Letter: Month Eighteen

Dear E,

This week you turned 18 months-old. You are starting to turn into quite the little boy. You're constantly in motion and love running around outside. You also like to dance and will boogie down for any sort of music. You have this magnetic farm toy that sticks to the fridge and you'll push the button to start its music and then we'll square dance in the kitchen together. It's pretty fun.


We recently showed you how to knock on doors and now you love knocking on everything you can find. This morning when I went to get you out of your crib you were knocking on the walls and as soon as I set you down on the floor you ran around the room knocking on your crib, the door, and the laundry basket (that one didn't work so well). In addition to knocking you also enjoy throwing things. When you throw something you always dramatically yell "Yah!" It's pretty funny, like you're the world's smallest martial artist.

You still love going to the gym. I think it's really helping you adjust to attending nursery at church. For the last couple of Sundays we've taken you to nursery and stayed there with you since you weren't technically 18 months-old yet. And you've done really well. This Sunday we're going to leave you there by yourself and I hope it goes as well, because honestly? Three hours of church with an active toddler is ENTIRELY TOO LONG. And since I don't think they're going to shorten church any time soon, something else has got to give. And that my friend is you. So, um, good luck in nursery!

You got to see a lot of family this month. Your Aunt Gwyn along with your 9 month-old cousin S came for a visit. You did very well with S: you patted him on the head a few times and liked to watch him eat, but other than that it was pretty much business as usual. You were marvelously unflappable.

At times you can be challenging, though. You've started emphatically telling us "No!": "No!" to changing your diaper, "No!" to sitting in your highchair, "No!" to holding my hand in a busy parking lot--it can be frustrating. And yesterday you woke up from your nap crying like your heart was broken. Juice, food, cuddling--nothing made it better on its own. The only thing that worked was a combination of juice AND cuddling AND watching Sesame Street.

But then this morning you woke up cheerful and laughing and happy. And life with you went on in all of its unpredictable, gorgeous glory.

Love,

Mama

Labels: