(Month 16) Tuesday, March 19th 2013

Dear Kid of Mine,

You are blossoming and thriving, especially in this rediscovered warmer weather. Running around outside is one of your new favorite things. When I go to put Pepper out in the morning you are right there, trying to squeeze your way through the sliding glass door. It cracks me up, really. You want to be out in the middle of it. You want to be part of the vast world spinning around and around. You want the sun on your skin. You want the dirt beneath your feet. Throw in a little slide and you are in heaven.

I love how easy you are to please right now. As long as your little, curious fingers have mine to hold you will take on any mountain. You can sit for hours spinning a spoon in a little bowl and call that entertainment. Every marble run your Papa builds is seriously the most exciting thing. You come running whenever you hear those marbles dropping back and forth. Those happy little moments are so precious to me. Especially when you forget the "nienie" and start talking away.

You know so many words now. Some of them are: water, milk, diaper, Pepper, cereal, lunch, downstairs, and Pepper. You know what a cow says, "moo," and what a doggie says, "ah ah." Most importantly you know "Mama," and "Papa." We love when you say our names, but I especially love when you whisper. I will say, "I, Love," and you will whisper, "Papa." Then I tickle you like crazy, because that is the wrong answer, but really it is always the right answer. I hope to never forget the way you little voice says those sweet, sweet words.

Well, keep it up little sixteen-month monster of mine. You just threw two footballs down the stairs and I need to make sure you don't come tumbling after.

Love you so, very very much,
Mama

(Year 1) November 1st 2012

Dear One Year Old, 

Hello! We made it! One year older, but I am feeling like the wiser one in this case. I cannot believe it. You are growing and growing every day and suddenly it is your first birthday! Does it ever stop? I guess not, thought parts of me really would like to put life on pause and just keep these moments a little while longer. 

So anyway, just some things about you and your one year old self:

You love walking and have been doing it for about three weeks now

Cars are pretty cool

You love Pepper, but she mostly keeps her distance because you poke her eyes a lot

You usually fall asleep when we ride in the car

Bath time is pretty fun now that you have toys you like

You drink from a sipee just as well as you do from a bottle

Sleeping through the night is something you are expert in

You have the strangest fascination with toothbrushes

Your favorite food is probably bananas

Words you say: Mama, Papa, nie nie, and can sign more, all done, and milk

You have the stairs, up and down, completely mastered

For your party we had a Harry Potter theme because I got to choose this year. Next year it will probably be cars or dinosaurs or airplanes; something completely boy I'm sure. But for this year I knew you really wouldn't have a clue what was happening so I wanted it to be fun for me and all your cousins. It was boisterous, fun, and there was some delicious food. All in all, a successful first birthday. 

And now, here you are, one year old! I simply cannot get over it. My little baby boy is slowly slipping away. Though these new phases are fun and exciting, but I sometimes miss my teeny-tiny baby. 

Love you and Happy Birthday!

Mama

(Month 9) August 30th 2012

Dear Blake, 

Nine whole months and I cannot believe it. Honestly, you are teaching me so much about love and family, things I could never learn unless I was learning them as your mom. I love being with you and spending time with you ever day. I love watching you crawl all over the house. I love watching you develop tastes for different types of food. I especially love holding you for your naps. 

This is something many people have tried to keep me from doing. "Don't hold him for naps," they say, " or he will never learn how to take a nap on his own." That is precisely why I love to hold you though, my little man. I like to be with you when you sleep. On occasion, yes, I do need a nap myself and nothing is more comfortable than holding my precious boy. Mostly thought, I hold you because time is fleeting and those moments of quiet and closeness are so precious to me. I like being there to comfort you when you wake up. I love feeling you warm and cozy while you rest. I love watching your slackened face as the binky finally falls right out of your mouth. Naps are nice and something I will miss when they are over. 

I also find ways to get a little space from you when it is absolutely necessary. You Papa is pretty good at taking over after an especially tiring day. Your G.G. loves to have you come and visit. When we go to her house you always have both grandparents' full attention. You also have a Tio, a Kelsey, and a Nana who are all pretty much smitten with your mobile little self.

Love you, 

Mama

(Month 7) Saturday, June 2nd 2012

Dear Blake My Little Fish,

You darling, are the cutest thing I have seen in swim trunks. I cannot get over how much fun we had in the water today. It was overcast, and a bit chilly if I say so myself, but you still had the greatest time playing with your cousin Ryan and the rest of the family who came along with us. 

I must admit, at first I was hesitant to bring you along to the pool. You don't really like being splashed in the face and that is a dead guarantee when there are a bunch of kids playing around in the water. I was afraid you would be upset or put off of swimming entirely if you were splashed. I was afraid it would ruin our entire summer experience. Yet, my fears were not justified. You had a BALL!

You loved being in the water. You loved splashing with your chubby fingers. You loved kicking your bitty feet. You loved your floatie. Honestly, the only thing you didn't love were the red sunglasses G.G. tried to have you wear. Hey, to each his own, I won't hold it against you. 

Love you my boy.

Mama

(Month 7) June 18th 2012

Dear Blake, 

There is nothing more exciting than the real discovery of fingers. You have been pretty good at pinching and poking with your fingers, but now you are really coming to grips with recognizing your hands as YOUR hands. I love all of the things you do with those hands. Most especially I am smitten every time you reach your hands out to me. Heart melts, let me just say. 

Love always, 

Mama

(Month 7) June 1st 2012

Dear Little Trooper, 

We had a grand adventure today. We took Pepper and Tio and Grandpa up the canyon and we hiked Stewart Falls. It was pretty warm and pretty far, but you enjoyed most of the trek from the comfort of your baby carrier. The entire time you hardly made a peep. Honestly, I thought it was going to be much more difficult than it was. You seemed comfortable, I was comfortable, and the only person uncomfortable was Pepper because her paws were so stinking hot on all the sun scorched dirt. 

She was so pleased when we reached the water and she could romp around in the cool for a while. It was warm, I will admit, but we had plenty of water with us and we did simply fantastically. On the way back down from the falls we had to take several breaks to let poor, poor Pepper rest in the shade. She really hasn't gotten the exercise she deserves since you were born. This pretty much burned her out, something I never thought would happen. However, in the end, we all made it back home safe and sound. It was a delightful little jaunt and we enjoyed it very much. 

Love always, 

Mama

(Month 3) February 1st 2012

My dear, dear Blake, 

I love you to the moon and back. I love you like I never knew I could. Your eyes are heaven, your smiles are so precious, and your laugh to die for. From fingers to toes you are the most incredible miracle I have ever witnessed. Each and every moment I spend being your mom teaches me something new. I learn about myself and my limits. I learn about you and your amazing growth. I learn about this world we live in and the beauty that surrounds us. You are great! You are great in so many ways. 

At three months you are babbling like mad. I will sit working on the computer and have you keeping me company in your bouncy seat in the office. For the most part you will sit quietly and swat at your keys. Then, without warning, you will spew a stream of babble that is so riveting I will stop my typing and just listen to you go on and on about something, of which I only wish I could understand. You have so many things to tell me, I know. I can see the importance of each effort to speak glinting in your eyes. You have captured me, most certainly Littleman. 

These three months have gone by in a crawl of cold weather and very few outings. I don't like taking you out in the frigid air. It is really not pleasant. So we usually just cuddle at home, especially if dad needs the car to go to work. When he is home we do much of the same. Sitting, cuddling, watching a movie here, watching you roll on the floor there. Boy! You are growing too fast. I will probably be thinking this for the rest of time, but it is the truth. 

The moment I think I have a handle on all of your new tricks you go and do something amazing. You grab things with both hands. You smile and light up when you see people you recognize. You love getting tickles. You hate loud surprises. There is so much about your sweet personality that we catch glimpses of and we are so grateful you are ours. 

All the love in the world, 

Mama

(Week 7) Tuesday, December 20th

Dear Blake,

     I love you little man; so, so much! You take up almost all of my time and I wouldn't have it any other way. We hardly cook, we never clean, and yet we always make it out. At lease once a day you and I go on an adventure to the store or to work. We have some pretty fun times, I will tell you that. This little number you are in is not your favorite thing to wear in the car. I think you might even hate it. But that doesn't matter, because I love it. It makes you look like a little bear. Sometimes I call you Little Bear, but I don't know if you have an official nick name yet. We call you very many things around here. Don't worry, they are mostly nice names. Papa calls you Little Man a whole lot. I also have him calling you Brother and Budders. He doesn't like Budders, but it just comes out all on it's own. For me it is just a combination of Buddy and Little Brothers, both of the nicknames at the top of my list. Sometimes we call you stinky, but not often enough for it to stick. 

     Well, you keep me up at night, but I still love you. Things have been going very well and we hope to keep it up!

                                             Love, Mommy

(Week 6) Tuesday, December 13th

Dear Blake,

Yesterday marked the beginning of the twelve days of Christmas! Yesterday was also the worst day I have had in a long while. Most of it was spent on the floor of the bathroom with a severe case of flu, the worst kind of flu. You know the kind. Well, you probably don't, but I am not going to spoil it for you. You will know it when you get hit with it. Papa Superman had to take care of you the entire day. You got out of the house and spent most of it at LaLa's house. I finally crawled from the bathroom around two in the afternoon and flopped in to bed. Yes, this took all of my strength. 

Everything ached, even my fingers and toes. Papa came and checked on me and brought me his Grandmother's secret flu serum to drink. It was lovely, and combined with some saltines did the trick. No more barfs! I got a lovely pair of warm slipper socks for my first gift of Christmas and they helped keep me warm. By today I was feeling so much better. I was mobile and able to take much better care of you. Everyone else was spared the terrible flu, which was a relief, especially because you didn't get sick. 

You are still just as healthy and happy as ever. Right now you are really starting to play and interact with us. We put little toys on your set and you bat at them with your little paws. You have scratched yourself several times, and boy do you get mad! I have to sit back and laugh, but then I always try to fold over the mittens on your shirt so you don't do it again. 

Loves always,

Momma

(Week 5) Tuesday, December 6th

Dear Baby Blake,

Here we are. Another week flown right by us an you keeping right up with the trend. I cannot believe you are getting soooo big. Sometimes I really hate it. We already have had to up the straps on your car seat twice. It just blows my mind, honestly it does. That is why I love to spend every moment with you. If I blink something might slip right by. 

Well, this month is going to be a busy one with Christmas coming. We will be spending a lot of our time with family, but we already do that anyway. Up until now we have stayed cozy in the bed upstairs, getting out for a trip to lunch or G.G.'s house every once in a while. Tio and Papa are usually huddled in the downstairs playing the new Zelda. You and I go down to watch once in a while. All is well and I wouldn't have it any other way

Love you little man,

Momma