A Talking EXPLOSION!!!!!!

Wow, Baby Boy!!! What has happened to you in the last week? Just last week we were so impressed that you had started to say some different words (random strange words, like "thread," "No, No, No," "Open Door," "Yes," "DVD," etc.) but adding a new word (or your rendition of a new word) every few days. Mommy just loved it so much that you were saying "I yav u" (I love you)and both Mommy and Daddy have gotten a kick out of the fact that when you want something, you yell "Paul" to get Daddy to do it for you. (Don't get used to that as we do not intend to allow you to call Daddy by his first name for long!!!)

But starting last weekend (just two weeks before you turn 18 months) your vocabulary has exploded! All of a sudden, you are repeating just about anything that we ask you to say (you use baby talk...and it is sometimes hard to understand...but you give just about every word a try!) You can say and identify just about every letter in the alphabet. You can say and identify the colors red, purple, green, blue, yellow and orange. (You have trouble saying "pink"). You can identify the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5...and you love to play your Toddler Mickey Mouse CD and Pooh and Reader rabbit CD's on the computer.

You now answer questions with a Yes or a No. It is so nice to be able to ask you if you want to go outside, ride on your bike, go for a walk, color, etc. and have you be able to tell Mommy what you want to do! You understand so much!

Last Saturday, when Mommy tried to feed you your Mac and Cheese you started to have a temper tantrum because you wanted to hold the spoon yourself. (You have gotten really good at feeding yourself with a fork and we let your feed yourself all of the time now....but you haven't grasped the concept of keeping the spoon upright when you move it into your mouth.) Anyway, you began to scream and cry...and kicked your legs...things began to escalate...and no matter what I tried to do, you were so upset. Then, I just calmly explained to you that Mommy would let you feed yourself, except that with the Mac and Cheese you had to use a spoon and you couldn't do that yet. I told you that I would let you feed yourself other foods with the fork, but I needed to feed you this with the spoon right now and that we would let you try the spoon with some different foods. You stopped and listened to everything I said, and then opened your mouth and let me feed you your entire meal. You completely understood why you couldn't feed yourself and you were fine as soon as you understood. Amazing.

You now can say your name...and prefer to say "John Paul" as opposed to "Jack" though you can say both. You have been climbing so much lately, and have become a little daredevil. You have been falling almost every day. (Off the bed, slipping on the wet bathroom floor, off the steps at the playground, tipping the chair over, etc.) Thus you are getting a lot of bumps and bruises. You are such a tough little guy, though. You never cry much and just get up and "brush yourself off" even when you clearly have hurt yourself.

Mommy loves you so much and can't wait to come home to you every night and spend every minute that she can with you. I love it more than anything when you walk up to Mommy for no reason and wrap your little arms around my leg and just hug me. I could stay like that forever my sweet angel. I love you with every ounce of my heart!

Haircut????

I just don't know what to do. Jack has beautiful long brown hair that is just a mass of ringlet curls in the back. When it is dry it touches his shoulders....just a mass of loose curls. When it is wet, it falls halfway down his back.

People often think he is a girl because his hair is long and he has big blue/green eyes and long eye lashes. Sooooo...with much regret, I figured that when he was 18 months old (in just two weeks) we would go have his hair cut for the first time. Now I am having second thoughts.....

He looks so cute....and I am afraid that he will look so grown up when we cut his hair. Also numerous people (friends, family, acquaintances) have told us to leave his hair long as it is so cute and he looks "different" from other babies/toddlers.

 

Now, I don't want him to hate me someday in the future for leaving his hair long...and I don't want him to look like a freak...or to be made fun of, etc. I also would kind of like to see what he would look like with short hair (if I could have the long hair back immediately if not totally thrilled with the short hair).

On the other hand, I think it is nice and really like the idea of him looking "different" than everyone else...and his hair is beautiful. He looks like a little trendy tot.....and people seem to remember him and comment on how cute he is. I just don't know what to do.

I Love You So Much!

Sweet Baby:
I sit here at the computer late at night in the dark...watching you sleep peacefully. I love you more than I can ever express in words. I am crying as I write this...not because I am sad sweet baby of mine...but because my heart is so full of love and joy for having you in my life...that it overflows with tears of happiness.

Please know that I will always love you more than anything...ANYTHING. So if sometime in the future you are sure that I am mean and that I do not love you...please know...that I am so full of love for you that I cannot find the words to tell you how much to mean to me.

I am so thankful to have had the chance to be your Mom. I never knew that a person could love someone so much. I would do anything in the world to be sure that you are safe and happy and that you have a happy life. Baby...you are the best and most wonderful thing in my life. Mommy loves you with every ounce of her heart...and everything that I do and have done since the day you were born will be and has been with you in mind.

I Love you up to the moon my sweet baby.

Love Forever and Always,
Momma