Dear Evan-21 Months Old

Dear E
Your Mommy loves you so much! It is just amazing the little person you are becoming. You have such opinions on things now and communicate so clearly to us what your desire and think. You respond with a cute little "Yea" now. We have conversations now. If you don't know how to say a word you use a sound effect to make your request known. We have started to play hide-n-seek. You love it. As soon as you find me, you will start signing "More!". When you want to play you come up to me and sign "More" and then say "Boo".

You love water. It is still by far your favorite thing. Well, that and trucks. I was trying to put you down for a nap the other day. You were sound asleep and a garbage truck drove up the alley. You shot up on bed and started pointing at the window yelling "TRUCK!".

You really love food. You eat so well. You love vegetables. I hope you will always love them. You love rice too. Lately-you have become more fond of pasta or as you say, "Noodles".

We don't watch TV with you. We never have it on for actual programming. We watch the cable music stations so you know how to turn the "music" on and off. Daddy and I watch TV sometimes when you go to sleep but we just aren't that much of a TV household. We were with some friends recently that asked if I had showed you the show "Bob the Builder" because you love trucks so much. I explained I hadn't. Well-this past week I showed you an episode. You loved it. Each episode is 10 minutes long. You never lake it through the entire episode but it is fun to share with you on occasion this funny new entertainment. The day after I showed you that episode you walked up to the TV, pointed and said, "Truck". I had to smile. I turned it on again and you watched it for maybe a few minutes before getting up and turning off the TV. That made me laugh.

You love drawing with markers. I have all of your art supplies in a cabinet in the kitchen. We have markers, paints, crayons and Play-Doh. You help yourself and bring what activity you want to the table. It is so much fun to see how much you are learning about colors and shapes. You like it when I draw shapes on the paper and you try to do it too. You know many colors and shapes.

You understand how to hang on now. You hold our necks when we carry you and I can ask you to hold on when we are at the playground. The playground is an entirely different place to you now. You love it. We can spend hours there. You love the slides and the equipment and the sand. Lately- you have become so fond of finding every sprinkler head in the current block radius. We will be walking down a street and you will find each one. You are very detail oriented all ready and pay close attention to the smallest things. You understand if something just isn't right or dirty. You say "Uh oh" or will pout to emphasize that there is a problem.

You found a matchbox car at the park one afternoon. This car along with the one we bought you in Palm Springs has started the Matchbox car collection. The funny thing is we bought the first one and the other three you now have are all "reclaimed" cars. We find them everywhere. I guess they are easy to lose. I am sure we will lose a few ourselves. You hold tight to them and carry one most everywhere. Your other favorite new thing is a miniature Big Blue Bus like here in Santa Monica. We saw a boy playing with one at a park one day and you loved it. Daddy brought you one home and you bring that with us most of the time.

You do not like your clothes on. We have to stress to you that if you want to go outside we need to get dressed. You hate your diaper changes and pull on your diaper alot and ask for it to be removed. You understand the meaning of "pee pee" and "poo poo". You have started telling me when you are going or all ready went and need to be changed. We are starting to talk about the potty and will slowly start to move towards potty training. It is a huge step for us. I can't believe this time has come. You are still breastfeeding but the times are fewer and shorter than ever before. You tell me when you are hungry and have really started to ask me for food instead of signing for nurse.

We started having a babysitter for a couple of times a week this past month but after two weeks she was offered a full-time teaching job so we are looking for someone new. I am taking my time because I want someone very special that will take great care of you. I am so lucky I can work at home and always be close by if you need me. You are a really social kid. You will wave at people on the street. I think it is good to open the world to you a little more by having someone new come into your circle of trust. I think it is harder on me than you.

You are sleeping so much better now. Although, you are such a nightowl. But-that rins in the family. Daddy and I are both nightowls and it makes sense that you would be too. You are usually asleep by 9 and up by 7.

You give us hugs and kisses. Real hugs and kisses. You will reach out to hug me and hold it for a while. It is the sweetest thing ever. Today I asked if you needed help and then you said something that sounded just like you said "Thank you". I had to do a double take and when you asked for help again and I did it you repeated, "tat you".

We have been having a weekly playdate with Kate lately. You guys play so well together and really seem to have the best time. You have a great interaction with her. Her Mommy is due with Kate's new sister in a few weeks. We want to go see Kate and help them out when the baby comes.

You are a great kid. You are fun to be with and not only do Daddy and I love you more than words can say but we really like you. We like spending time with you and seeing the world with you.

My heart is so much bigger because of you. I love you more than anything and I am so proud to be your Mommy.

xoxo

New Words

Uh-oh!

Tiny
This is a funny one. E and I were eating yogurt one day and I was feeding him. Instead of taking a normal bite he just nibbled the point of the spoon and then gave me a huge smile and giggled. I had to laugh. It was so funny. So-that became our thing and I know will ask him if he wants a "tiny" bite or a "big" bite. He sometimes will just take a tiny bite on his own and look up at me and with a big smile will say, "Tiny".

Nicknames

Evan you have a few nicknames now. I thought I would mention them and then years from now we will see which if any stick.

Little Man or Little Guy (Daddy and I call you this one)
Buddy (I call you this)
E (I call you this when I write about you and now most of my friends do the same)
Ba or Bug(Monica, our neighbor calls you this)
Even(The Haubs call you this)
Dude! (Daddy and I call you this)

Hot and Cold

One of Evan's first words was "Hot". I would make a cup or tea and he would reach out to touch the cup but quickly retreat and say, "Hota!". Lately-his new word has been cold. Well-not exactly a word...he does a shrug with his shoulders up to his ears to convey he know something feels cold. It is a testament to how expressive this little one is! I shared some ice cream with him over the weekend at a birthday party. He took his first bite and immediately did his little shrug and a quick sign for "MORE!!".

Beach Portriats Spetember '09

Steven took these three photos of Evan lastnight on the beach. I look at him in these photos and I can't believe how much older he looks. He is looking little like a baby these days and more like a kid. I went to exercise lastnight and then out for dinner with a friend. E got to hang out with Daddy. When I arrived back home, I looked at my little boy's face and it surprised me how much his face had changed in those three hours I had been gone.

The other funny story behind these images is that Evan had worn this blue hoodie to the beach. When I arrived home I noticed it was wet and asked to take it off of him. He cried and did not want it off. Steven told me that he too had tried to take it off but Evan protested and asked that the hoodie stay on!

"Boo Boo"

Evan has become very aware when he has an "owie" or a "boo boo". He makes sure that both Dada and Mama know what has happened and where it has happened. Tonight I was clipping E's nails and one of his nails started to bleed. (I felt HORRIBLE!) He didn't cry and it didn't even seem to phase him. He was silent for a moment and then held up his thumb and said, "Boo Boo". I placed his first band-aid on his thumb and he would just look at it and hold that thumb up in the air the rest of the night. I watched him playing with his toys and he never used that hand. He jsut held it to protect it. Now that we have hit the band-aid phase I need to pick up some fun ones for us to use. Poor little guy.

King of The World