More? Okay.

Hi Devy,

I have decided I need to start adding to the blog every day, and I think we're definitely going to have to start working toward a weekly post instead of monthly. You are changing and growing so much, and saying the funniest, silliest things every day all the time. I was out of town for work this week, and I feel like your vocabulary doubled while I was gone! Here are just a few ways you make me smile:

Whenever you're answering in the affirmative, your choice of response is typically, "okay". It is super helpful that you can tell me yes or no, but even better that your method is so endearing. When you're super upset I know I'll get an "okay" as soon as I get to the right solution. When you don't want something, your "no" is matter-of-fact, but with an almost question-like inflection. It's adorable, even when it's occasionally frustrating. Typically you still don't use it in an angry way, and I'll take that as long as it lasts.

You've finally started saying "yeah" occasionally when an "okay" won't quite do, and you've also started saying "Yes!" with a fist pump, but it comes out as "Ye...sss!" A-freaking-dorable.

Whenever you'd like someone to take you somewhere you reach out and say, "hand?", so we will take your hand and go with you. You use this tactic particularly when we are in the middle of dinner and you want to go outside instead of staying in the dining room while we finish. You've also learned to brush your hands together and say "all done" when you're ready to get up from the table. I think occasionally you don't actually mean it, but most of the time you really are ready to at least get down.

You are getting more clever all the time. The other night Dad was trying to brush your teeth and you laid your head on his shoulder and started fake snoring. You fake sleep a lot, but it was the first time you'd outrightly tried to use this tactic to get out of something. Who knew that would start so young?

You know how to find Mommy, Daddy, Devin, grandparents, and an occasional cousin in any picture, and you talk on any type of phone (or anything you can pretend is a phone) to Mimi.

You can say most of the blessing on the food by yourself now, though you have no interest in even folding your arms for a prayer at night. We're still figuring that one out.

You give the best kisses and snuggles EVER, and I hope that lasts for a long, LONG time. Our nighttime routine (on good nights) always includes me laying you most of the way down, and then swinging you back up for 3 or 4 "one more kissies", and you laugh and laugh, and sometimes we have to do it a few extra times because you just want to keep playing.

You are obsessed with choo-choos, The Incredibles, and being outside. You love playing in the car, and dancing whenever you hear music. You love people and have friends everywhere you go. You also love dogs. Brad snapped a photo of you at the park and said, "there were 15 kids at the park and this is who Devin was playing with..." My heart melted. I don't really want any animals, but you made me think hard about whether it could be worth it to have a dog.

You love food, and of course any kind of treat, though you're typically not obsessive about sugary things. However, I've made the mistake of not paying attention to what's laying around and realizing you've discovered a treat on your own. The worst was a bag of Dove chocolates Dad had left out, and you were just sucking the chocolate out right through the metal wrapping, making a crazy chocolatey mess, and so proud of yourself.

You are getting big enough to get into real mischief occasionally, and we've found you doing all sorts of silly things when we're not looking. I have to pay special attention to the table now, because you can climb up onto the chairs (and then the actual table if so inclined) and get to the food and drinks within reach. You also love to unscrew things, so I definitely have to keep my lip gloss (and especially lip stain) out of arm's reach. We've only had one or two minor mishaps so far. When you got the red stain right around your eyes, you just had to look like you had pink eye for a day because I could only do so much to get it off.

You say cheese whenever you know you are getting your picture taken, which leads to some silly faces, and you also LOVE meeting Disney characters! We went to see Minnie and Pluto at EPCOT and they were just eating up every second as you danced for them, kissed their noses, fist bumped and gave them fives.

You're now starting to enjoy story time, and we read a book (or two) every night. When we read Little Blue Truck, you make all the animal noises, the VROOMs of the trucks, and the beep, beep, beeps of Little Blue. You can basically finish just about every page. We also read Away in my Airplane and Goodnight Moon often. You love to read them over and over and point out all the things you can like the moon, starts, airplanes, etc. I discovered you're even honing your counting skills as you count all six (well with a little help sometimes) airplanes on one of the pages.

You also love the car. You could play in the car all day every day, and anytime you can "help" drive (like backing the car in and out of the driveway), you are in heaven. You hang out in the car often while I'm vacuuming or cleaning it out. 

You love your Dad so much, and it makes my heart so happy to hear you playing together. You and Dad were home all by yourself while I worked out of town a week ago, and you had an awesome time together. While you went through a phase of only wanting mom, suddenly you get pretty sad when Dad is not around. He's the first person you want to see when we get out of bed in the morning.

 

Okay, one last thing. So, whenever we are going to bed and have to find your little bunny (we've been calling him Lovie) I always ask where he is, and start calling to him, "Lovie!! Oh Lovie, where are you?". Last night as we were getting ready to snuggle up and watch a movie you wanted to find him, so you put your hands up to your face and called out, "Bun!" (You now call him "Bun", short for Bunny), "Bun!" I could not even handle it. Those are the moments I want to just keep forever to pull out and relive over and over.

A little friend you met on the train platform at Disney.
She just took your hand and you guys were besties. 

Our cute neighbor girls. They are super good to you.

Swim Time!

There are a million other adorable things you do every day that melt my heart, make me laugh, and just make life so beautiful, but I couldn't let any more time pass before I captured at least some of them to remember. The time is passing so fast, and though I'm excited to get to know the beautiful person you'll become, I know this time is fleeting, and I want to keep all the sweetness close to my heart forever.

xoxo,

Mom and Dad