Twenty-Two Months

August 10, 2013

Seth,

Again, we wish we could capture everything about each month, each week, each day. Talking to Grandpa when he was visiting, it’s clear that we’ll forget things about these days as you grow up. But this one thing we won’t forget, and we hope you don’t either: we love you unconditionally, and we’re already so proud of the little boy you are becoming. We’ll save what we can in pictures and words, and save memories also. All the while, we will savor the days with you while we have them, as each new day brings new experiences and new meaning to “daddy” and “mommy”.

Fortunately, this month has brought the word “yes” into your vocabulary. It’s no small thing that you only say “no!” half of the time now. It’s so fun to hear you say “yeah!” in your little voice in response to questions about almost anything, with a cute little exclamation. Now, of course, we notice that it’s exactly the same intonation we use when we respond to each other. Go figure. You’ve become deeply involved with your stuffed animals this month. For a while, they could come sleep with you in bed, and were regularly requested by name. That is, until they started jumping out of the crib on a regular basis. Now, they have to “sleep downstairs”. Still, they get to ride along on a host of activities. For the first time this month, you held up the book to you giraffe to read. The stuffed animals have a strangely similar personality to you, though. When I asked you to stop jumping on the couch, your giraffe took over about 30 seconds later.

Lots of time with family this month, from Grandpa and Grandma for July 4th, to an unexpected 24 hours in Colorado on the way to see all of Grandpa’s family in Indiana. You were scared to death of the beginning of the fireworks over the Bay for Independence Day, to the point of completely hiding in our arms. Still, you managed to watch the last little while, and we’re still hearing about how “fireworks go boom boom!” and “fireworks fall in the water!”. It’s ok. We’re all still kids when it comes to fireworks.

An unfortunate series of travel events (the first rule of flying is ’don’t fly through Chicago’) landed us in Colorado for 24 hours and a bonus night’s stay with Nana and Papa. Good times, that. Had a great time with all the cousins, aunts and uncles in Indiana, from feeding the swans and jumping off the dock, to a party for great-Grandma and seeing all the family. You go to go on your first boat ride, while mommy and daddy tried waterskiing. Crashing in the water from either of us resulted in a completely meltdown in the boat…it’s so cute to see how much you care about mommy and daddy.

Raising a bright, active, inquisitive little boy is as much fun as it is a challenge. It’s very hard to be stern when you’re trying to hold in the laughter, and your wife is next to you on the couch hiding her laughter behind the iPad. As we sat on the couch, you walked over with your plastic hammer in hand. After a few seconds of consideration, you nailed me right in the nose with it. It took some 30 seconds to ask for an apology while we tried to control the laughter.

Each day brings new phrases and understanding. From waving goodbye to the water as it goes out of the tub – “water goes down the drain!” to spelling your name from the back seat to unwrapping most of a roll of wrapping paper in the office as you tried to wrap up a box, it never stops. It’s so amazing to ask you questions or point things out, and look into your little eyes and see the wheels turning in your head. And everything that you’re thinking comes back out, now or later. Seth, you’re more of a blessing than I think you’ll probably understand until you have kids of your own.