Dear Eliot: 19 Months

Dear Eliot,

I don't really remember what life was like without you around.  What in the world did your dad and I do with all of that extra time?  Well, we were busy taking a lot of classes and working two jobs, but, man, things must have been different back then.  I'm so glad to have you with us.

Every morning, we get out of bed and go in the bathroom.  You say, "Teeth!  Teeth!"  You are excited to brush your teeth!  So, I set you on the counter and you say, "Mmm!  Mmm!"  You are excited to eat toothpaste!  I get your brush ready for you and you suck alll of the toothpaste off.  OK.  Round two.  I put more on and convince you to actually brush.  I help some, but you do a lot of it yourself.  You are working hard on getting all of your teeth in.  Right now, you are teething and all four canines are coming at once.  You're doing a good job (just slightly fussy and not wanting to eat much) and at least one on the bottom has broken through.  As always, your teething schedule is a little late, but that really isn't a big deal and we know what to expect.

You have become such a comedian.  You love to make other people laugh.  If your dad is laughing at something on tv, you laugh too--and I like to think that you really get the joke.  Sometimes you'll notice us laugh at something you do and you'll keep doing it over and over to keep the laughter coming.  Last night, you were spinning in circles and saying, "Dub-dub" over and over (we're not sure what "dub-dub" means yet, but you say it a lot when you are full of yourself).  Then you fell into the tv stand.  Oops.  One time in a restaurant, you were looking at a couple next to us.  This always worries me because one time when you were about five months old, a couple got very offended when you were looking at them (and you were just looking).  Anyway, this couple thought you were cute and they waved.  Then you did this thing....  You scrunched your eyes closed and started swaying; the lady called you Elvis.  We were puzzled and laughed so hard.  And you got it.  And kept doing it over and over.  I literally cried from laughing so hard.  We couldn't get you to stop!

Can I say that you seem like such a baby genius to me?  You've been unlocking and playing with our phones for a while.  This month, though, you completely mastered the ipad.  You even know which apps to go into and how to work all of your games.  We can set you up with the ipad and leave you alone for what seems like forever and just monitor you to make sure you don't send any e-mails.

By far, your favorite movie is Cars.  You still love Yo Gabba Gabba (which you call Gabba) and get excited when I saw we are going to watch it, but every day, you come to me with the tv remote and ask, "Car?  Car?"  Some kids carry security blankets or their favorite stuffed animal all around.  You carry toy cars.

This past month, you threw your first tantrum in public.  We were grocery shopping when you had.to.get.out of the cart.  Big mistake.  I let you down and you found a ball (a tomato).  Well, we weren't about the start throwing a tomato in the grocery store, so you threw a fit.  I had to sack-of-potatoes carry you to the car while your dad paid and you screamedddd.  And everyone stared.  I just kept going.  When we got in the parking lot, a lady joked that you were going to become a singer, which made me so happy.  At least someone didn't think I was a crazy lady without any control over her kid.  Yeah, I have control.  If I carry you under my arm, you can't get away.  That's about the extent of my control over you.  We're working on discipline and learning to follow the rules, but that's the thing:  you are learning.  You are learning what it means to listen.  You are learning to communicate properly (not crazily) when you want something.  And you are learning that you can't always get your way.  At least, I hope that you are learning those things because that display was crazy and I hope that it never happens again--but I know it will. 

I have always loved sharing everything with you, but you are at the age where you are really taking everything in.  We hit the beach hard this summer, and I think you really enjoyed it.  Gone are the days when you were afraid of the waves.  Instead, with our help, you swim right into them and get upset when it is time to go on shore.  However, you love digging for sandfiddlers and throwing sand.  You have gotten a really nice tan--way better than mine--and look like such a beach baby with your thick, blonde hair.  Your dad recently bought a longboard and a big part of why I encouraged him to get it was for you.  In a couple of years, I bet you'll be riding it with him.  Then when you grow older, you'll take that longboard out yourself.

Back home in Lynchburg, I love exploring with you in the woods.  On a walk, we came upon a turtle.  You stared and pointed, trying so hard to say "turtle".  You are so observant, always taking the world in.  We love exploring together.

I am really amazed by how well you are growing socially.  This is something that I worried about a lot because I didn't really have many "mom friends" for a while.  However, going to our weekly mom's group with a handful of younger babies and then socializing with friends' older kids, your older cousins, and new friends at parks has helped you engage with other little people.  When you are around babies, often try to hug them, give them toys, feed them, and call them "bah-buh" (baby).  Then with older kids, you know you can keep up.  You follow them around and mimic them.  You climb all the same equipment (stuff that is really probably too big for you).  Once, a big boy tackled you (probably on accident), and you got right up like it was nothing and kept running with the group while the boy cried for his mom.  You are tough!

You change so much so fast that it doesn't even make sense.  One day, you are terrified of something.  The next day, you embrace it.  We took you to a petting zoo, and I was so excited for you to name all of the animals and touch them.  You weren't having it.  You were scared and I couldn't get you to warm up to them.  Less than a week later, we went to the Safari Park in Natural Bridge.  These animals are bigger, scarier, and demanding food.  You loved it!  Not only were you so excited to feed the buffalo, but at the petting zoo, you were practically taming lions (or baby goats).  Exaggerations aside, you literally ran up to a giant python because you apparently love snakes.  And that is crazy.

You keep on growing and growing.  At your 18-month appointment, you weighed a little over 22 pounds (skinny!) and were 34.5 inches (90th percentile!).  That is an inch and a half away from three feet....  People used to joke that you were half my size.  Now you are more than half of my height.

Eliot, we think the world of you.  You keep growing more and more fun.  You're sweet, handsome, kind, and so funny.  I love every day with you and can't wait to see what next adventure we'll have together.