I was laying in my bed with you this afternoon reading you a book and this thought came to me: you are the total cliche perfect baby. I know you're not a baby anymore, really, but you still sometimes seem like one to me and frankly I like thinking of you that way. Daddy and I have little conferences where we talk about how amazingly cute, precious and endearing you are; and how it actually hurts to think about you growing older and changing. We adore you.
So, cliche baby: you hug my thigh when we're out in public and you're feeling shy, you love to read the same book over and over (dinosaurs!), you give kisses and hugs, you cuddle stuffed animals and give them kisses, you murmur "I love yous", you hold hands when we're walking places, you're a bit of a Mama's boy (when Daddy's not around, at least!)...you're like a baby in a movie!
I've been jotting down notes about what you've been doing and saying, but since it's been so long since I've updated half are totally outdated already. Your language is flying along. Yesterday I pulled out a few DVDs and you looked at them and said "What are those?" You're adding in all of the little words (are, is, of) that usually come last when a kid is picking up the language. Some favorites:
* Where going? (You've now updated this, and the rest to, Where ARE YOU going? but I love the old way most)
* What doing?
* What eating?
* Happy birthday to you!
* Instead of "here comes (a car, train, Daddy, whatever) you say "Yay comes a car!" or "Yay comes Daddy!"
* Nah-nah-boo-boo, can't catch me!
* Shake your booty (complete with awkward booty-shaking)
* No yike it!
* A gleeful "I did it!" when you do something on your own, and a petulant "I do it!" when you want to do something on your own.
When you do something wrong, or even when you don't, you're quick with an "I'm sorry Mama". Last week you threw something plastic and heavy into the air and I watched as it crashed down onto my shin. I tried not to yell but my gasping was audible. You hurried over chanting "Sorry Mama, sorry Mama" and pulled up right in front of me. You knelt down to ask "Okay Mama?" and then gave me a little smooch on the lips. Too cute. When you fall down you'll often look up at me and say "Okay, Mama" to reassure me that you're okay. Yesterday you actually said "I'm okay!" and got on with whatever it was you were doing. You are so agreeable: if I ask for a bite of your food, or ask you to hand me something, you usually say "sure!" and hand it to me. I love the "Sure!"
You still love to read, by yourself or being read to. Unfortunately you've also fallen madly in love with TV and ask for it non-stop. I get you out of your crib to "one show?" and put you down to talk of "movie?" When I tell you "no" you often start sobbing, asking "why not?" Pitiful.
When I point to a picture of you and ask who it is, you exclaim "Jackie!" I'm trying to work on Jack River instead. You ask about Nate when he's at school, and are visibly happy when he comes home. You love bringing him things and say "welcome!" even if he doesn't say thank you.
You are completely in love, obsessed with trains. You play with your trains and tracks for real stretches at a time. You carry the trains around with you, putting them in my purse when you realize we're leaving the house. You love the Thomas books and movies, and yell out whenever you see a train (usually the Metro) around town. You've come to believe that any overpass or bridge is a train track, spotting them all over town.
You used to say "wuv eew!" but now you say "love you" instead. When I tuck you in at night I lay you on your pillow and give you Pink Doll and Paci (and new additions Dinosaur and Lion and Doggie). Then we talk about how first comes yellow blanket, then blue blanket, and then Turtle Blanket(!) (which is really the frog blanket but I said it wrong the first time and now you're committed to it being called Turtle Blanket). When you're totally tucked in we murmer "I love yous" to each other for a while before I leave. Best part of my day, hands-down.
When we were in Aruba there was a big elephant statue, probably just a bit taller than you. We spent a lot of time with it one evening, touching and smiling at it and talking to it. When it was time to leave for the hotel, I told you to tell elephant good night. You went over and gave it a pat, then said "Wuv eew elephant!" You looked at the shop right behind at all the toys in the window and carried on: "Wuv eew babies! See you later! Wuv eew trucks! Wuv eew boat!" It's honestly more than my heart can take sometimes.
I love your spirit, I love your love, I love your sassiness. I'm so grateful for you Jack.
Love,
Mama
