so quickly! You cuddle with your stuffed animals and your cats, laying your head on them while you reach your arms around to hug. You hug, cuddle, and kiss on demand. You stack the rings of your ring stacker, you put together your MegaBloks, you even are figuring out your shape sorter! You are a master manipulator, running to us and hugging our legs as you bury your face in our knees if we tell you "No." You've even mastered the fake cry, covering your eyes with your hands and making "boo hoo" noises before peering out with a huge grin. This mimicking, while adorable, could be dangerous if we don't watch what we say and do around you!

You babble and make noises almost constantly, but you still are very reserved in using your words. It's been weeks since we heard "night night," you still won't say "bye bye" for mommy and daddy, and you don't seem interested in expanding your vocabulary. But you understand so much! If I don't know where you put your sippy cup, I just have to ask you to bring mommy your milk, and you're off, searching until you find it and then running it back to me with a grin. If I don't want to go get the block you threw during clean-up time, I just ask you to bring it to me, and you do. I don't know how long this obedience thing is going to last, so I'm taking full advantage while I can!

This next month may see your first new teeth in months if any of your molars decide to break through. This weekend will also be your (and our) first trip to the State Fair. And it'll be your first Halloween that we actually dress you up and show you off. But mostly, it'll be another month where I realize just how blessed I am to have you as my son.

Love,
Mommy

One Year

Dear Ethan,

The day I anticipated with both dread and excitement is now upon us. You are one year old today! For months, I just knew I would cry over it (since I already cried on certain month milestones), but so far I'm just in awe of how far you and we have come. A year ago today, the doctor laid a screaming, wiggling newborn on my chest, and my life will never be the same. You have changed my views on so many things, big and small. You have made me an entirely new creature: a mother. I love you more than I ever thought possible.

You are quite a busy little boy, now! You run around the house, getting into everything. If we say "no," you just look at us and grin. You run up to us and hug our legs. You give us kisses on demand. If you wake up extra early and Daddy takes you downstairs to play while I rest, you excitedly climb the stairs, burst into our bedroom, and run around to my side of the bed, giggling and calling "Mama!" You are the most precious mischief I've ever met. You love being the center of attention, and any clapping just HAS to be for you. In fact, when playing with your new motorcycle rocker from Grandmama and Grandpapa this morning, you discovered a button that made the sound of a cheering crowd. And you pressed it about a dozen times in a row, grinning from ear to ear before joining in to clap for yourself.

After turning back to bottles after a brief stomach virus episode, today marks the return to sippy cups and the end of formula supplementing. You took your first sippy of milk like it was no big deal, even though it took an hour for you to drink the whole thing since you kept pushing it away to play. You eat a decent amount at each of your meals, and you're still nursing 6-8 times most days. I am so proud of us for making it to the one-year mark for nursing, and I hope we continue for months and even years to come!

Bedtime is still full of smiles, and you often play in your crib for a few minutes before you decide to go to sleep. It's so much fun to listen to you play with the aquarium and talk to your stuffed animals when it seems like only yesterday you had to nurse to sleep or else! You've been waking up a bit earlier lately, usually between 6:30 and 7, but that just means more playtime and cuddles. You still take your morning nap in the wrap, and thankfully some of your panic over the afternoon nap has eased the past couple of days, making it easier on both of us. Hopefully you'll adjust fully soon!

This next month holds only one planned first as it will be Mommy's first time to fly solo with you as we head down to Atlanta for a visit while Daddy's away for work. We also have your first birthday party on Saturday, which will be lots of fun!

So here we are, sweetie. A year from the day you came into our lives and took over our hearts. And even though you're now officially a toddler, you'll always be my baby.

Love,
Mommy