20 Months

Dear Jack B'Hat,
I miss you. Today you are 20 months old, and I am not with you. I am in Boston (and probably by the time I post this, will be in the airport or on the airplane) making huge decisions that will affect the rest of our lives. I suppose this space is where I can be most honest. Dada and I are at a job fair interviewing and negotiating positions and livelihoods in international schools. One of the ones we are looking at is what I would consider the perfect community. As I type we are waiting to here whether or not we are picked. Then we have a decision to make. There is another option on the table, as well, in a place we like less, but that would still be an incredible experience for our family. We are excited and nervous and afraid and optimistic, all at the same time. You are so important to us- we love you so much - and we want what's best for you.

Anyway, enough about that. I'll talk about some things that have happened this month:

1. You said your first sentence this month! (sort of) You asked, "Where shoes go?" and you shrugged your shoulders, your palms up. It was adorable!!

2. Speaking of shoes, you've decided that shoes are awesome. You don't want to take them off. It could have something to do with the fact that your dad says things like, "Look! Jack's wearing shoes like a big boy!" And then everyone claps. It's great when we're going somewhere, but taking naps in shoes is a problem.

3. You've become really good at celebrating. You throw your arms in the air, your shirt popping over your belly, and you cheer! You may or may not combine this with a happy dance. It depends on the celebration. Shoes=arm raise and happy dance. Fruit=arm raise only.

4. You recognize people in photographs, especially Yaya. You open photo albums and start naming people, just like you do with baby animals in picture books.

5. You say "Christine" and "J", or a version of these anyway. This warms their hearts. They love you very much.

6. You got more teeth, finally. It's been a while since anything happened on that front. I firmly believe that getting all four i-teeth at the same time is what made you so sick this month. We had to skip a lot of Nanny time because of your illness. Oye. Molars are next.

7. You can almost turn door knobs. You understand the mechanics of how it works, but you aren't quite strong enough yet. This is going to pose a problem..

Ok, Jack B'Hat, I have another interview to attend. I have to go. But I love you very much, and as always, I am proud to be your Momma.

Love,
Momma
p.s. We decided to stay where we are at the moment..

19 Months

Dear Jack B'Hat,

You're 19 months old and I don't think I can account for all of the new things you are doing! It's like all of a sudden, someone switched on the "learn" button, and you're running at hyper speed. I'll do the best I can. Here goes:


1. I suppose the most important thing is you learned how to say the word "no". I blame your Uncle Dutch for this because over Christmas he showed you where the piano keyboard was and all you wanted to do was play. Uncle Dutch got bored of the game before you did and kept telling you "No, not right now."

The weird thing is the way you say "no". I say, "Jack, do you want to eat?" You cock your head to the side, like you're really considering the question, shake your head and say in a considerate tone,"naw". It's very pleasant, actually. But then pretty much everything you say is sweet to me.

2. You make up games. For example today you had a ball and two (plastic) golf clubs. You hit the ball into the grass and then looked at me. If I started towards the ball, you would run past me to get there first. Then you'd swat at the ball until it was back on the concrete. You giggled to yourself, like you were getting away with something, but it was clear that I, as usual, was a pawn in your little game. I love the creativity, though!

3. You're learning words like crazy! You say "nano" for piano, "caw" for car, swing, show, nap (the name for your blankie), Yaya, Nana, "Gandy" for Grandy, bath (which you despise!), green, red, blue, roar, baby, etc. This is in addition to all the words you know already!

4. You're starting to recognize people in pictures. Well, you only recognize one person in pictures: Yaya. In drawings, you call anything fuzzy "Casey" unless it's a duck Then you yell DUCK! Sometimes you point at pictures of Gramps and say, "baby." I think it's because he's bald. If you pet Casey, you say "sweet" even if you are pounding on his back. This is a result of us cautioning you to be sweet to Casey since you mostly tend to pound on his back.

I'm sorry to cut this one short, but you're crying because you've just finished a bath which was, apparently, your worst nightmare come true. Your dad sounds frustrated and keeps saying, "Oh, Baby Jack, oh Baby Jack.." Bath time is tough time which is why we usually tag-team it. We love you, though.

Happy 19 months, Baby Boy! I'm proud to be your momma!

Love,

Momma

A Year and a Half!!!

Dear Jack B’Hat,
What in the world happened? Time has gone by so incredibly fast that all of a sudden you’re a year and a half old! You had your well baby doctor visit today and the nurse asked, “Can he say at least three words?” When I hear that I was all, “Pshaw! He can say like 30!” which pretty puts you at genius caliber, I’m certain.

They also asked if you stack things. Dad responded with, “Yeah. He’s a stacking sonofabitch!” I was nodding in agreement when I realized what the implications of that statement actually meant.. And honestly, that is how your dad reenacts the scenario. Really, he responded with, “Yes. He stacks quite well, thank you.”
Anyway, here are some things that happened this month:

1. You play the piano! Sort of. You touch the keys, but we think you’re a natural since you actually press the keys instead of pounding them like you do the drum..or your stuffed animals,or balls, or pretty much everything else you touch. And you look adorable at the piano! Might we have a maestro in the family? Only time will tell.

2. You’re still climbing, Yaya bought you a toddler sized chair for you to sit in because, partly, she saw pictures of you climbing onto the big people furniture – specifically from ottoman to table top – and that concerned her. So, the toddler chair is nice.. except that you climb into it sideways, face first, your feet flailing out the side. Once you’re in it, you stand up, hike one leg over the side, dangle for a moment before sliding back onto the floor. (Ahem) I do have to say that I’m glad you have this chair to much bananas and goldfish in, but other than that, I can’t say that it’s more “safe.”

3. New words I’ve heard you say this month include: ou-fy (outside), shos (shoes), shaws (socks), book, swing, show, and Nononononononoooo. Yeah. Love the last one.

4. You can beatbox. Seriously. This is an accomplishment I’m very proud of. When Biz Marquee comes on to do his spot on Yo Gabba Gabba, you turn around and start zerberting into your palm and dancing. The first time I saw you do this, I was stunned, then laughed histerically, and then dove for the camera. This is the response given every time you do this.

You are growing so fast, little one. I love you so, so much and am proud of everything you do!

Love,
Momma

17 Months

Dear Jack B’Hat,

You’re 17 months old today. At the grocery store yesterday, the bag boy asked me how old you are and I said, “Almost 17 months old.” He wrinkled his brow, looked up at the ceiling and said, “So how old is he?” I stopped, wrinkled my brow and tried my hand at the calculation. What I figured is that I need to stop saying your age in months. You’re almost a year and a half.

Here are some things that have happened recently:

1. You’ve learned to kiss!!! I’m in love with this. I say, “Jack can I have a kiss?” and you pucker your lips, lean in and swack me wherever you land. Sometimes it’s the cheek, sometimes it’s the air near my cheek, and sometimes it’s right on my mouth! Dada says that it’s weird for me to allow you to do that, but I say, “No! It’s perfectly fine! Auntie Jen and Auntie Lisa have kissing walls in their houses with their family, so it’s not such a stretch. Besides, it’s not like we’re making out!” I don’t care what Dada says. I think it’s amazing, and sweet, and wonderful. I know that later in your life, you won’t want to kiss your Momma, so I’m savoring all the opportunities I get!

2. You can now climb up onto all of the furniture. You use the couches and ottomans to climb onto tables, and we’re pretty much doomed.

3. I’m going to tell the world that you are not a couch potato, and that you don’t watch too much TV. But perhaps I’ll have to revise my claim when I say that you know Yo Gabba Gabba so well that you recognize when DJ Lance says, “It’s almost time to go.” At those words, you throw yourself onto the floor, bury your head in your hands and yell, “Uh Oh!!!” I imagine if you could, you’d rise up, throw your fist in the air, and scream, “OH THE HUMANITY!” But sadly the words won’t come.

4. Everything is a telephone. You hold objects to your ear and say, “Wa Row?” which is you’re version of “hello?” Then you either chatter to yourself or continue with, “Wa row? Wa row? Uh oh!!” So. Flippin’ Cute.

5. You’re finally exploring in the yard! Until now, you wouldn’t venture away from the safety of the concrete into the unknown jungle of the grass. But one day, you just did it. You ran into the grass and then back and then out and then back. So now, you’re everywhere. Good luck to Momma and Dada in the airport this Christmas... (sigh) How much are those kid leashes?

All in all it’s been a wonderful month! I love you, B’Hat and am so glad to be your Momma!!

Kisses! (Because you can!),

Momma

Happy Halloween!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

16 Months

Dear Jack B'Hat,

I'm 34.

I know that's a weird way to start a letter to you because depending on how old you are when you read this determines how much it matters. In my mind you're on the computer after having tucked in your own dear ones, and you're about to write a letter to them detailing the events of the month. You've come here, curious about any comparisons between who you were at their age and who they are now, and you miss me. By then, technology will have advanced so much that the computer you're on won't be recognized by my generation as a computer. It will be foreign and vague and will be the sort of thing that causes much frustration to me and stifled giggles to you.

Anyway, I suppose the reason I mention my age is because I just had a birthday two days ago. So, you are 16 moths old and I'm 34. Time goosesteps on. I keep whispering in your ear, "That's big enough, ok. Stay my little one!" That said, I know it's good that you're growing up. I remind myself that this time is the best time and that will be true of each moment your whole life.

Here are some things that have happened this month:

1. You've begun to climb. It's not ok. You hike your leg up onto whatever piece of furniture - especially the rocking chair in your room - you're standing next to. If that piece of furniture has anything to grab onto, you can hoist yourself up.The reason this is difficult is that after you get on whatever you're climbing, you stand up. Sitting, apparently, is anathema to your morals so,by golly, YOU WILL STAND. And then cry because you can't get down.

2. You like football. You yell, "Go Tech!" or really, your version is "Yeah Yeah!!" You wave your fist in the air and cheer, "Yay!" You do this when you see a football field on the TV.

3. Your Maha (or Yaya or YaPaw or whatever the heck she's called. I call her Mom.) has taught you to hold bath toys in the air and yell, "Cannonball!" and then drop them. You learned very quickly and play "Cannonball!" with everything - the bath toys, other toys, food, my cell phone etc. Of course you don't really say, "cannonball", it sounds like "Lalalaaaaa!" But we all get what you're doing. Thanks for that game, Maha.. ;)4. You've begun to chatter. A lot. You chatter all the time and sometimes sing. It's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. It's particularly fun when your chatter sounds like cursing. Your dad and I look at each other and giggle, and then we renew our vows to stop cursing when it dawns on us that you might really be using words that we taught you. Shit!

5. New vocabulary word of the month: Teetee. You say this during diaper changes. To recap, you know Momma, Dada, Casey, rock, ball, and teetee. As Auntie Chrif-teen says, "You know who your parents are, the pet, a toy, and your penis. Yep. Pure boy." The other day, and this is an over share, you were patting my belly, as per the instructions of your father, and then patted lower and said, "teetee". Son, we have some things to talk about. Better yet, go ask your father.

6. I saw you jump in place on Friday. It's the first time I've seen you do that, and I think it scared you a little bit. This, especially with the knowledge that you are learning to climb, is so. freaking. scary to me. Please, may jumping scare you a little while longer, at least until I learn how to handle the climbing part. Please?
Jack, you are growing up to be such a sweet, wonderful, smart boy! I love you so much, baby. I'm glad to be your momma.

-Momma

All this and more..

on the Flickr.