Dear Del- 17mos

Dear Girly Girl (or Grilly Grill, as Noah says),
You are currently nursing snuggled in my lap where you have spent the last week. You've had this crazy unending fever- every day I think it's not as bad as the day before. In the meantime your snuggling and Mommy-only-loving and I'm feeling so very bad for you. Sometimes when I put you down you're all wobbly legged, so clearly week feeling. You haven't really been eating. Daddy says you look like you've lost weight. You have an appt with Dr. McGonigle on Monday so we'll see what he says.
At the very beginning of this month we took another trip to Vermont and you were more comfortable than ever with various family members in VT. Everyone always asks us if you're "always this easy". We laugh... maybe a little bitterly, I'll confess. But really, when I see you through other people's eyes you are pretty mellow- at least when we're out and about- which I'm thankful for.

You continue to amaze us with your communication. You're a little sad today because you really really want to put shoes on and go in the car. How do I know this? You sign "shoes" (not to be confused with "socks", or "more") and "help" and "car" (not to be confused with "bath" or "monkey"). When I ask if you want shoes you nod your enthusiastically. When I tell you we're not going in the car you cover your face with your hands and start crying. I'm guessing you sign around 20 words and even string two words together if need be. Yes, we're impressed! It makes things easier because we know what you want and thank goodness you have a way to tell us because when you want something... well, you want it! Mostly you just want to be with Mommy.
You've also started verbalizing more (Ma, Da, ball, up, ahhh,uh-oh, elp(help),.... that's all I can think of right now). We're enjoying this time as you transform from non-verbal to verbal. You also babble (or maybe it's jabber, or something else- anyway, make noise that imitates talking) and it is very cute. You enjoy "talking" on the phone (aka remote, book, cellphone, stuffed animal, etc). Maybe you've seen someone else talk on the phone a lot? Speaking of imitating! My goodness- you are the master imitator! You crack us up. The other day Daddy was thinking and said "hmmm" while tapping his index finger to his lips. I hear you say "hmmm" and glance over and you're tapping your thumb to your lips. So funny! You do things like that all the time!

You also have very specific ways in which you believe the world should work. If I change your diaper and you have bottoms on they MUST come off before taking off your diaper. When we go out you insist on wearing a specific pair of sandals despite the embarrassingly large number of shoes you have- including a new pair that we bought because I reasoned that you would enjoy having the ability to put them on your feet by yourself (which you had already demonstrated after stealing a playgroup friends shoes in the same style). Alas, you insist on the sandals. I'm not sure what we'll do when winter comes.
In the same way, embarrassingly, if you're looking for me and can't find me you cry and cry and wonder immediately to where the computer is... hmmm... trying to tell me something?

This month the other big change is that we packed away the crib. You now share a full size bed with Noah. We reasoned that you both enjoy sleeping with us... maybe it's just another warm body in the bed you want. Time will tell. In the change though we painted your room! I love love the color it brings to the all white walls of our house!

I love you love you love you. Thank you for all the hugs and kisses you freely give. Hope you feel better soon!
Mommy

Playgroup

I love love love our playgroup.
No awkwardness
boring conversations
or huge embarrassment about your child's typical 3-year-old behavior.
And today we got a picture of the fabulous group minus a few...

Ark Boy's Plan

We went to a very fabulous wedding tonight of awesome friends that we (more accurately: I) met (at work) when we first moved here.
Anyway...
On the way home:
Me: "Why isn't our daughter asleep?"
Ark Boy: "My daughter"
Me: hehe "You don't have a daughter"
Ark Boy: "Who's my daughter?"
Me: "When you're a daddy you might have a daughter... or a son."
Ark Boy:... "Yeah, yeah, yeah (he's been more stutter-y lately). First I will grow up, then I will be a man and then I will be a dad... yep, yep, yep... That's my plan!"
Cuteness abounds.
Now- for the pictures that I snagged of them during the wedding- they're up on facebook too.

Dear Noah 39 months

Dear Noah,
Hmmm, I don't know if I can keep labeling your letters by month- might have to start doing years and months- like 3 years and 3 months. Lately you've been looking so very big to me. I know, I know OTHER people have always said you are big for your age... it's just lately that I'm seeing it.
You have never been very interested in talking on the phone. This month you jumped at the chance to talk to Emmie. I'm pretty sure the conversation was confusing and maybe boring for Emmie. Any time she made a noise you giggled and when you talked you weren't always that articulate. Needless to say- there was a lot of dead air time but you were not interested in ending the "conversation".

You have suddenly turn into this individual person with stubborn strong opinions that don't always jive with Mommy and Daddy's. It's a good thing- I know- but tricky as we're navigating this new development in our relationship. Thankfully this time of having opinions is also a time when your language is exploding. This is really helpful because it means you can vocalize your wants/needs with words... usually. Sometimes you get frustrated and tell us over and over again what you want- like turning the car around to go back to Grammy's on our way back home- as our explanation- Aunty Chels needs her room back, we don't live there, we need to take care of our animals at home, school is starting soon- are not enough. This has lead to other unexpected experiences also. This month you dashed for a busy Boston street that resulted in a car horn, a shaky Mommy, and a slightly confused Noah. When Daddy asked if Mommy was okay- well, I wasn't and started crying. I don't think you've ever seen me cry before. Daddy handed you back to me and I snuggled with you while you wiped away my tears and said: "stop that! Don't do that!" which we found rather funny. We explained that you scared us very very much and the car could hurt you. Now when you see a car waiting for us to cross the road you ask if it is going to "boom" us.

People have stopped asking if you sleep through the night. Usually you wake up around midnight and I think that's all. Often more than once around midnight. About the time yous settle down to fall back to sleep your sister wakes up. We're all a little tired and cranky but there's a light at the end of the tunnel for sure- at least that's what I keep telling myself.
Your talking is so funny. Some words you say in a Noah way that make us smile like the "po-puter". We don't correct you. You'll figure it out sooner than we realize and right now it's fun to just enjoy whatever it is you want to say. It's also funny to hear you talking to Del, a toy, or just to yourself. I heard you tell a baby doll: "do you want to sit with me? Do you?" in a high pitched soft voice. Cute. Cute. Cute. Lately you've been talking about fighting monsters and pretending to fight them. When I ask you where you heard about monsters you say: "it's on Uncle Josh's game". Great. Thanks. Funnily enough you love everything Uncle Josh. Oh... and Uncle Shawn is high on your list of favorite people but he doesn't really care that you're a fan.

I feel like this month was super busy once again. We did a beach visit, get to playgroup as often as we can, and we squeezed in a Vermont trip for Uncle Evan's graduation party. When we told you we were going for Uncle Evan's party you asked what animal the party was going to be. You suggested a sheep. It took us a couple minutes to figure out what you meant. You wanted him to have a sheep cake.... like you had a cow cake for your birthday party. We rationalized the no-cake party status by explaining that it wasn't a birthday party.
While there we took you and Del to Uncle Sid and Aunt Suzanne's to see their fun -animal -filled -farm. They have ducks, horses, pigeons, chickens, dwarf goats, cows, a sheep, cats... and in the end you said your favorite animal at the farm was... the cows. That's right. Cows. The animals you see e.v.e.r.y day we're at Grammy and Grampy's...

Better get going. We're making dinner- pizza... again.... at your request. Here's the thing: your favorite foods are pizza and ice cream and really... I think you have great taste. So while Daddy is away (at work) the kids (as you call every person- including Great Grammy who was surprised to be called a "kid") will play.
Love you,
Mommy