Kelly in NC

Grayson,
Today you are 21 months old and seem to quickly be approaching your 2nd birthday. You are steadily turning from baby to boy and I often watch in amazement as you learn to say something new or accomplish a task that the day before you could not master. You’ve developed a love for Blue’s Clues which you call “blue blue” complete with a self-made sign- your 2 hands near your head, facing outward, opening and closing twice. You are working on learning the words to the songs on the cartoon as well as the hand motions.
You enjoyed another trip to Florida by airplane this month and enjoyed staying at your Nagy and Pop Pop’s house. You visited with a number of aunts, uncles, and cousins and even got to see your Great Grandma and Great Grandpa who you haven’t seen in over a year. You enjoyed being baby sat by Pop Pop and was kind enough to reward him for his hard work with a massive poop! Ahh the joys of babyhood!
A new love of crayons surfaced this month. You could color and draw all day if we let you and of course we already had to set a few rules. You “accidently” colored on the wall in you play room- so now your coloring acitivites must be supervised and the crayons are not allowed to leave the table. The new rules seem to suit you just fine. Especially since you like for Daddy and me to draw pictures with you. While coloring, you like to hog all the crayons, putting as many as you can hold in one hand and refusing to share. You’ve learned the word “mine” (although you say “mines”) this month and say it over and over when we ask for one of the colors that you are hoarding. In the past you have shown a preference for your left hand, but since you have started coloring you now to seem to use the right hand more frequently.
You love to be outside and love all things to do with sports. You will stop anything you’re doing (including watching Blues Clues) for a promised trip outdoors. You are good at putting on your jacket with help and will often bring your socks and shoes. For Christmas you recieved a t-ball stand and a basketball set from your Aunt Jennifer. When outside you love to play with the t-ball set and have found that almost any type of ball will balance on top of the stand. Even better, you discovered that all balls will go flying when you hit them with the bat! Inside you love to play with the basketball and in my opinion- you’ve got a pretty good arm for being so little!
In your 21st month, you expanded your food favorties. You love oranges (you say “onzhhh”) and would eat two or three a day if we let you. You also continue to love apples- although they have taken a back seat to your new fruit favorite. Daddy has spoiled you with ice cream every night after dinner. As he prepares a bowl for the two of you to share, you often stand at his feet, clapping your hands, spinning circles, shouting “I May, I May”- your way of saying ice cream!
So another month has passed and as I looked back on the photos I took of you for this post, it hit me just how big you are getting. Long gone are the chubby legs and arms and the tiny baby body that I could easily fit onto my lap. Instead I now have a toddler who is working on his independence- but luckily still loves to hug, kiss, and cuddle. One of my favorite memories from this past month was when completely on your own, you stopped playing with your puzzles walked over to me, grabbed my face and planted a slobbery wet kiss on my lips. I rewarded you with tickles and kisses and thought how happy I am that you are growing up and are able to express your love for me now! I’m looking forwad to a thousand more of your spontaneous kisses and hope you know that I love each and everyone of them!
Grayson, I love you more and more each day!
Always,
Mama