This will likely be one of many letters I write to Auden and our future child in hopes that this blog will give our children some insight into what was going on in our lives at a particular time.
Dear Auden,
You are 18 months old now, that is 1.5 years old to be exact:-) I’m not sure how this happened as it feels like just yesterday we were celebrating your first birthday. But one thing is for sure; you are a little boy now and not a baby (of course you will always be my baby).
Our prayers and hopes for the year 2011 to bring you good health have come true and we certainly feel blessed. Unlike last year, the months of 2011 blur wonderfully together and can’t be identified with a particular hospital stay, heart episode, illness, specialist visit, or diagnostic test. Hopefully I’m not jinxing it by saying the normalcy of the past 9 months has been nothing short of beautiful.
One big change in June that you took in stride was the transition from being cared for by a nanny to an at-home daycare. When Odette had to leave us due to health issues we thought it would be a good opportunity to try daycare again since your eating had significantly improved. We found a great place for you two miles down the road, it is run out of a woman’s home and there are 8 other kids, primarily boys ranging in age from 1.5-3 years old (still Monday-Thursday schedule). She has a huge blow up pool and a big backyard and shares our (and your) belief that kids should spend lots of time outdoors. Besides the frequent bug bites, we couldn’t be happier with the arrangement and judging by the smile on your face when you arrive every morning, I think you agree! Every week the daycare tells me what a happy and energetic boy you are and how you have no fear when it comes to playing with the older boys…they say you run, climb and dunk your head under water like you are 3 years old already, haJ
Another change that the last few months have brought has been switching your speech therapist from working on eating issues with you to solely speech therapy now. In the last 3-4 months your eating has been very good, you have the ability to eat all things now without gagging and/or throwing up (yippee!). Of course, Mommy and Daddy always wish your quantity was a little greater; but we are thrilled with the quality and variety of food you eat now. Speech therapy has been going well, we actually have only had three true sessions and you are already saying five or six words now! Your vocabulary consists of DADDA, GO, UP, BALL, HI, BUBBLES, WAWA (water) and for some reason you can say BYE-BYE BALL when we leave the balls at the park or pool but curiously won’t say BYE-BYE alone, ha. Please note, that you still don’t call me MOMMA…rather, DADDA for both your father and I…so let’s try to work on thisJ The speech therapist says the goal is 18 words at 18 months. So you are definitely still considered delayed but we are SO proud of all the progress you have been making!
Here’s a list of things that you are up to lately:
- You love hiding things in bizarre places, i.e. we found your wet swim suit in the kitchen drawer with the granola bars.
- Your favorite book right now is "What's that Noise?" that has pop-ups of trains, tractors, cars, and planes.
- You are a little show-off...when I come to pick you up from daycare you run around the room laughing and being silly so that all the parents have to watch you and comment about what a cute and happy boy you are.
- You are very shy around adult men that are not Daddy or your grandpas....but you love all women:-)
- You used to be terrified when you heard planes, helicopters and sirens. Now you point when you hear them and happily start waving at them.
- You love riding on Daddy's shoulders and use this mode of transport quite often.
- You. Never. Stop. Moving. You only have one mode right now- running! (and you have the constant bruises, bumps and scrapes to show for it)
- Very fittingly, your first word was "GO!"
- Much to your parents’ dismay, you only truly snuggle/cuddle when you are sick.
- Nothing brings more squeals of excitement from you then playing a good game of hide-n-go-seek.
- The jury is still out regarding whether you are going to be left handed (like Mommy) or right handed (like Daddy). Currently, you are favoring the left about 70% of the time.
- Whenever we walk to the park, you insist on smelling the neighbor's rose bush because we did it once when it actually had roses on it, but now you are just smelling leaves and you think it’s hilarious.
- You blow kisses goodbye to the ladies at daycare when we leave for the evening...it is the cutest!
Auden, despite all the challenges you have had to face in your short little life, you have grown into such an energetic and happy little boy. Every morning after our alarm goes off; I reach over to look at the baby monitor screen and can’t help but to smile…because every day you fill our world with such joy and happiness. We love you little monkey.
Below are some of my favorite pictures from this summer! We’ve had so many fun trips and you have now been on a plane 5 times since you were 6 months old!
