Journey to the Knot: 20-Month Newsletter: Quinn

Dear Quinn,
I think this past month has been the most pivotal in all of your development this year. (I'd say in your whole life, but those first few months are pretty remarkable how much a baby changes, so I can't say your whole life, but ... definitely this month has seen a great deal of maturation!) Your vocabulary and "big kid-ness" are in full force! You're attempting to put words together, you say "yeah" a lot of the time, and you are asserting your preference for things. Your personality has truly come shining through this month, and I LOVE IT!

-You got a new bottom molar on the left, and I'm pretty sure the right one is working on its debut.

-We turned your car seat around to face forward. I wanted to wait longer, but I don't think you would have been very comfortable for much longer. We turned Banner around at 20-months, and we decided to go ahead with you at 19-months. Your legs were just so cramped, and I know you are much happier facing forward now. Those first few days were so funny; you were just quiet and staring at everything as you took in this new perspective in the car.

-Some new words we heard this month: "world" (and you like to fill in the blanks when we read What a Wonderful World to you), "wah-er," (instead of "wawa"), "monkey," (and sometimes still "muhmek" when you forget how to say it right), "loud," "noise," "stuck," "bird," "under," "walk," "outside" (ow-side), "noodle," "berries," "hurt," "cheese," "Jell-O," "spoon," "fork," "bite,""peacock," "zebra," "bubble," "shoes," "blue," "red," "purple," "yellow," "restaurant" (more like "restaunt") "go," "elbow," "work," "school," "bread," and some of my favorites: "book," "read!" (I also love when you say "go," because you're doing it to tell me to move the car. I'll be at a red light, and you'll say, "GO!" or if I don't reverse out of my parking spot immediately: "Go!" and I have to explain why I'm not moving the car yet.)

-You don't always get the colors correct, but you are very interested in trying to name them! Most everything is "blue", but you do know which words are color words. The jury is still out in knowing if you have Daddy's color blindness. I'm really hoping you don't!

-You have a thing for shoes - our shoes. You love to walk around in Mommy or Daddy's shoes, and you get pretty frustrated when you can't quite turn them the right way or walk for a long time in them . . . although, you're getting pretty good at doing so! We think it's the cutest thing - mostly because you're so serious about it and will just be standing there playing with a toy while wearing our shoes like it's no big deal.

-You love the ipad - much like your big brother did at this age (and still does!). You especially love the "Wheels on the Bus" video and anything Elmo. You will sometimes say, "A, B... Elmo," telling me to put the video where Elmo sings the alphabet. Or, you will say, "Bus...Ehphant," letting me know you want the GiggleBellies version of "Wheels on the Bus."

-You love saying your own name: "Winn." You'll point to your cup and say, "Milk... Winn" ("That's Quinn's milk."), and you like to point out the difference between your things and Banner's: "Wah-er, MeeMee," ("That's Banner's water.")

-You're putting more words together to get your point across. Last week, you stood up from playing and said, "Walk. Outside. Shoes," and then you went to get your shoes. Then, you said, "Clean up" as you went to put the Legos back in the bin. You're also combining words to make little phrases all in one. For example, you'll hand me something and say, "Herego" ("here you go"), or we'll get one shoe on and then you'll say "Othe-won" ("other one"). Love it!

-You love saying the names of family members and doing your little roll-call, too. "Erick?" "Unca Marc?" "Bock?" "Kiki?" "Yiyi?" (Levi), "Daddy?" etc.

-Ride-on toys are getting a lot of your attention these days.

-One of my new favorite memories from this month was when you and I went to Whole Foods after we dropped Banner off at school. Half-way through our quick trip there, you said, "Hug," and you leaned your head towards my chest. The rest of our visit there was spent with you snuggling against me, either smiling or saying "hug" or just resting on my arms as I pushed the grocery cart. Such a sweet snuggler you are - and I absolutely love that!

-Banner found my old DVD of "Spirit," and you have become just as obsessed as he is with it. In the car, you want to hear "Spiwit, Spiwit, Spiwit" until I turn on the exact song from that album that you want to hear. And, when I have a song on that you don't want to hear, you will say, "NO!" until I turn it on a song you like.

-You still LOVE music and dancing. You're even starting to try out singing! You'll copy words at the end of a phrase of music (Spirit "Get Off of My Back" song, "Wheels on the Bus," "Twinkle). You also like to do the motions to "Wheels on the Bus."

-Another favorite memory was the night I was bathing you and Banner, and you had two rubber trucks in your hands. You held them up high as you stood up in the tub. I've never heard you say "truck" the way you did that night, and it had me hiding my laugh and keeping my smiles discreet as you yelled, "FUCK! FUCKK! FFFFUUCK!!" over and over again. And the way you said it with such passion and intensity, and elaboration! It was hysterical. I wish Daddy had been home to hear it, and I wish I had thought to get my camera to record your emphatic, loud, deliberate words. I just kept saying, "Yes, that's a truck!" But, I wondered if maybe - just maybe - you weren't really saying "Truck." :)

-10 months ago, at 10-months-old, you were diagnosed with laryngomalacia. I thought I should give a little update at this point since it's been so long since I've written about it. Most of the time, it's not a big deal, but I still hear this noisy breathing as you are trying to fall asleep. You pretty much "snore" as you are trying to fall asleep - a rattling sound comes from your throat, and it sounds like you have a horrible drainage, but you are not bothered by it. You also still need your Zantac twice a day for the reflux that is a direct symptom of this problem. You don't choke as much as you used to - although pasta must be cut up very well for you or it will gag you. You've gotten to be an expert at solving your own choking problems - often yawning after a mere choke to open your airway better.

-Lately, you've been putting yourself to bed and refusing to be rocked to sleep. THIS.IS.BIG! I realize I'm being hypocritical when I say I love that you do this but that I also miss rocking you to sleep. In fact, when you point to your bed and say, "In. In," I often say back to you, "Can Mommy rock you a few more minutes?" Usually you appease me, but a minute or two later, you are looking at your bed again, "In. In. In." I'm so glad you like your bed and want to put yourself to sleep. But, I wouldn't be your mother if I didn't want to still rock you to sleep!

Quinn-Quinn, the other day at Campbell Green, you were playing so independently and exploring so well on your own. I sat back and was able to just watch you enjoy yourself. You turned slowly to find where I was sitting, and this beaming smile took over your whole face. Beautiful on so many levels. You were playing confidently by yourself; you knew you were safe; your smile and bright eyes so sweet and gorgeous. But, perhaps the most beautiful part to me was you knowing Mommy is there, the connection we feel toward each other, that you were safe, that I'm your "person." I'm always here, sweet boy, and I always will be. No matter what. The way you looked at me was so heartfelt, and I feel that love from you. With every piece of my being I hope you feel that from me, too! Because, Oh.My.God, do I love you! And, I love Love LOVE loving you!

Happy 20-Months, My Love!
Love,
Mommy