Well hello there 17 month old Mikester!

I say it almost every month, but good grief you are growing and changing so much! Daddy and I love to see your blossoming personality – you are becoming quite a ham. We get these odd, questioning side glances when you walk by, we laugh, and then you turn and do this huge, booming, forced laugh. I would swear you do it just to make us laugh.

{Halloween} Of course we have to start with Halloween! This year you were more sure about things than last year, but still hesitant. I made you a shark costume (which, to toot my own horn, turned out ah-mazing) and you dressed up for our community’s Halloween party, church’s Halloween service and then on the actually day. We only went to a few houses, but by the last one you were happily filling your bucket. At just about every house you really just wanted to walk inside and make yourself comfortable. Lollipops were the candy of choice.

{Pumpkin Patch} We had a great time running around Yankey Farm and picking out pumpkins. You rode the cow train and played in the corn box. It was just enough excitement for a fall morning.

{Words} We’ve had a lot of long and involved conversations lately, but you seem to be the only one who understands what we are talking about. So far you say:

• Bubbles (bah-bulls): Bath time.
• Is this? (Iz dis?): What is this, with a pointing finger.
• Uh Oh (uhhhh-ohhhhh): Something happens. Anything really.
• Shoes (chews): The things on your feet. Including socks.
• Cheese (chhhhh-a-ez): Any time a camera comes out.

{Swimming 2.0} You’ve always been our water baby, but it’s been awhile since we’ve been in a pool. We decided to head over to Cub Run one afternoon and we weren’t sure how you were going to do now that you are a toddler and curious. We clearly had nothing to worry about. You’re laughs were the best EVER – pure excitement, from the belly and mouth wide open. You walked around the shallow end, kicked in the deep end and splashed everywhere in between. Dad and I kept looking at each other because we loved seeing you have so much fun.

{Clifton Days} We spent a couple hours at Clifton Days and you had a blast playing on the playground and dancing. We even watched the train go by!

{Eating} You are still a pretty good eater, there isn’t a hot dog you’ve met that you haven’t devoured. And as always, food is better when it comes from someone else’s plate. One new development though is the utensils. It seems you’ve connected that the food goes on a fork or spoon and in your mouth. You get VERY frustrated if we try to feed you! I would bet 85% of the time you manage to spear the food and get (most) of it in your mouth. Sometimes you ‘ask’ us to put the food on the fork, you eat it, hand back the fork, and begin again. It makes for a very long meal, but it’s worth it to see you figure out utensils.

Until next month sweet boy.

I’ll eat you up I love you so –

Momma xoxo

My Crazy Mikester –

I can’t believe how fast the summer flew, and then September went in a blink of an eye! It was a busy month for you kiddo, but it was full of lots of fun. You are becoming more and more active and more and more opinionated every day. I LOVE seeing your personality shine, sometimes I think you are trying to make us laugh on purpose – like when we look up and when you catch our eye you give a huge, cheesy grin.

You are pretty much RUNNING everywhere and delivering things you find to us. This includes pens, electronics, bottles, remotes and yes, sharp objects we didn’t know were in reach. You are more giving with your hugs and kisses and point to what you want. Daddy and I are pretty sure you want to talk, and think that you are, but we just aren’t understanding.

{Birthday Season} September is birthday season for our family since Daddy and Grandma have the same birthday. This year you got Dad an iPad cover with pictures on it and a card you ‘signed’ yourself. We had cake and Bubbe came to visit. We also went out to dinner where you quickly charmed all the waitresses.

{Burkefest} We went to Burkefest this year and it was WAY more fun now that you are a toddler. We had lunch and then you played in the tot lot. It was really neat to see you run off and play independently and interact, in only the way a toddler can, with the other kids. We really love these family moments.

{Harvest Festival} For Grandma’s birthday we ended up going to Harvest Festival. Mommy used to go to this fundraiser when she was little and it was cool to see how it evolved and have you enjoy it as well. While you wanted nothing to do with the sweet treats (which made us question your genes), the highlight of the event was the awesome playground. You and Mollie ran around like crazy kids taking different paths, going down and up slides and exploring.

{Favorite ‘Game’} Your current favorite game gives everyone belly laughs. After bath time we sit on the bed and ever so gently tap you. Then you flop on the bed as if Floyd Mayweather hit you. Sometimes we just point our finger and you flop over laughing. We don’t know where this game started, but it’s hilarious and wears you out in no time.

{Food} You my son are a chow hound. You especially like what other people are eating. You really like hot dogs, peaches, yogurt, ice cream and anything pasta related. It surprises me how happy you are with veggies like broccoli and carrots since I am not a vegetable fan myself.

{Charlie} You and Charlie are becoming quite a pair. I describe it as you being a needy friend following Charlie around squeeking his toy crying ‘why don’t you love meeeeeeee’. But more often than not Charlie lays down in your room while you are falling asleep and gets very excited when you come home. You guys are going to be the best of friends soon – I know it!

Well my sweet boy, another month is here and I have a hunch it is going to be a fun one.

I’ll eat you up I love you,

Momma xoxo

Mike –

Since Dad and I started dreaming of you, long before you were born, we talked a lot about what you wouldn’t grow up knowing about. Silly things like telephones with cords or Blockbuster. Or hours spent at the library researching like we had to do before the internet. You also wouldn’t know life before 9/11.

Both Daddy and I were in college in 2001, I had only been there for a few weeks before someone on my floor told me a plane hit the towers. I was on my way to math class and I didn’t really give it too much thought until a few hours later I was leaving class and could see smoke from the Pentagon. The transition to college was already a little chaotic and this made it more overwhelming.  I tried to call Grandma and Grandpa, but the phones were down.  By the time I reached them, Marymount had been locked down and we were sitting around wondering and praying. In the end, 2,966 people died on 9/11/01 and many many more were hurt.

Sweetie, lots of bad things happen in the world. When you were rolling around in my belly, almost a month before you were born,  a school shooting was the lead news story and someone said they couldn’t imagine bring a child into a world like this. Through my tears the first thing I thought was, ‘why not, this baby might be the one to change things’.

Now Mike, do I expect you to change the world? No, it’s a lot to put on one person. What I do expect, and I bet Daddy will back me up, is that you are kind to everyone, you do what is right even when it’s hard, and you see the good around you.

Sometimes, like after 9/11, it’s really hard to do that. But I know you can.

I’ll eat you up I love you so –

Momma xoxo

Oh Mike –

I truly believe that when you were born, you took my brain with you. I would have sworn I wrote your 10 month letter, but alas, I must have been dreaming it or writing it in my head. Either way, you get a two for one this month. When you are a Daddy, you will understand.

I can’t believe we are planning your first birthday little guy! Daddy and I were watching videos of you the other night and I can’t even remember those long skinny legs and alien like noises you make. Now you have strong legs and a very VERY loud voice and many important things to say. We are convinced that when you are mumbling to yourself you are singing along with the ever present radio.  You could easily spend an hour turning a toy over and over, pushing it’s buttons, picking at it’s stickers and figuring out how it works. You’ve grown so much in so many ways over the past 2 months Bug.

{Haircut} We ushered in your 10 month birthday with your first haircut! I was a little sad, but when I found myself tucking your straight hair behind your ears, I had to agree with Dad – time for a haircut. You were amazing! We went to Cartoon Cuts and the minute the hairdresser handed you a toy it was obvious you could have sat there for an hour. Even when she hit you with the warm blow dryer ait. You were so good and everyone noticed!

{Outside Fun} With the weather being so nice we’ve gone to the community playground quite often. You’ve had fun sitting in the swing and going down the slide with Dad. But your favorite part of the playground is climbing the steps and sneaking pieces of mulch to eat. You look SO grown up in your Washington Redskin’s ball cap. We also cleaned up the patio and you’ve been airing out with Charlie. You are very curious about the AstroTurf!

{Birthdays} Mollie turned 1 this month and you had such a fun time at her birthday party! It gave us a glimpse of what your first birthday will be like. Momma also had a birthday too! You got me my first Mom card and a picture frame with our favorite song ‘Three Little Birds’. Then Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Dave and Mollie came over and we went to the pool. It was exactly what I wanted.

{Bath time} Bath time is still one of your favorite times of the day. You are very interested in watching the water come out of the faucet and trying to bite the water stopper, which is conveniently attached to the tub, so you get a mouth of water every time – but that doesn’t stop you! Bath time isn’t over until we have to tell you at least once that ‘bath time is for bottoms’. It’s hard for you to sit still so it’s a lot of splashing.

{Easter} Your First Easter was so much fun! The Easter Bunny brought you refrigerator magnets, bath tub toys, a Llama Llama book and some snacks. You were very much spoiled by your Great Aunts and Grandparents. Maybe next year we will venture to visit the Easter Bunny.

{Sleeping} As I’ve mentioned before, we’ve been doing sleep training with you and it truly is harder on us then it is on you. I know this because you are sleeping like a CHAMP! You average about 10-12 hours a night and you are much happier. This makes Momma and Dad happy too!

{First Trip to the ER} It isn’t a milestone I was looking forward to, but you got the nasty tummy bug that was going around and it started to make us really nervous, so we took you to the emergency room for some TLC. The nurses were so nice and you did really well considering you weren’t feeling well. They gave you some medicine and water and we headed home a few hours later.

Well sweet boy, I am planning your 1st birthday party – I can’t wait for a day when everyone celebrates you. This time last year I was SO tired of being pregnant and fat and swollen. Dad and I couldn’t wait to meet you. When people say you don’t remember life before a baby I used to roll my eyes. Now I know EXACTLY what they were talking about.

I’ll eat you up I love you so,

Momma xo

Sweet Mike Mike –

I know, I am so very late with your letter – but things have been very crazy around our house lately. You won’t remember, and even if you did, you will only remember spending lots of time with Daddy and Miss Gita and getting lots of snuggles before bed from Momma.  I started my new job this month and you’ve been going to Miss Gita’s everyday and you are doing AMAZING! I’m not surprised, you are still so easy going. When I get the chance to pick you up you are always smiling and laughing with the other kids. I’m really proud of you but again, not at all surprised.  Also, do you realize at this point you’ve been out of my body as long as you’ve been in? I feel like I was pregnant forever and now time is flying.

{Standing} Kid, you don’t just pull yourself up, you pull yourself up and DANCE! You pull yourself up everything – the couch, your activity table, my shirt … and then you get that little bounce in your knees and wiggle in your tushie. Most the time there is no music, but like me, there is aways a song in your head. You’ve taken a few tumbles and every time you get back up. I hope that doesn’t change, but if you fall down when you are older, Dad and I will clap our hands and smile like we do now.

{Swimming} You successfully completed your first swim ‘class’! You really enjoyed the time in the pool with Dad. You even started putting your face in the water, even if it was to try to drink the water. We’ve gone to the pool a few times just the three of us and you’ve shown me first hand what you and Dad do every Sunday.  I think in a few years we will really need to keep an eye on you since you have no fear. I picture you jumping off the high dive long before I’m ready!

{Snow Baby} We had a few snow storms this month, but you didn’t seem to notice much except when we put you in your teddy bear snow suit and laughed at how damn adorable you were. Miss Gita’s and Daddy’s work were closed, so we spent the snow days hanging out, playing and taking long naps under warm blankets.

{Food} You’ve certainly not been starving Mr. Mike and you’ve turned into quiet a beggar. When Daddy and I eat our dinner, you saddle right on up to the couch with an open mouth. You are pretty adventurous but prefer avocados and sometimes scrambled eggs. Honestly, you will try anything that comes off someone else’s plate on a big person’s utensil.  When stuck in your highchair, you munch on baby crackers, shredded cheese and fruit. We do try to convince you to eat some baby food and yogurt!

Well baby, there are things to do and you are sound asleep, so I need to take advantage of this time so when you are awake you get my full attention. Here’s to another amazing month of new adventures.

I’ll eat you up I love you so,

Momma xxoo