20-Month Newsletter

Dear Banner,
In the 20's this month!! You are more and more fun each day, and in my opinion, cuter and cuter - as if that were possible! :) This month was kind of boring compared to the past few - as we settled in to 2013 and laid low through January since both of us have been sick on and off. You had a bout with a cold: runny nose, icky chest cough, and a glassy-eyed look that kept me worried about you, although you never had a fever, and you never seemed phased by the cold. We tried Dimetapp and a humidifier for about 5-6 nights, but nothing really helped. Perhaps it wasn't a cold - maybe allergies... after all, that's what has kept me feeling awful this month. I sincerely hope you don't have my allergies, though. It's truly awful - runny nose, itchy ears and throat, watery, itchy eyes, sneezing, tingling nose. Anyway, the worst thing about you being more aware of your runny nose is that you want to wipe it on anything... and I mean ANYTHING: walls, floor, table, couch, me... anything! I have to keep tissues readily available, and even though you will use a Kleenex from time to time, your first reaction is to bend over and swipe your face across any surface. ICKY! Luckily, I've quickly learned your little "where can I wipe my nose" face and try to catch your nose with a welcoming Kleenex before it meets an unsuspecting person or surface.

Also, this month, your vocabulary continues to boom. We've added: wind, pizza, jacket, help, trash, sun, wheel, towel, drive - just to name a few off the top of my head. By far, my absolute favorite this month is "AWESOME!" The first time I heard you say this was when we were watching Yo Gabba Gabba, and DJ Lance Rock said what he always says after the "Super Music Friends Show" ends, "Listening and dancing to music is ... AWESOME!" Well, as he said it, you said it with him! Now, every episode we watch, you say it with DJ Lance, and sometimes you say it just when you are playing. It is, without a doubt, AWESOME!

You are also starting to put two words together: "more bus," "bye-bye train," "no, Mommy," for example. I'm officially counting it now, since before I wasn't sure if "all done," or "thank you" counted as putting two words together. Now, you are stringing different ideas together, which makes me think this is really what "they" mean by two words together. Oh, and you're mastering possessives, too. For a week or so, you seemed confused by when to use them - often calling me "Mommy's" or calling Daddy "Daddy's," but now you've got it. You will point to a cup and say, "Babber's" (for Banner's) or my keys and say, "Mommy's."

You continue to be VERY into cars, trucks, trains, planes, and buses. We just got a train track and some trains, and you are obsessed. You could play with the cars at Grandma's house all day! You are constantly wanting to "see, see" a bus, a train, a plane that you hear whiz by. You are obsessed with YouTube videos of buses and trains. When we visited the Kazmann boys, you were in heaven with Caden & Everett's plethora of vehicles - and you especially loved the construction cars/equipment.

If you had asked me in college if I would EVER use the phrase "all boy" to refer to any child, I would have laughed in your face and told you how awful that phrase is - to stereotype like that is simply disgusting and unfair to kids. But, my boy - you simply are "all boy." I want to slap myself and barf all over the keyboard as I type that out, but it's true. You love a great game of chase, love to be loud, love to run and climb, love blocks and, like I said above, all types of transportation. You even laugh like a little boy now, although mostly when you're kind of faking it... it's more of a growl laugh, deep from the back of your throat. You even love turning big boxes into cars that you "drive" and "beep, beep."

But, you are my all-sweet boy! You still like to cuddle at night before bed. You are needing to be rocked a little longer these evenings. You love your pacis, and you'll gladly go nap knowing you get some quality time with them! You like books, playing with your cousins, dancing to music, helping empty the dishwasher or putting your dishes in the sink, and giving impromptu kisses. You're getting more daring with doing movements to songs like "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," and "Wheels on the Bus." You also can chime in on certain songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle, "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep," "Wheels on the Bus," and "ABCs." I LOVE that!

So, yes, a boring month, but one filled with lots more development, growth, words, play, fun, and LOVE! I love you so much, Angel. I wish you an amazing 20-month birthday!

Love,
Mommy