Tuesday, March 8, 2016

To my One-and-a-half year old boy!

Oh, you are just so cute!

You love, love, love to play with your big brothers.  You especially love to play rambunctious and feel like a big kid, too.  Inevitably, it seems you always get hurt when you play that way.  But, your laughter goes on for miles when your brothers engage you.

You have changed so much this past month.

Your vocabulary has multiplied.  You have this look that says, "I know what you mean; but, I don't know what you mean" and you hold your hands out for emphasis.

You say, "Dada!"  You cry for me and say something like, "maaamama"
You have the absolutely most wonderful way of saying, "Uh ooh" (for Uh Oh).
You say, "Etch" (for "this" we think), "Ish" (for something you want to do),  and "Ilkkk" (for milk, but, like you are clearing your throat).  You say, "Up" (when you first started saying it, you said it only one time, very quietly and expected us to immediately oblige). 

You now also say, "Help"; and you want to help me with everything...putting clothes in the dryer, taking clothes out of the dryer, putting toys away.  I love it.

You say, "Appul" (Apple) and "nana" (Banana).

You eat anything I make in the food processor-liver pate, carob cake (yum!).  You seriously love pate.  No joke.  I love this.  This is SO good for you.  Keep loving it, sweets.

We took you sledding for the first time (one of the few times it actually snowed) and you loved it!  You kept eating the snow, though.

We are always reading books; so, you are always reading books.  But, forget about those board books...you want the books with pages!  LOL.

You have taken to pushing us where you want us to go. Or, sometimes grabbing our hand and pulling us.   You know how to get what you want, my little buddy!

You saw your brothers act like animals while wearing our hooded towels.  So, often you will "ask" (by pulling on it and grunting) us to pull it down for you and put it on you.  You think you are soooo cool.  And, you are, of course.

Forget about crawling up the stairs!  You like to take them walking like a big boy, holding onto the railing!  You still struggle with remembering to turn around going down; but, when you get going, you go pretty fast, sliding down.

Your brothers like to do calisthenics in the dining room; so, you entertain us all with your version of jumping jacks!  And, the sit-ups, oh so cute.

Just. stop. being. so. cute.  I'm kidding, of course.  We can't get enough of you.  We all adore you.  You are so lucky to have 4 such doting family members!  And, we are lucky to have YOU!





Monday, March 7, 2016

7 months





























































To my darling Plum...at seven months.

You have been getting on all fours and you rock back and forth. You also push up on your hands and feet and stick your butt in the air. And you can get around by pushing yourself backwards and pulling yourself forward. You'll figure out this crawling soon, my darling, especially with big sister showing you the ropes and her words of encouragement. "Good job, Stella. You can do it!"

You tilt your head from one side to the other. It is just so cute. I can't even stand it.

You say, "babababa, dadadada, and mamamama." Lately, when you are upset, you have been crying out "Ma! Mama! Mama! Ma!"

You giggle in your sleep. You have done this since you were a fresh, new baby.

I love the way you smile at me with your paci still in your mouth.


You had your first tastes of food (avocado, banana, and pear). You wanted to feed yourself...just like your sister. We've been taking it slowly because even when I give you the tiniest amount to the roof of your mouth, you start choking. And also because we all caught some sort of stomach bug that had you down and out for a good week. 

Today, I watched as you slowly pushed yourself backwards along the couch, pausing every now and then to look up at me with the proudest smile strewn across your face. You came to a blanket with tassels hanging from the couch and gently moved your face against them, smiling and laughing. These are the moments I want to hold onto...etched in my memory. Etched in my heart. Forever and ever, my Plum.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

2.7





































To my Greta...at two years and seven months.

You ask to wear a headscarf nearly everyday. You insist Estella wear one, too. My two little babushkas.

You also want to wear bibs. I just oblige because maybe you're starting your own trend. Get it, girl. Be you.

You will wear sunglasses at any given time, as well. "I need my sungwasses." 

I painted my toenails the other day (I rarely do, but it was Valentine's Day so I thought at the very least my toes should dress up) and you wanted yours painted, too. We really do have the same feet. Your feet haven't grown since last summer. You're still in "Walker" sizes.

Your dada put together that clearance tricycle I picked up a few months ago. You did pretty well, but you want to do things your own way and didn't want to have us help you and instead, pushed yourself along, clunking your shins against the pedals. It's been cold and snowy outside again, so we'll have to wait until it warms up a bit more before you can practice again.

You always want me and Estella to come into your "secret club". And, of course, you need your "fwashlight." 

"You want to play my fav-wit game?" I still don't know what your favorite game is...is it secret club? Hide-and-go-seek? 

You always want to play legos or have a tea party or color or play secret club. Mama can only do these things with you so many times a day. Spring and summer cannot come soon enough. NOT SOON ENOUGH. Then, it's outside...ery'day.

Daddy farted under the covers of your secret club and he kept on doing so. He said, "I farted again." You replied, "That's because you have a big tummy, Daddy."

You always want to sit next to Estella and wear whatever Estella is wearing. You call her your "best fwend", and you have screaming matches at the dinner table. And at breakfast. And lunch.

You tell me "no" on a daily basis. You have been throwing tantrums. You say, "Don't talk to me." when I ask you not to hit your sister and try to explain proper behavior to you. Oh, Greta...I'm hoping this is all a passing phase because I miss you, too. (You told me you missed me the other day and I hadn't gone anywhere) I suppose we all have a bit of cabin fever and I understand that we could all use a break from each other every now and then. Or, perhaps you miss the "me" I used to be, before your sister was here because you commonly bring up memories from months ago. You have such an amazing memory that I worry everyday if something I said or something I did will scar you for the rest of your life.

On the other hand, you are compassionate and caring. If you sense I'm sad or tired or "fustrated", you will ask me as much. And then you will immediately try and cheer me up by singing or dancing or giving me one of your toys to "make you feel bet-tar", which only makes me cry because I never want you to feel like it is your responsibility to make me happy. This is no one's responsibility but my own. Happiness comes from within, my darling Greta. You, your sister, and your dada contribute a great deal, but ultimately, life is what you make of it. I've just lost my grasp on it lately, and I apologize for that, my love. I'll get it back soon. I "pwomise."