Newsletter: Month 14

Dear Ian, Last week you turned 14 months old and you're eating us out of house and home! We thought we would get a few years, maybe until you're a teenager before we'd have to set aside a food fund for you but in the last few days you've started eating every waking minute.

Your language is expanding so you have a better chance of telling us you're hungry. Unfortunately everything is "nuh-nuh" (your sign for milk). I can convince you that you'd rather have food or water at times, but the default is always "nuh-nuh". Nuh-nuh also comes into play when you don't want to go to sleep and think that some nursing will delay bedtime a few more minutes. So apparently 14 months is the milestone for negotiating and rules lawyering.

Both your grandfathers have been marveling at your dexterity. They are planning your future as a musician or surgeon. Daddy says they don't see you when you're running around with a box on your head slamming into walls, though.

Christmas was a good haul for you. We were grateful that at least your Nana and GrandDad could only fit but so much in their car to bring it to you. But you've made the rounds and used every toy. One of your favorites is a classic - one of those "poppers" that has the brightly colored balls inside a dome that you push around. We are getting used to the constant popping.

We also got to spend some extra time with your Nana and Granddad as they got snowed in here in a record snow storm! It was over a foot of snow! You were very happy to sit in the lawn chair and watch the dogs frolic in the snow, but weren't so into navigating it yourself. Since it came up past your waist, I can't really blame you.

This Christmas makes us look forward to many more to come. It was nice to have everyone dear to us under one roof for a bit. You have the charm to convince everyone to some to you! But just remember that no matter where you are, you can always come home for Christmas.

Love, Mama

Newsletter: month 13

Dear Ian, Today you turn 13 months old and we're starting to have a bit of a dialogue versus Daddy and I doing all the narrating.

I was on the phone with Grandma last night and carrying you around on my hip (this would be why my wrist hurts these days - you're heavy!). You started pinching your hands like you were working little castanets or making the sign for "lobster". I asked you what this lobster business meant and you just kept doing it, more adamantly. So I asked if you wanted to nurse and made the sign for milk and you lunged for my chest, lobstering with all your might. Aha! Lobster = milk!

Later that evening we sat down for dinner and you were powering through some spinach. I casually asked if you wanted more and you made the perfect sign for "more" (tapping fingertips of closed hands together) and blurted out "mo!" Well, alright then. We had a TON of spinach because you kept signing for more and shoveling it in your mouth as fast as you could.

As your father said, he'll start bringing home job applications since you've advanced this far and can contribute to the household. I haven't seen any come home yet, though.

You're doing great in the Toddler Room and I'm happy to report there are all kinds of things you can do that we never taught you. After we feed you yogurt, you take the spoon and try to feed yourself. And when I walked toward you with your jacket the other day, you held out your arm and deftly slid it in the sleeve unprompted! We're more than happy to share these new experiences with the day care or anyone else who wants to help. Maybe they'll magically potty train you for us too one day.

We set up the crib next to our bed, but I admit you still spend over half the night in my armpit. I'm still happy to have you there even if you have gotten a little loud lately, squawking in your sleep.

You have so much personality! You grabbed a tissue out of my hand the other day and "phbbbt"ed into it as if you were blowing your nose. This from the boy who acts like we're skinning you alive if we try to wipe your nose ourselves.

It's amazing to see what your up to each day. There's always something new and we can't wait to see what you come up with next!

Love, Mama

Newsletter: Month 12

Dear Ian, Last week you turned ONE YEAR OLD and I'm just getting around to talking about it. Really, it's a lot to digest, this whole counting in years versus months thing. If you protest a diaper change, your father has already started quipping "Don't be such a baby. You're a year old now. Knock that shit off." You don't quite understand him yet which is why he can get away with being such a potty-mouthed sarcastic poopy face. Soon we'll just start talking about how everything is "silly". I've learned that from other parents that silly is an acceptable substitute for "dumb-ass", "stupid", "obnoxious", "rude", and many other colorful versions of those terms.

You don't understand everything we're saying but you are picking up things fast so our days of listening to Raw Dog Comedy in the car are numbered. Your first word was "meow" (we're totally counting that as a word) and you use it more than we expected. You meow at our cats, at the money kitty in the sushi restaurant and at our friends' chihuahua. You also have mastered "uh oh" and use that with abandon. You've been known to throw things on the floor just so you can lament their fall with gusto.

We didn't do much for your birthday proper. We bought a cake but when your Nana and Uncle Lee were under the weather and we postponed the party, we just quietly had some cake before bed. You didn't seem to mind. You did seem to get into the spirit of Halloween, though, and I'm pleased that your birthday is so close to such a fun holiday. You were a little monster and smashed blocks on the back deck before heading out to trick-or-treat around the block. You were pretty suspicious of all these people handing out candy, but we think you'll rally to the cause by next year.

You've moved over to the Toddler Room now as of the Monday after your birthday. You were visiting there for quite a bit but now you're officially in Toddlerland. After your first day, when I picked you up Ms. Barb asked "does he get his feelings hurt easily?" I told her I didn't think so.

"Well, this afternoon he was playing and accidentally hit another kid with a block. That baby started crying and we told Ian 'you need to be careful and not hit people with blocks' and he immediately started crying and ran over to the full length window to the Infant Room like 'let me back in! They're mean to me in the Toddler Room!'"

Thankfully things got easier after that first day.

Every day you bring home another art project and it's getting a little out of hand. You've painted and worked on letters and had themed activities. For the Friday before Halloween they asked us to send your costume so you could trick-or-treat in the building. They also asked us to send you in your pajamas as part of the costume fun. I didn't have the heart to explain to the teachers that you don't actually own any pajamas since you just sleep in a diaper and we weren't sending you to school in just that. Ah, well, maybe we'll buy you a set of pajamas for "dress up".

On the days leading up to your birthday I was thinking about how far we've come in just a year, you and your father and I. I was thinking how "this time last year I was just starting to feel contractions" and "this time last year I'd given in and gotten an epidural". I always kind of knew but now I really understand how moms don't ever forget birthdays. Because as much as October 22 is a special day for you, it's a very special day for me too. It's the day I became a Mommy and the day we became a family. It's the day all our lives changed for the better. And no matter how old you are, I'll always remember you on that day.

Love, Mama