Letters

It's Mother's Day, son.  I can't find the words to adequately describe your Mother to you, and I guess in the end, words won't really matter anyway.  I just hope you realize that the most incredible, wonderful, bright woman to ever enter my life also happens to be your mother.  And she is only at her brightest, most incredible, and most wonderful when she is mothering you.  You are such a wonderful kid, in part because of your personality, but ALL the rest of the credit goes to your Mama. Love her always, little one.

Your Mama told me the other day that you're her little baby, but you're now her walking, talking little baby, and it's astounding how much you know, and how much you can figure out on your own.  You looked through the floor vent in the back bathroom the other day, and said, "Oh.  There's the laundry.  Mama, the laundry is down there."  You could see the washer and dryer through the unconnected vent.

Your cuteness this month consisted of a million little things, including wearing your mother's heels and in your own words, going "kawack, kawack down the hall".  One morning when you had woken up before I left for work, you got very anxious when I walked out the door and said, "I don't want Daddy to go to work!"  We flew kites together this month, which was an exercise in parenting for your Daddy.  Once I had helped you get the kite up in the air, you had no interest in taking control, and ran off leaving me the choice of tangling the kite in a tree as I ran after you, dropping it and running after you, or standing there holding onto the kite and granting you victory.  You're good, kid.  Never let anyone say you can't outsmart your Daddy. One night as I put you to bed, you crawled up on your foot board and started "riding the horsey".  Imagination!  I'm SO glad that part of you has come into play.  I'm very excited to watch that unfold.

We are reminded of your continual attempt to expand your vocabulary when you tell us your motorcycle toy is under the "wash-disher", and your "winka-winka-lights ball" (LED bouncy ball) is "under the bed sideways," meaning it went under the side of the bed.  You're also learning all the home projects vocabulary we keep using, saying, "I want to go outside and watch Papa dig a stump," and, "Ochre hit me down in the dirt."

Speaking of outside, that's become your favorite place to be.  You go out on the back deck and ride your bike, but you won't push on the pedals.  That'll come.  Your Daddy is patient.  You play with Ochre quite a bit, you chasing her, her chasing you.  I love to leave the back door open and hear your giggles floating up from the back yard.  We're working to get a real backyard soon, so you have a better place to play than a weedy patch of dirt.  But that'll do for now, at least.

Again with more talking.  The things you say are so cute.  And you talk a lot, so there are lots of things to write about.  Add that to your parents' wonderment, watching you actually demonstrate that there's a brain in your head that may even have as much say over your behavior as your emotions.  I can't tell you how awesome that is.  Your latest statement of protest is "No Way!" which you've picked up from your cousin Ezra.  A few hours of exposure to that expression was enough for you to cement it in your head.  Contrast that with the days we've spent working with you on Please, Thank You, and Excuse Me.  You are actually very good with your manners, and in the case of that last polite phrase, you've become our little manners cop.  "Say, 'scuse me!" 

Another habit lately formed is trying to talk to us with your thumb in your mouth.  As you're learning more and more complex things to say, it becomes more and more unintelligible when said with your thumb in your mouth.  This is where Love and Logic really shines.  "I don't understand you with your thumb in your mouth."  Out pops the thumb, and real English falls right out of your mouth!  Honestly, I do sometimes understand you, but if I let you know that, then that would just train you to try speaking more clearly with your thumb still in your mouth.  Not exactly a skill for success, if you ask me.

I don't know if it's related to your thumb-sucking or not, but your front teeth don't close together when you bite down.  Your molars and fangs (canines) close together, but none of your incisors do.  I worry about that some, but mostly I'm lost in the humor of watching you take a bite of my ham sandwich and come away with everything but the ham.  And that's not for lack of trying either.  When you do bite something off, it's because you've stuck it in the side of your mouth, way back where your teeth will actually close together and bite.  It's a worry to your Mama and me, but we can't help but be amused with your snaggle-tooth, fangy look.

As all the books say kids are prone to, you thrive on routine.  At bedtime (which needs to move a bit earlier in the next while, to save your parents' sanity) we say, "Let's go put your jammies on," and you fill in the rest with, "An' brush my teef, an' sing a song, an' have a prayer, an' go to bed!"  You have lately had several misbehaving nights, which mean going to bed without some of your routine, but generally we've stuck to it.  I think it's been good for you.

One side effect of your nighttime routine combined with church meetings is you think that every time we sing a song we have to have a prayer too.  You will go downstairs to play the piano (another thing I'm thrilled you like to do) and we'll hear you play and sing for a while, then stop and say a little prayer, then play and sing some more.  We've convinced you to say the family prayer at a couple meals now, but you aren't very willing to do that yet.

Well, other than the specifics mentioned here, you're starting to become a regular little boy.  You like trucks, cars, balls, running, playing in the dirt, climbing and jumping off things.  It's an awesome experience watching you grow up.  It inspires such a mix of emotions in your parents.  Excitement for what's coming, sadness that our little baby is growing out of some of his cuteness, worry about what things might go wrong in our family life and turn you away from us,joy in the cuteness and humor of today, and a sense of awe at the potential we are meant to help you reach. 

You are an incredible kid.  I love you.

Love,

Your Daddy

TEETH!  TEETH!  TWO OF THEM!!  I'm so excited for you!  And, just as I thought, you are super cute with a two-tooth grin.  You've had teeth for a couple weeks now, but I'm still caught off guard when I hear them clack against your spoon, or you bite off a piece of cracker like it was nothing.  You seem so proud of your teeth, and your grin has only gotten wider, as if to show them off to everyone you see.  And one of your new favorite things to do is bite stuff, and then pull it out of your mouth while you're still biting down on it just to feel the click as it catches on your teeth and then pops out of your mouth.  Shoes, socks, bibs, various toys.  You're very quickly figuring out your new features.   

Mama bought you some elastic headbands, in yet another effort to tame your mass of hair.  We still are not sure how to handle your hair, but we're learning.  It's SO cute!  But where you spend so much time with the back of your head resting on (and turning back and forth against) a bed, the floor, a seat back, etc., it's a knotted jungle back there.  You look so much less like a little baby and so much more like a kid with all that hair, and your super-alert eyes and expressions only heighten the effect.  Good thing you still have your pudgy arms and legs to remind us.  Don't grow up too fast, ok?  I know it's tempting when you have this rambunctious brother to keep up with.  You spend a lot of your time watching him and I can just see the wheels turning in your head.  You're sucking in learning like crazy through those beautiful eyes.

You have the cutest little mannerisms I've ever seen.  You wrinkle up your nose and huff and puff and snort while you're grinning at me, which is totally adorable except when you're mouth is occupied with food.  Then you just spray.  But I'm so taken with your cuteness that I almost don't notice, silly Daddy.  When you're grinning like crazy, you often accompany it with little hand movements, flexing your fingers and rotating your wrists around.  You're getting that all figured out too.  It's so inspiring to watch you move and learn how to control your arms and legs.  Speaking of hands, when I lay you down in your crib and put your blanket over you, you stick your right thumb in your mouth, with all your fingers extended upwards, covering your eyes, and you usually bring up your left hand and try to cover the rest of your face as well.  "Oh! Wo is me!"

You've become a little Mama's girl, which makes your Mama feel alternately loved and annoyed.  When we attend family or social events where other people want to hold you, she wants a break from holding you too.  But you just want Mama, Mama, all the time Mama.  You get so anxious when you see her in the room and she's not coming to get you.  And you light up when she does start coming towards you.  It's funny to watch.  And when Mama's not around, well, I guess Daddy will do.  Thanks.

You're eating three meals a day now.  Solid stuff, and lots of it.  We're trying all sorts of new flavors on you, and some of them are not hits at first, but you still eat them the second time we try.  And you eat a lot.  When we've finished all your baby food for the meal, we'll feed you pieces of bran muffin or bread or maybe bits of what we're eating, and you gobble it all up.  I'm surprised at how much you eat.  You really do eat a lot.  Have I said that yet?   And on the other end, (possibly TMI) you have some mighty stinky diapers.  To me that says there's digestion going on in there, not just passing things through.  Wow.  If you haven't noticed the theme, I am continually amazed at your little body, growing and developing and learning to function in this odd world.

And continuing the physical development milestones, you've learned to roll over!  You're not consistent at it yet, and I don't think we've seen you go from tummy to back yet, but you roll from your back to your tummy quite often now.  Just this morning I went in to check on you while you were still sleeping, you were on your tummy.  With your head wedged up into the corner of your crib, too, if you cared, but that's a side issue.  The other implication of this, which we're aware of but you haven't caught on to yet, is that you are now somewhat mobile.  Mama put you in your bumbo seat on the floor the other day and went outside for a few seconds, returning to find you on your tummy 4 feet away from your seat.  We've known for a while you were going to wrench yourself out of that seat sometime, but it was still something to actually see it.  (Mama took a picture for me to see). 

You are still such a magical little child.  Your blue, blue eyes are fascinating, and so alert and interested in the world around you.  Your enchanting smile just melts my heart.  Your chubby arms and legs and diapered bum just beg for me to snuggle you.  Your cute hair is the perfect accent for your bright eyes and beaming smile.  And your cheerful personality is a blessing to everyone.  Your Mama and I adore you, and Jonah is thrilled to play with you too.  You play together so well.  He's kind and gentle to you, and you grin at him and make him laugh. 

I love you, little girl. 

Love,

Daddy