Friday, November 26, 2010

Monthly Update: 22

Dear Foster,

Here we are, the day after Thanksgiving and you are now 22 months old.

It's been a busy November and I'm looking forward to Christmas, the new year, and then, your second birthday!

I must confess, I have no idea what to get you for Christmas, much less your birthday.  I'm sure there are some things you'd like to have, but since you can't really verbalize that sorta thing, your daddy and I are left guessing.

We love watching you peruse catalogs.  Little Tikes is your favorite.  You sit at the table with us, catalog in hand - and stare, and squint, and turn the pages, and flip it upside down - then right side up.  All the while, a little furrow in your brow.

We thought about getting you some videos of your favorite cartoon, Super Why, but knowing you, by the time you got them on Christmas or your birthday, you'd be over it and on to the next big thing.

You don't even watch the cartoon anyway.  I think you just like the theme song at the beginning because after that you're off to the races again.

Role play has become your favorite kind of play and I'm constantly reminded that you are watching every. move. I. make.

You like to feed Bear-Bear and wipe his mouth.

You like to sit on the potty and wipe your butt.

You like to make a mess and then wipe your highchair tray.

You've helped me clean the windows a few times and love to Swiffer the floors.

You also like to help me in the kitchen, but the only thing I've let you do so far is stir the granola.  There's no hot stove and nothing sharp in that scenario.  (Yes, you sit atop a bar stool and could easily fall off and crack your head open, but hey, whatever works!)

In addition to role play, you've become very independent this month.  Learning how to blow your nose and peel a banana.

"Ga-Ga do" means "Foster do", which means, "Give that to me right now, or else I'm gonna fuss, then cry, then flail my arms, then stomp, and then run and tell the other parent on you!"

My favorite part of this month is your echo.  You repeat everything we say (everything we say)...even sentences (even sentences).

Or, maybe my favorite part is your sense of humor, which has really blossomed this month.  You play me like a fiddle and know exactly what buttons to push.

I try and get you to say, "I love mama!"  But, you know better and will say everything but... 

"I wuv Bear-Bear!"  "I wuv dada!"

I'm trying not to take it personally.

One day this month we went for a drive with Lucky, so of course, your daddy and I were fussing at him to LAY DOWN, BE STILL, GET BACK!  And you were in the back seat, repeating every word.  Except, you kept going, long after Lucky had settled down.

"LA-LA!"  (As you're looking out the window.)

"LA-LA!"  (As your feet are propped up.)

"LA-LA!"  (As you're taking off your shoes.)

Foster, I hate to break it to ya, but I don't think Lucky takes you very seriously.

One Sunday this month you overheard your Aunt Kathryn say, "Oh shoot!" and I guess you thought it was funny because you kept repeating "Oh shoot!", "Oh shoot!", "Oh shoot!"

You didn't really know what you were saying or in what context (or so I thought!), so I was surprised the next day when you dropped something and said, "Oh shoot!" 

When I repeated you, you began dropping the object over and over again, just to make sure you did, in fact, say it in the right context.

We haven't decorated for Christmas yet, but somehow you have learned that the song Jingle Bells is associated with Christmas.  So, whenever you see something that looks the least bit Christmas-y, you start to sing Jingle Bells.

Your daddy and I are cool with that, but we'd like to expand your repertoire, so we've been singing other Christmas carols and you love 'em!

You call the ABC's, the "A-B-B's" and according to you, a cow says "boo" and a cat says "be-ow".

(That's one scary cow!)

You'd think that the word LIBRARY would be hard to say, but nope, it's your clearest word these days.

Not only do you say that word well, but you love to go there.

You know that the library is where we go for story hour, to check out books, that we have to whisper there, and that it's a great place to take off running from me, because WHAT AM I GONNA DO?!

It is the library, after all, and I can't go screaming after you.  So, I remain calm, walk swiftly, and whisper at the top of my lungs, "Foster!  Stop!  Stay right there!  Don't move!  We don't run in the library!  No sir!"

Then, when I've got you within arm's reach, I jerk pick you up, and ever so gently (with clenched jaws) whisper in your ear, "YOU DO NOT RUN FROM MAMA!"

Then you cry.  Then we leave.

I love the way your hair is growing.  It curls above your ears and at the back of your head, like a duck tail.  I swear, I'm never gonna cut it!

Your daddy loves to comb it into what we call "the anchorman", but I prefer to give you a curl right on top of your head.  I don't think you have a preference yet.

We've had the California Rileys in town for two weeks and I don't know what you're gonna do when they leave next week.

You have thrived with your cousins, Peyton and Savannah, and I think they have enjoyed mothering you.

It's been a nice break for me and your daddy, too.  All we have to do is check on y'all from time to time.  You know, to make sure they haven't taken you outside or upstairs and forgotten about you.

I did that once with my baby brother, your Uncle Jonathan.

I had him in my room, on my bed, and went to tell my mom something.  When I got to her, she asked, "Aron, where's the baby?"

"Oops!"

Luckily, he didn't fall off and bump his head.  So, I'm not sure what's wrong with him!  (Just kidding, Jonathan, if you're reading this.)

Speaking of Jonathan, he has a son named Declan that you're going to get to play with next month when we go to Florida for Christmas.  You'll also get to play with your cousin Rebecca, and I hope you have as much fun with those two, as you've had with Peyton and "bo-da-da" (Savannah).

We love you, son, and we're so thankful for you.  Babies bring so much joy to families and you're no exception.

I can't wait until Christmas morning!

Now, if I could just figure out what to get you...A-hem, I mean, what to tell Santa to get you...

xoxo,

Mama

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you ~ Phillipians 1:3