Letter to Samuel: 22 Months

Hey little buddy,

What a fun month we have had! From holiday festivals to birthday parties to summer picnics. From the aquarium to the amusement park. From ice cream dates to popsicles on the front porch. From the beach to the splash park to our own backyard. From sunny days to rainy days to everything in between. You just love life!

Your cheese face is your new favorite face, which makes photo shoots much more fun. As soon as you see my camera (or iPhone), you squint your eyes and flash your toothy grin and say “cheeeese!” I can’t get enough of it. You also don’t mind posing for me sometimes — hands in your pockets, headstands, leg kicks. You’re a riot.

You have become much more vocal this month. Favorite new phrases include: “I want” and “I’ll get it” and “that one.” You also picked up “mine” while on vacation, and you have not stopped using it since. You have become pretty good at saying names. Cutest pronunciations are “Lalalala” for Auntie Laura and “Chuh-duh” for cousin Chandler. I still hear “Mama” at least 50 times a day, but I kind of love it.

You still love to dance and go to gymnastics class and blow bubbles and push your lawn mower around the yard (which you sometimes call “mawn lower”). Stroller walks have become difficult because you would much rather walk on your own. One night, Daddy decided he wanted to push you during his run. But you took his offer to run with Daddy very literally and insisted on sprinting around the cul de sac right beside him.

You are still the best little garden helper I could ask for. You pull “weeds” and water the flowers and fill your wagon with dirt. And you have become quite good at pointing out Lucy’s “poo” for us to clean. But you have also started to test your limits and often wonder to the front yard when I am in the back, and to the back yard when I am in the front. Which always ends in a game of chase. Exhilarating for you, exhausting for Mommy.

But your most favorite activity this month is anything that involves water. Running through fountains and waves, swimming like a big boy with your “turtle wings,” soaking yourself with the hose, even splashing in the bathroom sink.

Sometimes you do things that really surprise us and remind us how incredibly fast you are growing. Like at storytime at Barnes and Noble when you were brave enough to share your Mr. Ribbit during show-and-tell. You were the youngest participant by at least a year, but you did not hesitate to walk past the benches of big kids and parents and right up onto the stage. Mommy may have cried just a little. I was so proud!

You are also now officially big enough (over 32 inches tall) to ride several rides at our favorite local amusement park, Idlewild. Motorcycles and boats and helicopters, oh my! But you absolutely cannot get enough of the train that circles the park. You squeal and clap and yell “choo choo” when you see it approaching the station, and you love the loud whistle that blows just before starting down the track. You insist we ride it at least two full loops.

Your eating habits are mostly the same. Still obsessed with sweets. Still can’t get enough cheese. Still request “milk” every night before bed. While on our beach vacation, you ate an embarrassing amount of chips and cheese curls and freeze pops. But that’s what vacations are all about, right? And let’s not even talk about how much “sheet tea” you consumed.

Sometimes you clean your plate, and other times you barely take a bite. Though I can always count on you to eat all six grilled nuggets from Chick Fil A and an entire chicken quesadilla from Chipotle. You are obviously growing and thriving, and so I try not to stress too much if you have a few days of just grazing. I mean, who am I to deny you of the absolute pleasure of licking the cookie bowl clean?

Bedtime routine has become an hour-long ordeal. From painting in the tub to brushing your teeth with three different toothbrushes to requesting “milk” and “wawa” and sometimes a piece of “cheese” to insisting we read six books, or the same book five times. Whew! Most nights this summer, you have not gone down until 9pm. But I can’t complain. You sleep until about 8:15am and take a 2-3 hour nap every afternoon. I just hope we can streamline the process before baby brother or baby sister arrives!

Sam, you are growing into an opinionated, goofy, slightly mischievous, and always adorable little boy. I am so lucky to spend my days with you. Love you, bud!