Monthly Newsletter #21

Dear Landon,

This month had been quite the challenge with you. Although you are beginning to say more words with some regularity; “eyes,” “bee bah” (big ball), “bese bah” (base ball), "auf bah" (golf ball), “cah cah” (car car), “dee yoo” (see you) and “seet”(sit.) Communication clearly is still not your strong suit. We have continued working on the difference between yes and no. You are saying “No!” Which would be fine if you meant “No.” But you say it in response to everything – it’s your go to answer. You even go so far as to shake your head side to side. And sometimes, you mean “Yes.” We can’t read your mind, so we generally figure it out by either the excited gleam in your eye or when we take the thing we offered back, because you said “no,” and you throw a fit because you meant “yes.”






Your curiosity is beginning to get the best of you. We are slowly but surely finding all of the hidden niches in the house that we have not yet baby proofed. You are putting your playground skills to work, climbing up on chairs and stools to reach things that previously had gone unnoticed. And silence which used to be golden is now a warning sign.

The first few times you were busted you surrendered the contraband and that was that. I took my bottle of foundation, wiped what I could out of your eyebrows and off the floor, and we went on our merry way. But your latest trick is to ditch the incriminating evidence, a la tossing a baggie of weed out the window in a police chase. And it wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t pick things that break to toss. And while part of me realizes that maybe it was time to buy new blush anyway, I don’t wear make-up that often, and it’s hard to justify an expense on something I wear maybe once a month.

You are still hesitant in social situations. Last weekend at Carter’s there were two little girls playing at the Lego table. You moaned and groaned that you needed to be allowed out of the stroller. You had no shoes on because we forgot them at the house and we hadn’t been letting you run around shoeless in other stores, but figured at Carter’s it would probably be fine.

Once released, you took off for the Lego area, but then froze solid 5 feet back and observed the two little girls playing. You spotted a stray Lego and the wheels in your little head began to turn. That Lego was going to be your key. Your golden ticket into the play area. You picked it up and shoved it in the face of the girl nearest you. She did not know what to think about the little guy holding the Lego a half inch from her nose, and she sat still, like it was some kind of a hold up. Finally her mom said “he’s trying to give it to you.” She took the Lego and you backed into your 5 foot back position. Smiling. Proud. And it was definitely progress in the shyness department.

Eventually the other little girl left and you sat in her chair, there was some minor issue over the table – I think the original girl pulled it closer to her and her mom made her push it back so you could both reach. I tried to stay out of it, because honestly, I’m just as weird about strangers as you are, but also I think I need to allow you to carve your own path and I don’t want to be a helicopter parent. Her mom probably knew to keep an eye on her daughter for that kind of stuff anyway.

Your OCD tendencies are still alive and kickin’. I cleaned out your portion of my closet this month and when I put all your ill-fitting clothes in a plastic bin to be taken upstairs, I had 15,649 empty hangers left over. I knew you had a few items still in the washer that would need to be hung, so I hung some empty hangers along with the current clothes and put the rest up. You followed me into the closet and took all the empty hangers and put them with the old clothes. Clearly – I had not realized that the old clothes and those hangers belong together. What was I thinking?

Miss Linda says you love baby Jonah so much. You stop what you’re doing about every 30 minutes or so and go over to him and rock him in his carrier and give him a big smooch. She says you are super gentle with him and so sweet.

I think my “work-on this” item for the last 3 months has been about communicating better, and while I’d like to move on and ask for something else. Seriously – the communication thing is going to help our daily lives in ways you never even imagined.

Love,

Mama