May 2012: 20 months

Dear Patrick, this month:

• You said, “Happy Mudders Day” this month and yes, indeed, you made the day very happy for all of us. 
• One morning, you asked for the “big book,” which is the ipad. I looked around the living room and I didn’t see it so I told you, “I’m sorry, Patrick, I don’t know where it is.” You said, “Dada move?” and I was amazed that option even occurred to you. So I smiled at my brilliant child and simply said in reply, “Yes, maybe your Dad moved it.”  Knowing out of sight is out of mind, I thought that would be the end of the discussion.  Nope.  You paused for a moment and then looked me right in the eye and said, “Ask him.”  Wow...my brilliant, resourceful child - just wow.
• Things you would not realize unless you talked to a twenty-month year old: “Friar Tuck” (a character from Robbin Hood) and “fire truck” sound remarkably the same. 
• You received your second official haircut mid-month.  We’ve discovered the secret to keeping you happy at Great Clips is letting you squirt your father in the face with the water bottle.  Your dad is a good man.
• You love stickers.  Miss April gave you lots of stickers early this month, which we transfer to index cards and put in little photo books for you to carry around - your "sticky books," as you say.
• We’ve moved onto past tense verbs this month.  I handed you the “Runaway Bunny” book that Omi and Pop gave you and you took it to your father and said, “Mama gave.”  As an aside: you quote, “Aw shucks bunny” and “so he did” from the last page of that book.  Its very cute. 
• You love to be a naked baby, and you ask to take your clothes off often.  In fairness, this summer is hot already and there is a lot of sprinkler/baby pool fun to be had, which of course is just better nude.  
• You are starting school next month so Gangie is helping us get organized and prepared for the big day!  She is going to get you your first lunchbox.  Gangie is the best.
• Your dad brought you a computer even though I told him it will be outdated by the time you can you actually “use” it.  But it was explained that this computer was “an original, orange, clamshell Mac iBook” and it was not only sentimental to your father, but apparently only $40 on Craigslist.
• I softly tickle your forehead, cheeks, chin - and say, "butterflies on your face."  With eyes closed, you'll say, "Omi do."  That’s right, buddy -- Omi tickled my face when I was little and now I do it for you.  And you love it just as much as I did!
• Some of my favorite things you say this month are: “Get you Mama,” “fistles,” which are Willy’s favorite food (thistles), “A-choo Patrick,” "Sneaky-sneak," “Hug Mama," "Happy Mudders Day, Da-da!" and "Crawl baby."  
• Owl is a very important member of the family.  We had a scare this month when he went “hiding” at bedtime.  But we found him.  Please don’t ever fly away, Owl.
• My favorite exchange this month between us. Me: "Good Morning, Patrick!  Lets get some breakfast."  Patrick: "pop tart?" Me: "No, lets get some oatmeal instead."  Patrick after a long pause: "Da-da said pop tart."  Oh, he did now, did he?!!
• Although we are struggling with the amount of TV to let you want to watch, it’s so cute when you ask to “hold hand” so you can drag us down the hall to turn on the player (my old VCR player and VHS Disney tapes!) in your room. “Watch movie,” you say.
• We traveled to Macon for Memorial Day Weekend and you had a wonderful time watering the tomatoes and cutting flowers with Pop, playing on the ipad with Omi, splashing in the pool and fountain that your father and Bunky created for you, visiting with the Kings and Tom Hope.  There were also a lot of biscuits given to Winnie. 
  
• Owl use to just be a "crib friend" to help you sleep, but now apparently Owl wants toast for breakfast and makes other such demands, which he articulates through you.  I am particularly pleased that Owl seems to want hugs and kisses most often.  I am full of those.
  I love you, my sweet boy, Mom 
  
  

April 2012: 19 months

Dear Patrick,

• On the morning of April 5th, your dad had to go into work early and I got you up and changed your diaper and brought you to the couch with your owl lovie.  As you sipped on your juice and rested your little head (so warm and lovely) on my chest, I thought the day couldn't start more perfect.   
  
• I’m amazed how you are putting words and complete thoughts together.  You asked, “Gangie come?” and then later in the month, “Mama, Chair, Up” so you could watch me cut vegetables for dinner.  I also love how you say "Get that" or "Read this." 
  
• The transition away from bottles has gone really well.  We now read one book cuddled in the chair in your room and then you say, “bed!” and point to your crib.  You roll around, play and talk to yourself until you fall asleep.
  
• You have an amazing memory. You can say the end of nursery rhymes, which is absolutely fascinating to me.  “Humpty-Dumpty” and “Wee-Willy-Winkie” are your favorites.  And you can fill in the numbers “2, 3, 8 and 10” when we count.  And you know (about 90% of the time) the colors black, blue, orange, pink, white and red.
  
• Uncle Sonny and Aunt Katie came to visit you over Easter, and you may have a tiny crush on Aunt Katie - but who doesn’t?!  We all do.
  
• My new favorite word that you say so clearly and beautifully is “honeydew” and you say all three syllables perfectly. There is just no way to type it as cute as you say it.  I want to make it my ringtone.  (At the end of the month, you said “honeysuckle” - your first four syllable word. I also love the way you say “headcake” for headache.)
  
• I gave you your second official “trim” haircut the evening of 4/11 and only nicked you once. I then had to sticky-roll you up and down to collect the pixie dust hair that fell on your clothes, the floor and couch.  You never took your eyes off Dora the Explorer.
  
• We’ve had our first experience with a mini temper-tantrum this month. You asked me for “canny” (candy) one evening and I said, “no.”  So, you thought for a moment and then turned without missing a beat to your father and asked him.  When he said no you thought the world would end and told us all about it.
  
• You like to put on your monkey boots and jump in the puddle at the end of the Turner’s driveway.  
  
• Pop came to visit mid-month and you showed him how you can slide at the park, “jump,” which is basically raising one foot off the floor, and “dance” by moving your arms up and down like a monkey.
  
• Gerald has been updating the front yard this month and you ask about the Bobcat and Hank's shovel often.
• I love that you think the lawnmower naps.
• You are such a sensitive soul.  We mentioned that Nana (Nannie) had arm surgery and you are so worried about her.  Anytime we mention Nannie’s name, you immediately say, “arm” and touch your own arm.  Then Aunt Su Su came to visit and had a bandage on her hand and every few mins you would check on it.  Also, Mr. Frumble, a character in one of your books, lost his hat and you get this very worried look on your face and ask about “hat” with wrinkled eyebrows out of the blue. 
  
  
  I love you very much, 
  Mom

March 2012: 18 months

Dear Patrick,

We are the proud parents of a year and a half year old, as of today!  Wow.

• You say (or rather repeat, my little parrot,) everything we say.  Everything.  And you know words for things I don’t even remember teaching you! For example, the other day you pointed to a rock and said “moss.”  And there was indeed moss on that rock!  How did you know that word?
• You spent five days at the beach with your grandparents (BB/Grammie) and your GREAT grandparents (Papa/Nannie) and your Aunt Su-Su, and you had a wonderful time.  They said you didn't cry once.  Of course, they also gave you everything your heart desired.
• We pulled out the humidifier and had the doctor prescribe allergy medicine for you this month.  Spring came early and has covered your world in yellow pollen dust.  So, you’ve been waking up in the middle of the night because you can’t breathe through a stuffy nose.  It hurts my heart.
• You have now started saying words in the middle of the sentences that you hear - not just the last word.  “Do you want to go to the park?” we might ask, and you’ll repeat the word “want” or “go,” in addition to saying “park.”  It’s like we can actually watch your little brain work to remember all the parts of the sentence.  It’s fascinating.
• Your doctor thinks you should stop drinking from bottles this month. Personally, I wouldn’t care if you took your bottle to college, but I respect the doctor’s advice.  So at the end of the month, we have moved to a sippy cup and the transition is going fine.  A little crying and thrashing around in your crib but you get over it and are asleep within ten minutes.
• Pop came to visit you in the middle of the month and after he left, you thought you saw Pop everywhere.  “Pop!” you shouted at the butcher.  “Pop!” you say as you point to strangers on the street.  (We’ve got to get Pop back here again soon.)   
• Your toenails are crazy.  I’ll never get over it.  Even on the day you were born, you were this little perfect nugget with crazy, crooked toenails.  
• You love to draw (“write,” you say) with pens and markers. And I know its only a matter of time before the house is your canvas, but for now you’ve kept your masterpieces on paper.
• At your 18 month check-up, you were 90% height and 40% weight.  When the nurse walked in the room you said, "heeeey" and waved.  However, when the doctor walked in you started to cry and said "nooooo...." It was sweet and pitiful.
• Your father and I are planning to travel to Macon to celebrate Omi’s retirement the last weekend of the month, so you will be with Grammie and BB.  My guess is that you will eat your weight in Reese's pieces and acquire a few more toys this weekend.  Oh, its good to be 1.5!

Love always,
Mom

February 2012: 17 months

 

Dear Patrick,

Today is Leap Year and we are celebrating your seventeen months by thinking how quickly they have "leaped" by.  Here are the highlights from the month: 

• You announced to us on Superbowl Sunday morning that you had just pooped.  Thanks, buddy.
• Grammy and I went to the “switch-a-roo” consignment event and bought you 18 month winter clothes and some 24 month summer outfits.
• It was 70 degrees on February 5th - a beautiful day in the middle of winter.
• The official sign language for "please" is done by making a small circular movement on your chest with one hand.  You say please by rubbing your whole body up and down.  Sometimes with both hands. 
• You desperately want to be able to jump but can't understand yet how to get both feet off the ground. 
• Your face broke your fall on the driveway this month and earned you the nickname “Bruiser Byrd.”
• You started a music class with Grammy this month.  I’m not sure you knew what to make of the other kids sitting in a circle singing songs.  You got up and stood right in the middle of it all - the center of attention.
• You made a new friend: “Snowy” the owl.  And when we read the "Owl Babies" book you say “No-eee," and run to get her because she must so obviously be their cousin.
• You have more little bumps and bruises this month than ever before - everyday, everywhere.
• You don’t have much hair to cut but we took you for your first official “trimming” on Monday 2/20 at Great Clips.  You didn’t like the bib-cover (which we didn't use), but really enjoyed the swivel chair and squirt bottle.  
• We took you to visit “school” this month at Fourth Presbyterian church and hope to enroll you two mornings a week in their summer program starting in June.
• You love to hide in the closet under your father's shirts. We say "Where is Patrick?  Is he here?" And you say, "no."  
• You love to dance, sit in the car and pretend to drive, and play "tee-he-he" (a game you and your father made-up) in the pillows on the bed.
• The child development books state that most babies your age can say ten words.  But you, my son, are a linguistical superstar.  You can say: fish, juice, dis (this), wa-wa (water), no, man, bonga (bone), ta-ta (thank you), bean, wrecker (record), dudes (garbage dude - thanks Grammie) mote (remote control for the TV), poon (spoon), bush (brush), broom, mop, soup, keeni (zucchini), canny (candy), bike, moon, rain, shoes, ball, ollies (olives), ownie (onion), hole, write (and you love to scribble on paper), truck, bus, poop, tee-tee, wooka (worker), hoops, railroad, stick, blue, black, sand, soap, gone, circle (and you know the shape), ba-ba (bottle), moaw-moaw, (mailman), heeey (and you always wave when you say it), mama, dada, barr (bear), taxi, sticky (which you use for sticker too), one two (and you can count), boo-boo, nose, knee, copper (helicopter), yucky, sneaky, meow, moo, Ganggie (Grammie), Nanny (Nana), Papa, Bunk, Gin-gin (Ginny his friend up the street), Noey (Snowy the owl), bee, buzz, toast, Backer (Baker the cat) and Pop (for your grandfather Neil and pop-tarts.) You also say “night” for the book “Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site,” and something that sounds like “Road Work,” another favorite book this month.

January 2012: 16 months

Dear Patrick, starting off the new year this month:

• I bought a children’s song CD to play in the car and you love it.  Especially the “Ants go Marching” but you really love all songs.  If you are ever upset and someone begins to sing any melody at all - you will forget your worries and stop to listen.
• You love the moon and look for it in the sky all the time now - day or night.  You point upwards and say “moooon.”
• You play “ah-boo” with Dad on his iphone.  And then you bring the game to the dining room table when you peek over the top to look at us on the other side.  I can't see your mouth (only your eyes) but I know you are smiling.  Your height amazes me since just last month, we watched you walk under the table without bumping your head.  
• If you are talking to us and we aren’t giving you our full attention (the quality attention you deserve!) you pull our faces to look at you.
• Uncky and your father do push-ups in the living room and you run over and jump on their backs.
• We took you to the Mexican place around the corner for dinner the night of Monday 1/16 and you had no desire to sit at the table in the high chair they provided.  Good thing its so loud in there.  Your father and I took turns noisily walking the length of the restaurant as you visited other patrons, splashed in the fountain, banged on the windows.
• You have both bottom molars in now.
• You are going to bed closer to 8:00pm vs 7:30.
• You can open the front door, which is scary.  So it now has to stay locked at all times because you desperately want to get outside.  Even when you are wearing nothing but a diaper...in the middle of winter.  Did I mention its January?  
• You love to taunt Cooper.  You demand to have a bone (“bonga”) from the pantry only to wave it in Cooper’s face and run in the other direction.  And when Cooper does finally take it, you cry buckets of tears in surprise.
• You don’t say “please” often but when you do it sounds like “plah.”
• We sing “Naked Baby Time” and no matter where you are in the house you go running for the bathroom to stand by the tub.
• You were always a good eater, but you’ve become a little picky lately.  Your father has gone so far as to write on the grocery list not actual "things" but instead phrases like “More exciting dinners for P” or “Ideas for breakfast?” We are trying.

December 2011: 15 months

Dear Patrick, during this month of December...

• You pronounce “spoon” as “poon” and you said “bowl” and something that sounded like “truck” and “okey-dokey” to me the evening of 12/8.  The most common word you say is “more” and you grunt for things you want.  There is a lot of grunting this month.
• We put the Christmas tree up the first weekend of the month and you love the ornaments and lights.  “Careful,” we say when you get too close.  And you always back away very politely.
• You do not believe me when I tell you that Baker is not always a nice kitty and will scratch the $%&*@ out of you.
• You scoot and slide backwards on your belly, pushing with your hands.  Sometimes all the way down the hall.  Why can’t I get this on film.  Its awesome.
• On 12/16 we asked you your name and you said “Pat-Pat,” which is what Virginia Whitaker calls you.  It actually sounds more like “Bat-Bat” but we know what you mean.
• You are getting another tooth!  I put my finger in your mouth to feel it the other day and you bit down so hard that I will never do that again.  Seriously, it was like you were a wild animal and I was stuck in the jaws of life.
• I’ve never seen a child love the mail man as much as you do.  You will say “mouw-mouw” for entire hours at a time.  Mr Johnny the mail man is very nice to you.  He even delivered you a post card addressed to you to thank you for our Christmas gift to him.
• You passed out candy-canes at my office and your father’s office this month (with some help from Grammy and Biggie).  Once you figured out that you could eat the candy however, you stopped giving it away.
• Cousin Marie came Saturday 12/17 and we all went to dinner together at “Trap Door,” which was entertaining because sitting at a table is not really what you want to do any longer now that you’ve learned to walk.  Cousin Ree-Ree let your father and I sleep in Sunday morning and you two played together.
• Uncky brought you a stuffed animal bear (which you pronounce “baar”).  Its really a foot-stool and very solid.  You can’t quite climb on his back alone, but with a little help you like to ride your new pet.  He is just your size.
• For Christmas, your Uncle Jono and Aunt Jen brought you many construction and truck books, so now the whole family knows the difference between a Front-Loader and a Digger.  Your other big surprise this holiday was "Pockets the horse."   

November 2011: 14 months

Dear Patrick, this month of November:

• You love to eat cold green peas.
• We are done with formula completely.  Your drink warm 2% organic milk for bottles now.
• At least once a day you wave to “James Oglethorpe” - the red plate Judge Fitzpatrick gave us for our wedding present.  I have no idea why you like Mr. Oglethorpe so much, but you smile big every time you notice him.
• The time change came this month (extra hour) and you did just fine.
• New bigger car seat that faces front was installed in my car for you.
• I’m sewing you a pair of Turkey overalls for Thanksgiving with help from Helen.
• You say “More” now -- it sounds like “Mauha” and we’re working on “mauha pweese.”
• We’ve started recording Sesame Street to watch in the mornings with you while you are still a bit sleepy and cuddly.
• You have eight teeth this month - four on the top and four on the bottom.
• You learned to walk on November 18 while we were in New York.  Our welcome home gift was watching you cross the living room for a hug.
• When you walk you hold your arms straight out in front for balance so that you look like a drunk Frankenstein
• You have full-on jibber-jabber conversations... not words exactly, but they very clearly mean something to you.
• Not much of a meat eater, but you like to try most foods.  You do better when you are distracted while eating - like if we give you a spoon to hold or a toy to chew on between bites.  You’ve expressed some interest in feeding yourself, but only like to hold the spoon for a wobbly bite or two.
• You called Sonny, Jono, Uncky and Mitch “da-da” over Thanksgiving.
• You say “tick-a-tick-a-tick-a” as you chew on Biggie’s watch.  More amazing - Biggie lets you chew and slobber on his watch.  He may not even care about the time and in fact only wear a watch for you to eat.
• I can walk standing upright while holding your hand - you are so much taller this month.
• You called Winnie “Babu” (repeatedly) over Thanksgiving in Macon.  And you sat at the table with us - you had your very own bowl and spoon and sippy cup.
• Your Pop taught you to climb up and down the long staircase in Macon.
• You clearly say “book” now - you absolutely love to read.  Your Aunt Jen and I both found some “Golden Books,” which are still a bit old for you, but we look at the pictures without reading all the words.