01.11.09
Dear Ashden: Month Sixteen
Dear Ash,
This month you turned 16 months old and you spent all of it with a runny nose. This has been an extremely brutal sickness, a really long and difficult cold that you’re still suffering from today. We’re both struggling through it, but I think the end is near.
When I last wrote you, you were seriously suffering from a big case of the clingys and the whines. I’m thrilled to say that you’re over it. Whatever was wrong, whether it was the adjustment to the new house, a cold, new teeth (more on that in a minute) or just a long case of the blues, you’re out of that slump. It was a slow process, and every day you’d wake up a little happier, and now you’re back to your usual cheery self, playing with dinky cars on the floor, bringing me books to read or requesting the Tubbies.
At the beginning of the month I was able to count all of your words. Here they are for record’s sake, as of December 19:
-monkey
-mama/mommy
-dada
-papa
-nana/nanny
-dog
-kitty
-bubbles
-ball
-balloon
-hanger
-apple
-animal
-moon
-bottle
-wawa (water)
-boot
-tubbies
-snowman
-baby
-truck
-abba (ambera)
-auntie (he knows that she is both abba and auntie)
-lala (his grandmother on clive’s side)
-down
-noodles
-milk
-melon
-sushi
-uh oh
-yes
-no
-more
-bye
-bear
-duck
-bread
-bird
Sounds of:
-fish (mouth open and close)
-dog
-kitty
-clock (tick tock)
-drum (he says bang bang bang)
-cow
-monster
-lamb/goat/sheep (he’ll say “baa” for all three of them)
-owl
-horse
-fire truck (nee naw)
-cars/trucks/busses/motorcycles/tractors (“vrooom”)
-bee
-horse
Signs:
-milk
-down
-hot
-book
-motorcycle
-bath
-all done
-more
-eat
-bye
-kiss goodbye
-(nodding yes or no)
You have added at least one word a day to that list, and I’m no longer able to keep up with recording them. You say “all done” and sign it at the same time, you point out the features on my face every day and say, “eye, nose, ear.” You are learning your body parts and will point to your head, your own facial features, your penis, your legs, your hands, your belly, your toes- pretty much anywhere I ask you to point to, you will. Genius, my child, genius.
You call anything that’s not water “juice” even though you’ve rarely had juice (we gave you a little bit while in Cuba, but that’s it), which strangely enough is what your father says too. Everything is “juice.” Water is “wawa,” my milk is “milll, boo boo.” Rai-rai for raisins, noo noo for noodles, appa for apple, whatever. You know what you want and you ask for it.
There was a time this month that was difficult for both of us. You spent several nights wanting to nurse all night long, and I mean ALL NIGHT LONG, and it was driving me batty; the lack of sleep and the sensation of you nursing. I realize now that it was several molars coming in and you were suffering from that pain. Molars must suck so hard to cut, and I’m sorry there’s not much more than a little Baby Tylenol and lots of “milll boo boo” that I can offer you.
This month also held your second Christmas. You got some pretty nice presents but weren’t spoiled. You got a big red tricycle from your grandparents on my side, a train set and train cars from your grandparents on your father’s side, a magna doodle and wooden automobiles from me, a huge and ugly jeep thing to ride in from your dad, some Padraig slippers from your uncle, and a grocery store gift certificate from your aunt so we can continue to give you yummy organic food. You enjoyed unwrapping the gifts- this was the first time that it actually clicked in your head, so that was fun to watch.
You’re learning to eat with a fork or spoon, and will most of the time use them for their intended purposes, but you still enjoy playing with them and banging them on your high chair. You’re getting really good at drinking out of a normal cup, so long as I don’t fill the glass too full. I cannot believe how fast you’re growing.
I’ve been really lax with the photos lately, and I think it’s because we’ve kept ourselves so busy. You’ve been waking up later than usual, which is great, and you spend the first part of the morning with your dad (generally from 7-9am) partially to let you guys have some quality time together (it’s the only time- outside of dinner- that you get to see him) and partially to let me sleep in. When I get up, we eat some breakfast, play trains or cars or draw pictures and before I know it, it’s 11:30, and time for your nap. You’ll either sleep for an hour and fifteen minutes (like yesterday) or over two hours (like today). I can never tell what it’s going to be. When you wake up, you take a poop on the potty, and we get ready to go out for a while. Sometimes we just go to the grocery store or post office, or- more preferably- we go to a friend’s house to play for a couple of hours. Fridays are our main play dates, where 4-6 moms and their kids get together and talk while the kids play. It’s a wonderful time for both of us.
Your best friend is named Sam and he lives about two blocks away. He’s three weeks older than you and we’ve been friends with him since October. His mom is really awesome too. You two didn’t used to play together, but as the months have passed and you have gotten older, you really do like to play as a team now. You can chase each other around and share balls and other toys and it’s wonderful to see. Sometimes you kiss each other! It’s absolutely adorable. We’re not going to see Sam as much after the beginning of March because his mom has to go back to work, and I’m really, really sad about that. But for now, we’ll spend as much time together as we can.
We’re usually back in the house around 5pm, and I let you play by yourself, or if you’re being really, really clingy I will have to put you in front of the Tubbies for a few minutes while I cook dinner for you and your dad. Daddy, as he’s now known (you started calling us Mommy and Daddy this month), comes home at about 6:15, and then we have some dinner and sometimes he gives you a bath before heading off to his night job. You’re in bed by 7pm, and you’ll wake up every hour or so until I go to bed at 11. It’s a good life, eh? It’s going to get better when all of your little friends are as mobile as you are and it’s summer and we can play in the park and have picnics and oh my gosh, I’m just so excited for warmer weather.
We went for allergy testing this month for you, and through some skin testing they found that you don’t have any type-one allergies. This is great news, but still doesn’t explain why you get congested and hives around cashmere, congested and eczema when you eat (or I eat) bananas, or why you get diarrhea for days at a time after eating oats or animal milk. Hopefully it’s something you’ll grow out of. They tell me that you should be good by age three. We’ll see. I’m just glad I was able to finally talk to some people who would take me seriously, especially considering I first noticed your bad reactions to things when you were two months old.
This language development of yours is fascinating to watch and I’m enjoying getting to know you better and better every day, even if you’ve started saying “no” to nearly everything I say to you. Do you want up? No. Do you want down? No. Are you hungry? No. Are you full? No. Whereas once you’d say “yup” to everything I asked you, now it’s “no.” Ahhh, toddlerhood, ain’t it grand?
Your father just walked by me as I was writing this and uploading your pictures, and he said, “he’s a beauty, isn’t he?”
You are, Ash. You are absolutely beautiful. I’d do anything for you, do you know that? There isn’t a thing in the world that I wouldn’t do for you. You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever met and I cannot believe I created you! I’m looking forward to tomorrow and the next day and the next day and every day, and it’s all because of you.
Love,
Mama