Dear Jude,

You have had quite an exciting month–new toys and new friends and a new weekly breakfast date. We’ve all been busy, busy, busy, but you really seem to be enjoying every minute of life.

Papa and I went on a bit of a shopping spree for you earlier in the month, and our house is a bit more cluttered because of it! The weather has been up and down… cool for a few weeks and then warm for a day or two. We’ve been spending as much time as possible outdoors and have been making the best of the days we need to spend indoors. When we’re out at the park, you like me to chase you, so I do. You run and I follow behind singing, “I’m gonna get you! I’m gonna get you!” and you giggle. After I catch you once or twice, we switch, and you become the chaser and I the chase-ee. You love to run after me, arms outstretched and yelling, “I get chou! I get chou!” You inevitably catch me, and then we switch roles again. You can play this game for HOURS. I can play it for MINUTES before running out of breath.

A week or two ago, you and I were at the playground on one of the random 70-degree’d days we’ve had recently. Out of no where, you packed up our belongings into our park bag, handed it to me, took me by the hand, and said “Bagel.” You then proceeded to lead me to Charmers Cafe where I ordered you the desired bagel and an apple cider.

This past month, your Papa and I decided to invest in a new camera-a Nikon D90 Digital SLR. It is quite the fancy camera, and you’re my favorite subject to shoot. On any given day, I shoot upwards of 300 photos of you. You’re so handsome and so photogenic–it’s hard to hold my trigger finger back!

Thursdays are your favorite day of the week these days because on Thursday mornings, we having a standing breakfast date with some friends of ours. When you wake up on Thursday mornings, we tell you that we need to hurry and get ready so that we can meet our friends for breakfast. Once you process that information, you spend the remainder of our time at home (and our time traveling to the diner) exclaiming “FRIENDS!” AND “CAKE!” (“Cake” = “Pancake,” in case anyone is wondering.) You like to bring your bucket of Play-Doh or your camera with us when we go out for breakfast. You love taking table-top pictures of our friends’ stomach, and you love it when they indulge your desire for them to create Play-Doh cats for you.

For the most part, the past month has been on the easy side of the spectrum for you and me. I’m doing my best to undo my preconceived notions about parenting and I’m trying really, really hard to be a more level-headed and even-tempered mom for you. You’re understanding more, talking more, singing more, laughing more, reading more, jumping more, etc. You’re growing up. And, while I hate to admit it, this is a good thing. I love that we’re able to do more things together… that you have some sort of direction in mind when we play with your Play-Doh. You request certain toys (ball pit, rice, paint) and certain movies (for instance, Ratatouille at least twice a day) and certain food (bagels. also, pizza). You tell me whether you want to wear your jeans or your bibs, a hoodie or a coat. You know what “tired” and “hungry” feel like, and you have no trouble telling me when those adjectives applies to your state of being.

I loved you as a baby, Monkey. I loved holding you and snuggling with you and being with you all the time. Now, I love you as a toddler. I love playing with you and reading to you and dancing and singing with you. I still love it when you allow me to hold you and snuggle with you, but our relationship has moved past those simple forms of affection. We can talk to each other (a bit, at least) now. You can make your desires known to me in no uncertain terms. There’s a real rhythm to our days, and I love it. I am grateful for the time we get to spend together. I love being with you.

Love,
mama