Dear Gray: Month Sixteen

Dear Gray,

This morning you looked out the window and said, "ball!" I couldn't imagine what you were pointing at, since I was certain there wasn't a ball out there but sure enough, there was. Then you said "yellow!" and I thought "that ball isn't yellow..." but I looked again and a yellow wagon was right next to the ball. What can I say? You are brilliant! You are always impressing me with what you know. We went to Kohl's the other day and you were saying some word over and over that I wasn't quite sure of, until I saw you pointing to pj's with Elmo on them. You were saying "Elmo." Your exposure to Elmo has been pretty limited so I was really amazed when you recognized him.

This month was a bit of a cousin-o-rama. Kelly came to stay with us for a couple of weeks early in the month and then last week we went to Durango with your Auntie Rae's family. Kelly adored you and she asked to watch you for a couple of days while she was here. Durango was really fun... except for the car ride, perhaps. On the way down we decided to leave at bedtime. That didn't really work out as planned, since we left around 7:00 and you stayed up until about 8:30. I sat in the back seat with you and read books until I finally put my head down on the edge of your car seat and closed my eyes, hoping you'd take the hint. Nope. You kept talking talking talking and at one point started pointing out my "nose" and my "eyes," poking my in the eye repeatedly and saying "eye, eye, eye, eye" until I finally said "YES! That is my eye!" You did finally fall asleep at about 8:30... and then woke up at 10:30. We arrived at 2 AM and you spent that entire time sucking your thumb and looking out the window, or jabbering. Every once in a while we'd hear you say "car!" or "Dada!" in your cute little voice. Unfortunately, sleeping in Durango was not your strong point. You spent most nights in our bed, which I do enjoy but felt guilty that we were starting a bad habit. (Luckily all you wanted was your own bed- as soon as we got home you slept in your own bed like a total champ.) You loooved hanging out with your cousins though! You and Michael ("Ma-muh") played trains, Maggie ("Ma-mee") taught you the glory of running around naked after a bath and Ethan just loved hanging out with Baby Gray. It was so fun watching your face take in the chaos of three cousins. All of your grandparents were there too. At dinner one night, you were sitting on my lap when a sly smile came across your face and you said "Buh-ba!" (Grandpa). You seemed to take a special liking to your Grandpa and even on the way home when you saw a man with a beard and a cowboy hat you said "Buh-ba!" again. Of course that didn't mean you'd let him hold you though... you are strictly a Mama/Dada kind of guy right now. If one of us is not in the room you like to run around yelling for your missing parent.

You had another haircut this month, which didn't go over very well with you. You have graduated to a booster seat at our table instead of a high chair, which delights me to no end. You continue to eat anything and everything and your newest favorite is corn on the cob. You will try any word we say and I have lost count of all the words you know- you are pretty much off the charts on that one. My favorites right now are "vitamin," "bathtub" and "hippo." We went to the zoo for the first time this month and you now have some zoo animals that you like to play with. Your cousin Michael introduced you to Thomas the Train (which, for the record, I despise- but I'm willing to let you play with the trains) and so we bought you a little choo choo set that you can't keep your hands off of. You have mastered going down stairs (eek!) as well as getting off of our bed. You ALWAYS want to read and will hand me book after book saying "buh?" Outside continues to be your favorite place (and still the outside does not like you back- poor baby). We had some professional pictures taken this month and we went on a trail by the photographer's house for some of the shots. When we finished, your legs were a mess of welts and bumps from playing in the weeds and flowers. But you had a great time and seemed happy as a clam, so I'm assuming it doesn't bother you too much.

You love your doggies, and we love to see that. I was holding Archie the other day and told you that he was my "other baby." Later that day when I was holding him again you pointed at him and said "baby!" which made us laugh and laugh.

Lately I have been struggling with when to move you into your "real" room so we can put the baby in the nursery. I know that there will be a period of adjustment while we all try to figure out how to be a family of four but I think you are going to love it. Seeing you with your cousins this past week solidified that for me. But we have about five more months of being a family of three, and I am going to enjoy every minute of it!

love,
Mama