22 months

Dearest Calder-loo,

It's hard to believe that your second birthday is right around the corner. It's going by too quickly!

You are a hoot lately. You're talking up a storm and starting to form small sentences. Some of the things you say are hilarious. You're also becoming very good with your manners. You can say "please mommy, may I have___" (with a little coaxing from me, of course) and you're very good at thank you.

You have also started to sing! Your current favorites are the Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old MacDonald and Twinkle Twinkle. I love to hear you sing and grab your "guitar" (any old spatula will do) whenever you hear music.

You love to practice counting. So far you can make it to 3, but you also know 8 and 9.

I have noticed a huge energy boost in the last month. All day you tear around the house (leaving a trail of course) and climb on things while constantly chattering...it's all I can do to keep up with you, but it's a ton of fun.

You're also becoming more social. You know the names of your friends now and you're quickly learning that a little sharing goes far. You also love to talk to your animals and make believe with them. For example, today I found Froggie in your high chair having a snack of cheese. Pretty funny.

This is a very entertaining age. You are absorbing everything and learning very quickly.

Kisses to you,

Mommy

21 months

Dearest Calder-loo,

I wasn't one of those Moms that bonded instantly with her baby. I mean, I loved you right away...but I didn't know you. Now I know you inside and out and you totally have my heart. I have to restrain myself from constantly squeezing you and smothering you with kisses...you're just the cutest thing.

You've had a pretty rough month. You had eye surgery on January 5, then you wound up in the hospital the following week for RSV. It wasn't fun, but you were such a trooper. We got to watch a lot of Elmo and snuggle.

You still love music. It's the only thing that consistently holds your attention. We go to "Bickie" (what you call Grammie) and Poppy's house for dinner once a week and you rock out with Poppy. He turns on the electric guitar and you say "pick!" Sometimes you also play on the keyboard or have a drum lesson.

You're getting better and better at feeding yourself. You can use the spoon pretty well now and you're not a fan of the high chair anymore...that's for babies.

You are really starting to put words together now. You speak in two word sentences (Mommy eat?) and you can usually repeat a new word if I say "Can you say____?" My favorite thing is when I ask you about our day. You babble for a good minute or two, with a few words that I recognize sprinkled in. It's amazing that you can already recall that much.

You surprise me daily and provide endless entertainment.

Love,

Mommy

19-20 months

Dearest Calder-loo,

I'm sorry I missed your letter last month. It's been quite busy around here lately with the holidays.

I don't even know where to begin because you are changing so fast. You are starting to look like a little boy now. Your legs are getting longer and (sadly) less chubby and your face has thinned out a bit. But you've still got those plump kissable cheeks, thank goodness. Your legs are getting faster and you can practically run now.

A lot has happened in the past 2 months. You wear glasses now. Dr. A noticed that one of your eyes wasn't focusing properly, so we took you to the Va Eye Center to have things checked out. They want you to wear glasses for a awhile to help train that eye and side of the brain. Hopefully the glasses will help and you won't need surgery. So we found you some stylin' toddler glasses and you look pretty adorable in them. Sometimes you'll gladly wear them and other times you're NOT a fan.

Two weeks ago we had to take you to the ER. It was a very scary time for Mommy. It started out as a minor cold and by the end of the day you couldn't breathe. I know what that feels like and I'm sorry you had to go through it.

You got your first guitar for Christmas and you're completely obsessed. One of the first things you do in the morning is pat your tummy and say "gi ta gi ta gi ta" (you're making the noise of the guitar). You're already very good at it and will tap your foot to the beat, just like Poppy. I think it's safe to say that music will be a huge part of your life. You also continue to love to read. Thank goodness you got some new books for Christmas...it was getting hard to read the same ones over and over:)

Lately you've been a bit of a parrot and will copy anything we do. I've even caught you throwing things in the trash like me (including my Christmas tree skirt:) Dr. A noticed how you mimicked him with the stethascope and told us that you're very smart for doing this already, but that we're going to have to watch you very closely from now on!

You're such a little boy. You love to do "1 2 3 boom!" on the couch and body slam me. You love to be tickled and chased around the house. You squeal with delight!

You discover new words every day and are starting to put together two words like "big truck" or "Mommy shoe." It's amazing to watch you make the connection and say a new word for the first time.

You're just the cutest thing and always the life of the party. Thank you for being such a sweet little boy and bringing tremendous joy into our lives.

Love,

Mommy

1.5

Dearest Calder-loo,

Are you really a year and half today? Where has the time gone?

You have grown so much in the past month. You no longer fit on the changing pad and your legs are starting to thin out. You had an ear infection this month and you weighed in at 30 lbs at the doctors office...yikes!

You're becoming very agile and are getting very good at climbing. Yesterday morning I turned around and you were halfway up the stairs! I've even caught you standing on chairs, you little daredevil! We've been going to the preschool tot lot in the afternoons to burn all of that energy!

You're talking so well! Some new words in your vocabulary are: baca (vacuum), broom, "ay-dee-dee" (umbrella), raining, two, nine, "O," "D," bike, "ah-boo-ba" (applesauce), boot, boat, sock, ni-ni (sleep), "wicky" (monkey), block, knee, eye, hand, "noney" (nose), diaper, walk, screw, hammer, hug.

You LOVE to read. All day you bring me books and say "book!" As soon as I say it's bedtime, that's the first thing you say. It's very funny because you say it with such diction. You also love balls, kitchen utensils and cleaning appliances. I think I need to get you your own little vacuum for Christmas because you are obsessed.

You have definitely discovered your free will. Lately I've been asking for hug & kisses and you shake your head and say "nooo." It breaks my heart, but hopefully it's just a phase and you're saying no just because you can.

You're so full of energy and life and you love to laugh. You continue to be a people person and will walk right up to a complete stranger to say hi.

I love watching your personality bloom and your little brain soak it all in.

Let's have fun together,

Mommy

17 months

Hey chicken,

You are growing up so fast. This age is a bit of challenge for me, but a lot of fun too. You are becoming very independent and learning how to do more and more things. The biggest change in the past couple of months has been your vocabulary and your mobility. You are walking faster and can almost run now. This morning you climbed onto your little chair all by yourself! You can go down the stairs with the help of my hand or the railing. You're getting faster at climbing...you went all the way up our new stairs yesterday without any help! 

I'm going to list all of the words you currently say so that you can look back on it one day:

Mommy

Daddy

Poppy (the Grandpas)

ba (ball)

ba-ba (balloon)

ca (car)

baby

book

hat

gee (key)

sta (star)

bok (box)

apple

cheese

bu-bu (blueberry)

ra-zee (raisin)

cookie (I did NOT teach you this one)

water

doggie

ber (bear)

Elmo

nose

hair

sue (shoe)

this

that

happy

dirty

stinky

hot 

cold

wet  

bye-bye

no-no

ka-koo (thank you)

You are very curious and want everything identified by pointing and saying "that?!" You love to help around the house. Yesterday you helped me sweep and you always help me with my socks and shoes before our morning walk. 

You love Elmo. I usually let you watch him in the morning so I can make breakfast and have a cup of coffee (Mommy is not a morning person). You LOVE balloons. Completely obsessed. Lately it's been a challenge to take you to the store because you go nuts over them. You like to draw and color...yay! Grammie gave you your first set of crayons so we've been coloring together at your little table. It's my favorite activity to do with you. You still love music. As soon as you hear a song come on, you either start bouncing, swaying your head, or spinning around. Either way it brings a huge smile to your face. You love to be outside. We've been going for a walk every morning and you always fall asleep because it's so relaxing to you. Yesterday we all went for a walk with you in the backpack carrier and I've never seen a bigger smile on your face. You looooove your Daddy. To the point of pushing me away whenever I come around you two. 

You have finally figured out how to purse your lips like a fish for kisses instead of giving open mouth kisses. It's so cute. 

I am so proud of you. Yesterday was your first time in the church nursery...first time with complete strangers and you did great. They said you were an awesome kid and didn't cry at all. It made me a little sad because you didn't even look back at me...went straight for the toys! But I'm proud of you for being such a little man and being so independent. You are definitely a people person like your Daddy. Probably could make friends with a rock like him. 

I love you more and more each day and you have my heart forever.

Love, 

Mommy

i love fall!