Happy 25 Months Gabey!

I thought about changing the title of your "letters" after you turned 2, just to avoid the obnoxiousness of saying things like, "Oh my son is 34 months old" but it just seems to fit for the purposes of this blog, so...Happy 25 Months Gabey!!






As you have learned in the last 2 years (and contributed to) the months of June, July, and August are crazy-busy for our family. I am not sure if it is this way for every family, but for my whole life summer has always been a whirlwind, particularly July. As a kid, besides my birthday and Dunwoody, we also always had horse shows going on. As a college student it meant time off of school, trips home and to see friends, and of course Dunwoody and my birthday. As an adult, summer meant throwing in weddings to the crazy mixture, and then we went and had a baby in July as well. At times I wish that all of life were this crazy-busy.





So what have you been up to since you celebrated your birthday Gabey? This has been an odd summer, weather-wise...a lot of cold and rain and then straight into the heat and humidity (which I love). We have spent a lot of time outdoors, mostly because we have an insane amount of work to do to keep the property in good shape. You are quite the little helper outside. You love to help fill up the water buckets and you take your own little watering can around to the potted plants and very seriously water them. Then run back to us begging for "MORE? MORE?"

In fact, MORE is one of your favorite words right now. More specifically, "one more?" You use this to ask for more food, more drink, more fun, more stories, just about anything you deem fun and necessary. You have taken to needing TWO "dinkies" at bedtime, and as I hand you the first you ask for "one more?" before its even in your mouth. In the mornings, when the dinkies are inevitably on the floor, you greet me by standing up in your crib and hollering "one MORE!" as you point to the floor where the lone dinky lay.





You have lots of new words, so many I can't keep track. You are very verbal, although sometimes you get so excited that you just stutter over sounds and gesture until you can spit one word out, like "blah de ba ba ba la la la BIG TRUCK!" You are getting so good at really telling me what you want. The other morning, we went over to your friend Maddie's house for a few hours. I woke you up that morning saying, "Guess what, Gabey, we're going to Maddie's today!" The following morning, I went into your room and you stood up and said "Maddie? I ready!" You spent most of the day trying to tell me you were ready to go to Maddie's. After we got dressed you ran and got your shoes, and as I tried to explain that we weren't going anywhere, you bent down as if to grab my attention better, looked up and said, "Maddie. I READY! In the car, buckle mama."

You also like to ask for your meals by name, and I've read that its important to give toddlers choices that don't matter, so I find it fun to ask you what you want to eat. You usually first tell me you want a "pop" (lolly pop) but then we move on to your favorite food groups, and you generally call out "sammy! chicken NUGgets...frenchfriiiies...RONI." The classic diet of toddlers. We have started trying to include more than just your precesce when we eat dinner--up until recently, I would feed you dinner, then get you ready for bed while Daddy cooked, then we would all sit down--we would eat and give you bits and pieces. You really are not thrilled with most of the things we put on your plate, and beg for "chippys" and "cream" (ice cream) and "BUTTER!!" It goes without saying that you are a picky eater.





Overall this last month flew by, so its hard to pinpoint the changes. They are small, but there...a haircut that makes you look a bit older, the fact that you have been calling me "Mommy" instead of "Mama", your newfound love of throwing balls and toys for Mickey. The fact that although you still need a nap, if we want to plan or do something that makes napping unlikely, you can handle it and make it through the day without a massive meltdown.

One final story of the month, Gabey. My friends Jen and Salena and I were talking about sleeping and when kids wake up at night and Salena said her girls just crawl into bed with her, and they all sleep. In fact, her girls sleep anywhere...the couch, their beds, etc. Jen puts Maddie in her crib but has admitted sometimes its just easier to put her into their bed. She said when they go on vacation Maddie is just going to sleep on the floor and probably end up getting into bed with them. And I was looking at them both with a look that said "WHAT??"





Gabey, you have NEVER slept anywhere but your crib, pack n play, or the car when you were younger (or now if you are super tired). There is no laying you down on the couch, or making a bed on the floor for you, or--as I discovered a few weekends ago--putting you into our bed. We had some friends over, and around midnight we were unfortunately a little too loud, and you woke up. I did the usual routine of comforting you in your crib, giving you a back rub, and then leaving to let you cry it out. Experience has taught me that no matter how long I stay and how calm you get, you will revert to screaming when I leave. So I make it quick--reassurance, and then you're on your own kiddo.








But since we had guests, after about 45 minutes and everyone going to bed, I decided I'd just bring you into bed with us. It was a long time of crying and I thought maybe since you had been put to bed by the babysitter, woken up to loud laughter, and sensed others in the house maybe you were just in need of some security. I carried you into our room, wiped your tears, laid you down with Ducky in between us, and closed my eyes, dreaming of the days when you were 4 months old and would sleep with us now and then, how nice it was to feel your body next to me, to wake up in the morning to a peacefully breathing chubby baby....








YEAH FREAKING RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! Over the next two hours many things occurred--none of them good. You jumped around. You talked. You stuck your fingers up my nose. You assulted me with your binky, trying to force it into my mouth and then laughing hysterically. You laid sideways and kicked my stomach. You kept standing up to look at your reflection in the mirror. You jumped off the bed twice. There was a quiet moment when I thought you'd finally settled down. But then I felt the bed shake again, opened my eyes, and saw you straddling Daddy's back like a horse, hopping up and down. At this point it was 3 a.m. and I decided I no longer cared if your crying kept our guests up, you were going to your room. I literally threw you in your crib, said goodnight, and mercifully, you went to sleep without crying (I guess the 2 hour play session wore you out.) In any event, I think by the time you are old enough to understand that coming into mom and dad's bed means SLEEPING, you will be too old for that sort of thing to be appropriate.

Its okay, buddy. We love you anyhow:) Happy 25 months!