New Words

Some big new words have entered into our world. Evan started saying "Mine" this week. Today he said "Ball" instead of "Ah-da" which has been his word for ball for almost a year. It was one of his first words. His language is really starting to take off. He has a new word or two each day now.

Dear Evan-23 Months Old

Dear Evan-

All I can say is "Wow". Life is moving so fast. I look at this past month and cannot believe all of the things you are now doing. You are really starting to say so many words. It is nice to hear your voice and to see how proud you are when you say a new word. This past month I am amazed at how much more physical you are and your ability to do so many new physical activities. I find that you love to balance on anything. Especially get up on a short wall and hold my hand as you take each foot across the thin line of the wall. You love to jump and are fascinated with tall things. That is a couple of many of your new words: "Tall" and "High". You seem to still be fascinated with trucks and anything with wheels. You love the sprinklers and we still go on hunts to find all of them along the way. You have found holes quite interesting lately and love to place sticks or a toy trucks inside. You are finding trains more interesting and have started to watch Thomas on TV. That is a brand new thing for us to do together as we haven't done TV before now. You will point to the TV and say "Choo Choo"? The funny thing is that you don't want to sit still for long and after about a five minute episode you will turn the TV of yourself to go and do something different. It cracks me up. You love to collect things. I find little treasures of things everywhere. It is a bucket of blocks or a box with a truck, block and a fork inside.

I am amazed at what a little person you now are. You are kind and gentle. You seem to have a stillness about you and you are always happy. You are the happiest kid. You laugh and smile and love for people to laugh and smile with you. You are patient even when you really want something. You seem not to like disorder. You like things to be in their correct place and struggle when they are not. You all ready seem to have such a clear sense of wrong or right and you really listen when Mommy or Daddy ask you to not do something.

One of your new words this month is "Home". We will be out with friends or at the park and you will walk up to me and say "Home". It is wonderful to have such clear sense of what you want. We immediately get our things together and go. Yesterday we were at the park and you came up to me and requested to go home. We got home and was pulling into the drive way when you said you didn't want to go home. I asked you if you wanted to drive somewhere and you said "Yes". So we left and we were about two blocks away when you fell sound asleep.

The other day you were watching Thomas. It was over and I stood up to turn off the TV. You looked at me and said "Another?". Before I could respond (I was floored that you said that word) you held up two fingers and said "Two"?. I loved it. You made your request so clear that we watched another Thomas.

This past month has been hard for me. I find that I am grieving that my little baby is becoming such a boy. You are independent and so bright. You are so curious and love to explore. Daddy and I both try to encourage you with your curiousity and exploring. We love to talk long walks with you and let you just roam.

I love you so much. I am thrilled to be living life with you. I love how the three of us live together and make each day special.

Happy Birthday my sweet little boy.

xo

Mommy

Imagination

Lastnight we went to dinner with Rachel and Isabel. We had the best day. We went to the piglet costume party in the morning and then took the afternoon to spend at a farm North of the city. We picked raspberries, climbed hay pyramids, took E's first pony ride and played with MANY pumpkins. On the way home we stopped for dinner. While we were waiting for food I noticed Evan playing with his straw and making his sound effects that he makes when he plays with his crane at home. I realized that he was pretending that his straw was a crane. It was the first time I have ever seen him imagine an object is something he is creating in his head. I was thrilled and proud to see play in this new way.

Evan Pictorial Update-22 Months

It's Fall

Dear Evan-22 Months Old

Hi Little Guy!
Where do I begin? Each month is such an adventure with you. You are talking up a storm now. There is a constant dialogue from you and I LOVE hearing it. You really want to engage us in conversation. If you are trying to show us something you will say Mama again and again until I look at you to acknowledge your finding. You search our face to make sure we have clear eye contact too. It is so wonderful how expressive and communicative you are. You have also started to look up at me and smile. It is so amazing. You and I will be doing something like going on a walk and you will look up at me and just give me the sweetest smile. It makes me feel so happy to see the joy you have in your life.

One of your favorite things to do right now is to search for sprinklers. We go on sprinkler hunts and during one of them you learned to count. You can count to two and sometimes three. You will count to two and then know there is another number and just point to the next object and then sometimes you surprise me and say "Three"! You are so good with colors and shapes now. Your favorite color is still Yellow but only in the usage of the word. I think your real favorite color is red. You have also mastered body parts. If someone asks you where your eyes are-you will point immediately but then want everyone to see Mommy's too. You understand the concept of "Fast" and "Slow" now. We play a running game using those words. Yesterday I needed to get over to see Dada quickly and I explained to you that if you got in the stoller we could go really fast. As soon as you were seated you started pointing and saying "FAST! FAST!". There have been some tree trimmers on our street for the last week. They have been our constant source of entertainment. You love them! This morning you woke up and heard them outside. You were so excited and reached up for me and said "FAST! FAST!". You love to spin and run and have recently discovered you can still crawl but love to stick your bottom up in the air (downdog position) and walk. It cracks me up especially when you want Mama and Dada to do it with you.

You understand so much now. I can tell Dada that I am going to exercise tonight and you will looks at me and pout and look worried. I will explain to you that it isn't until much later and I will let you know before I go. You really want to be with me every moment right now. And you really believe Mommy can do everything the best. You want me and only me to do everything for you. I try to drink all of this in as I know times will change.

You love music and dancing. You have a definte preference in songs. You love disco! We don't watch TV with you. Only recently I showed you the "Bob the Builder" show. You loved it and as much as you love it you will only watch the beginning credits and walk away. I love that you like so many things and are not really interested in the TV. You will know point to the TV and say "Trucks"!! Because you know inside that big, black box are the trucks.

You love vegetables and fruit and are still not too fond of meat. You are still breastfeeding and recently have really started nursing alot again. I think you are getting a molar. We took you in for your check up and you are 35-1/8" tall and weigh 27 pounds.

I love you so much!

Mommy

The Little Things

These are the things I want to remember always and are also things I know I am going to miss about this time.

The way you say "Yea"
The way he talk about himself in the third person. He calls himself "Baby"
Searching for sprinkler heads
Everything right now is about Mama. No one can do it like me! :)
Holding your hand and how you reach up for it whenever we go across the street.
The way you look up and smiles at me
They way you hold on to my neck now
How you hugged me before I left the other day and the way he screamed in pure joy upon my return.
Truck. It is by far your favorite word.
How you like to hold things in your hand or twirl things between your index finger and thumb.
How you pick out a book so carefully
All of your noise effects
How when you eat an apple-you will not eat the skin and hand it back up to me
The way you kick while you sit in your carseat when you are listening to a good song or just pleased
The way you sound right now as you are learning to speak
The way you tell me it is time to go night-night
The way you say "Mama" when you don't want to do something and are looking for reassurance
Your face when you look up at me with your arms stretched and want me to pick you up

Time is going by way too fast..