Nineteen Months!

Mini GQ Model, originally uploaded by bburbank.

This nineteenth month of yours was a roller coaster ride. You were the most difficult, but the very most fun you’ve ever been this month. The beginning of the month was a bit of a trial. You were sick with a perpetually runny nose, a high fever, and you refused to sleep. I paced the house for 45 minutes at a stretch with you on my back at 1am trying to coax you to sleep despite your every effort to get out of that backpack and watch more television. You would get an idea into your head and HAVE to have it or you would flip out. I normally just try and let your tantrums run their course and patiently try and figure out what you wanted. These times, however, I knew exactly what you wanted and you weren’t allowed to have them and that made you very, very angry which, in turn, made me very very exhausted and frustrated. After a few days of many tantrums at the grocery store, in the carseat, and before every single nap or bedtime, we made it through and you just stopped doing it. It was a phase that I’m glad has abated for the time being. I had to admire your persistence. You would punch into the air pointing at the thing you wanted shouting “this this this.” It would have been amusing if it hadn’t been past midnight.

Those few days taught me that patience is the ONLY way to get through the difficult times. Your Dad actually taught me that. He is extremely patient and level headed and that has helped me when I get frustrated. One trying evening he just came into the playroom where I was pacing and turned on the Yo Gabba Gabba soundtrack and patted us both on the back and walked along with us until you fell asleep. It also helps to know that phases go as suddenly and reliably as they appear, so remember the light at the end of the tunnel.

Then, after that first trying week of your nineteenth month you have had the time of your life! Your personality is shining through brighter and brighter every day and you are just a joy to spend time with! Some highlights:
- The last week of April you discovered words big time! You are saying so many new words and even phrases and can repeat every letter in the alphabet! I love to see how proud of yourself you are when I clap for you after saying new words.
-I feel better able to play with you because of this new level of communication. We can sit and play with blocks together. You can pick out colors and shapes.
-We have tons of new Buzz Lightyear paraphanalia thanks to Bubby and a Toy Story toddler bed waiting for me to get brave enough to allow you to sleep in. You LOVE your new Buzz things and point out all the Buzzes in the room to me and say “Buzz Buzz Buzz” as you point.
- We’ve been cooking and cleaning together. I especially love it when you help me empty or fill the dishwasher. The other day, as you handed me spoons and forks you lifted them out of the tray and up to your mouth and pretended to lick them, then you laughed. Your first little joke! It was awesome. You’ll even put the silverware into the silverware drawer all on your own. I didn’t even ask you to!
- Out in the backyard you pretend to sniff the ground like Leela does. You like to find sticks and poke them through little holes in the fence. You like to crouch down and watch the little ants crawling around. You run around in circles and try to make yourself dizzy.
-I watched Yo Gabba Gabba with you yesterday and you actually made all the funny faces. I had no idea you could do that. I got off the couch halfway through the show and looked back at you and you patted the couch cushion next to you, asking me to come back and sit down. It’s easy to get caught up in chores and other tasks. Sometimes you just want me to plop down and watch a show with you. It made my heart squishy.
- You are obsessed with books and I’ve been taking you to the library weekly to get a huge pile of books because I get tired of reading Dug the Dog, I Love Dinosaurs, and Jumpy Jack and Googily, even though they are great books. You love any book by Rachel Isadora and you like Eric Carle’s simpler books.
- Daddy got you a Magnadoodle today and we have never seen you so attached to an activity toy. You don’t want to ever stop drawing on it. You don’t ever want to let go of it. I had to basically rip it from your hands to get you buckled into your carseat. You insisted on carrying it into the restaurant yourself. You wouldn’t let us touch it. Geesh! I’m glad you like it, though. It’s a good toy.
- You love water activities and had a lot of fun in Calina’s wading pool the other day. I have been leaving you at Calina’s house once a week and letting Pops babysit you once a week and you are doing better and better with that. You seem to both have a harder and harder time saying goodbye and more and more fun once I’m gone. It has been great for me to get out and work at the museum twice a week. I’m having a lot of fun with it and feel good teaching the kids and earning a little extra spending money.
- You love choo choo trains, Wow Wow Wubbzy, Buzz and Woody still, making the dog run around the house like crazy, practicing walking up and down stairs without holding on to anything, running around the house naked, especially right before bathtime (the other day you accidentally peed a little on a rug and ran into the bathroom where I was getting your bath ready and said “Oh noooo” and grabbed yourself. I said, “uh oh, Jho, show me what happened” and you ran over to the spot on the rug and showed me. I was actually so proud of you for knowing that that was not correct and then for telling me! I hope you continue to do that for all other infractions in your future! Maybe it’s about potty training time?!?
- You’ve been playing dress-up with my shoes, my mardi gras beads, and various hats. You are obsessed with shoes and know that we aren’t allowed to go outside without them so you make sure to have them on and make sure that I put my shoes on, too. You’ve discovered the refrigerator and are also obsessed with it, driving me crazy opening and closing the fridge or just standing with it open while you peruse the offerings. Usually you just want “Juuush”
-You love to sing twinkle twinkle, pat-a-cake, open shut them, and the abc’s.
-It messes with my head to think about being your Mom and you being an actual person who depends on me to keep you safe and love you and teach you and make sure you grow up to be the best man you can be. I have to stop sometimes and force those thoughts into my head so that I’ll realize what an awesome and amazing relationship we really have. I have a lot of fun hanging out with you, little buddy. You are good company and a fun friend!