21 Months

Dear Anthony, Today you're 21 months. I thought about all of the big boy things you do, and in order to remind myself just how much difference a year makes, I looked back at a blog post from exactly one year ago. I read your 9 month post , and I laughed while reading about you standing in your crib. I remember that feeling of "Oh my God, I left you one way, and you managed to change it!". After you making your first jail break last week, standing up alone in your crib seems so simple :) I'm sure pretty soon you'll make crib-escapes look like nothing too, but for right now it's a big deal. If nothing else it led to some advanced baby-proofing in the middle of the night! Right now you have ALL of your baby teeth, and you look so different then when you were all gummy. I used to think you were super cute, but I didn't even know this new level of cute was possible. I try so hard to help you make better decisions when you do something "bad" (i.e. throw a toy, throw food, you like to throw things), but then you turn on the charm, and I just melt.

 List of cute things you do right now:
1. If you can't see me, you call out "mama?", and then when you find me you squeal "MAMA!" in a high-pitched voice that is so full of joy!
2. When you hear the garage door open in the evening you whisper "dada" excitedly, and when your dad opens the door you screech "DADA!" at full volume! Sometimes you run to greet him and other times you realize he might take you away from me and end up snuggling deeper into my neck.
 3. Saying "papa". It's sad and cute at the same time. I don't even know how it's possible, but I love it.
4. Signs! You keep adding more signs, and you're so enthusiastic about doing them. Some words you can say when you're signing them like "car" and "ball", others are still a struggle. You wrinkle your nose up every time you show us "bear"!
5. When we play with the water hose you now chase me with it and try to get my feet wet. I'll stand there and let my mind wander away for a second, and then suddenly I'm drenched while you're laughing your diaper off.
 6. Go up and down the porch stairs by yourself. You're so careful in this one aspect, I'm trying so hard to make you safe, you little daredevil! The other day you got a hand full of splinters from holding the rail on your way down, ouch! Bet that didn't inspire you to hold on and be careful next time :/
 7. You try to count! We stack blocks, and you make sounds like this "wah, ew, ee, four, (you skip five), sis,...."

 You've been extra lovey lately, and I can't get enough! We were grocery shopping recently, and I think we doubled our usual trip time because every few steps you leaned forward and threw your arms around me for hugs. *sigh* I have the best son IN THE WORLD. When we play you just run up to me with arms spread wide and give me a big hug, then it's off to play again. You're just as attached to me as ever, and while that slows me down a lot, I relish every second. If your dad tries to take you away to play in another room so I can work then you stretch your arms out towards me, and there are instantly tears and watery "maaaamaaaaas!" coming from you. Sad! I love your love because it's so sweet. And it's magnificently more special because it's doomed. I know I won't always be your favorite, but right now it's all about mom :)

 I'll be thinking about you when I'm working all day tomorrow, and I'm sad that I'll be leaving while you're napping so I won't get my sad good-bye hugs. Oh, and you finally gave me HAPPY good-bye hugs this week! I told you I had to leave, and instead of throwing a fit you just leaned forward for a kiss (then one more!), and you waved and said "bye!". I was happy it was tear-free, but I wasn't sure what brought about the change. It certainly wasn't the case today when daddy tried to smuggle you away for some daddy time.
















 I love you so much (I frequently walk around saying "I. LOVE. HIM." to nobody in particular),
 Mom