Oh, it’s been such a busy month!  We just got back from Gymboree class–which you lovelovelove–and since you fell asleep in the car (damn its soporific effects on you!) you’re unhappy about being upstairs in your crib.  But you’re a big boy. You’re not crying, just debating the necessity of it with anyone who’ll listen–namely Turtle, Cat-cat, and Bunny.

Bunny goes everywhere we’ll let you bring him, these days.  I’ve managed to hold firm against Bunny going in the car, but he now has a special place on the table where he can watch you eat.  Otherwise, you seem to worry that he’ll miss something which, given how worried you are about missing anything, is very considerate of you, I’m sure.

You talktalktalktalktalk now, though there are still some sounds you simply haven’t figured out how to produce.  And I suppose it’s hard to get too worked up about making an ‘S’ sound when Mommy understands what you mean anyway.  But you’re trying.  And you do love being able to get some part of your ideas across.  The grin you’ll give me when you manage to make a more complicated concept understood is simply amazing to me.

Food’s gotten both easier and harder.  You’re too impatient to sit through a whole meal in your high chair, so part of the meal tends to be slipping bites into your mouth as you run past, and the last part is usually fed to you while you sit on my lap and cuddle.  You’re eating more food, but you’re also getting pickier at the same time.  You have such definite preferences and don’t see why we can’t eat cookies all day.  Well, cookies or broccoli.  Or chowder.  Thank heaven for yogurt.  And bananas.  And brussels sprouts.  Now that we’re phasing out your bottle I’m realizing how many calories you were getting from milk, which, sadly, must now be eaten during a meal or snack.  Because milk in a sippy cup holds no interest for you.  I guess it’s just the comfort of a warm bottle that you’ve been holding onto, not necessarily the milk or even the calories in the milk.  I know it’s important to get you off the nighttime bottle, but I’ll miss that snuggly time even more than you will, I think.  I rarely feel as deep-in-my-bones contented as when I am holding you close, and you’re making happy little eating sounds and drifting to sleep.  Life is always good, little boy, but it’s never better than when you’re happy.

Giant legos, stringing beads on a cord, identifying letters and numbers, and giving Bunny sips of water have all replaced cars in your passionate little heart.  The letters and numbers thing is funny–I’m really not sure how/why you learned the letters you have–A, E, I, O, T, B, D, and occasionally M are easy. The rest? Hmmm, not so much.  As for numbers, you’re fascinated, and you group them into a different category than letters, but 6 & 9 & 7 are really the only ones you can ID every time.  Sometimes 3.  And I’m not sure you really understand that numbers mean ‘how many’, whereas you certainly understand that letters mean sounds.  Cars are still fun, but you’ve been known to leave the house this month without a car clutched in each hand.  Can’t say I’m too sorry, since you’d've quickly outstripped my knowledge of cars if the interest had held, whereas we’ll have a lot of fun if you become a happy reader (after you’ve outgrown being the happy listener-to-stories you are now).  And there are other cool obsessions in store for us, I’m sure.  Dinosaurs, now.  Let’s talk dinos!

Getting sick for the first and second time–that was kind of miserable.  And coughing? You don’t like coughing much at all, though you’re quite good about getting back to sleep after a hacking cough wakes you up.  Such a big boy. It’s all part of going to playgroup, I suppose, and you enjoy interacting with the other kids, even if their strangeness bemuses you.  Still–snacks! Snacks we don’t have at home!  And toys! Toys you’ve never seen before!  The library just might be your favorite place in the world after the Gymboree gym, which is as it should be.  (Though I could do without the tears every time we have to leave the library. That‘s getting old!)

But honestly, every day, Hen, you bless my life in new ways.  Watching you discover the world around you, explore it, make it your own—I feel so lucky to have you in my life.  Because when I see this smile:

…my whole life makes sense.  Thank you for your smiles, baby boy, and I’ll help you through the tears as best I can.  Your mama loves you more and more each day, and who would have thought that was possible, eh?