Dear Jay Bird,

I think that you are changing before my eyes little boy.  You turned 17 months just last week, when did that happen?  You are growing up and while I want to stop you and keep you just the way you are I can’t wait to see what you have yet to discover and learn.

This is just a random list of little things that I am sure to forget as time passes if I don’t take a minute and write them down right now…

* Lately, you clap every time we pull into the driveway and when I turn to look at you, you smile this unbelievable smile.  We don’t leave the house daily or for even long periods of time but whenever we do you are always happy to return home.

* Every time you hear the timer on the oven go off you run around the house yelling “beep, beep Momma- beep, beep”.  Then you make sure I follow you to the oven so I will turn the oven light on and you can see what is inside baking.  It’s like having a baking alert system and I NEVER miss the timer going off.

* You squeal and yell “Daddy! Daddy!” the moment you see his truck in the driveway, hear him pulling in or when he walks through the door after work.  You are so excited to see him and for him to come home that you usually only stop yelling and squealing when he says hello to you.  It is so sweet to watch and I fall a little more in love with both of you every time I get to witness it.

* You love chase right now.  You delight in running from me (usually when I am frustrated and trying to take something away from you that you shouldn’t have) and you always, always  succumb to fits of laughter when you are caught.  Oh yeah, and crawling under the dinning room table is loads of fun too; especially since Mommy and Daddy “can’t” catch you there!

*Ice is your new favorite word and activity with Piper.  Every morning when we get up you march to the fridge, pull on the freezer and ask for “ice” frantically signing please over and over again until I open it up and let you dig out however many pieces you desire.  You always share your ice with Piper, smashing it on the ground or waiting until she bites it in half to share your bounty.

*Speaking of words you are full of them right now.  I will admit that some (ok- most) of them are words that only Daddy and I can understand but they are words- oh my, they are words!  You can say, Momma or Mommy- whichever you choose at the moment, Dada or Daddy, Kitty, Piper (Pippu), color (as in I want to color), ice, popsicle (pop), pop corn, please, cheese, cracker (crakr), water (waddr), blueberry (blue), bye-bye, waffle (wavle), beep- beep, cookie, juice, Holly (Ha-yee), Me and therefore Mimi, Pepere (Pepar) movie (momie), book, ball, baby (bebe), paci (pa-i), shoes, hat, eyes, car(although everything with wheels- car, van or truck is a car) and so many more.  Honestly, you mimic almost everything that comes out of my mouth!

* You love to color these days!!  We have set up a little coloring desk in the living room and you will sit there for the longest time (well the longest time in your world) and color ’til your heart’s content.

* When you smile the sides of your face curl up but your cheeks or so round that they get in the way and it makes them look like little balls on your face.  I know that this is random but I don’t want the picture of this in my head to fade.

* You want to do most things on your own, all by yourself and without any help, and you really like to get your own way.  This includes feeding yourself.  You have mastered getting a fork to your mouth all on your own and you can poke your own watermelon and scoop your open yogurt.  These are true feats of mastery little boy!

* You have recently discovered your belly button and from time to time will pull up your shirt and check to see if it’s still there.  It’s so funny to watch you dig around there to find it when we ask you where it is.

* You can tell us where your hair, ears, eyes, mouth, fingers and toes are.  You also can point out your parents’ hair, mouth, eyes and ears are too.  Although you do sometimes think that you need to poke us in the eye or pull our mouths open to see what is inside.

* You  have been teething for nothing short of 1.5 months.  They are really bothering you and honestly if they don’t pop through soon I may take measures into my own hands.  You are not a pleasant kiddo when you are teething, sorry but this is a fact!

* You usually stand on the trunk in the living room watching me make super every night.  You sometimes play with your cars on the counter, other times you just watch and point to various foods.   If you are lucky you get to “taste” what is on the menu and if I am lucky you will rest your head on your hands and give me the best smile there is.

I love watching you grow, I love watching you explore, I love watching you tip over with excitement when you learn something new. But most of all I love you sweet boy…

Love,

Mama