Dear Griffin,
Four days ago you turned 18 months old. We celebrated your half birthday by playing lots of catch and having leftover birthday cake that we saved and froze from your first birthday. We all thought it was DELICIOUS. You are developing quite the sweet tooth that wasn't there before, so you were especially thrilled.
I can't believe that you are already a year and a half old. You're a full blown toddler. In fact, your dad and I talk all the time about how you're such a little boy- in your looks, your actions, your desires. It's incredible, but it happened SO fast.
Your favorite thing in the ENTIRE world right now is football. In fact, you say "football", "Broncos", and even "hut, hut" quite clearly. You adore playing catch with anyone who will stand there for a minute, including the dog. You think it's hilarious when the ball bounces off her face, and she's so eager to have a playmate, she doesn't mind. You demand to watch football of any kind throughout the day, but especially first thing in the morning and if we don't turn it on when you first start asking, you'll get the remote and hand it to us with this look in your eye that says we'll do it if we know what's good for us!
All the boys in your daycare class have been fighting lately. You came home several times with welts from being bitten. Your teachers thought it was retaliation from you "steamrolling" the other kids- basically running them over and then laying on them so they couldn't get up. I've realized since then though, that as much as I almost found it funny to be raising the Tiny Toughguy, you were actually playing. You fall on your dad and I all the time and snuggle into us as you laugh and laugh. I'm convinced that's what you're doing with your friends too, only they're not big and sturdy enough to take it as well, so we just keep telling you to be gentle. But we're not mad at you.
You are the sweetest guy and you pet us when we hurt ourselves and you snuggle with us when we read books. You hate seeing us leave for work and you try to monkey cling to us so that we can't walk away. But once you know you don't have a choice, you'll just stand and wave and say "bye bye". It always breaks our hearts.
On the other hand, you have a definite temper and you let everyone know when you are angry. This morning you refused to put on your shoes before school. You yelled and screamed and flailed. I gave up and decided to put them on once we got to school, but since you were in your socks, I couldn't let you walk through the garden and down the front stairs as is your routine. You were SO MAD that I was carrying you, you howled and arched your back until I was finally carrying you sideways like a suitcase. It was NOT funny at the time, nor is it really that funny now, but I figure one day when this is just a vague memory, I will laugh at the image.
You're getting to be an incredibly picky eater. I remember just a few months ago, you'd eat everything we set in front of you. Now, most of your dinner ends up on the floor and Scarlett is getting pretty fat. The only things I know you'll always eat no matter what are pancakes, pizza, bananas, grapes, potatoes, crackers, and macaroni and cheese. It's a pretty limited palate, my friend. I'm begging that you end up easier to feed than your dad!!
You've finally met the vast majority of your family (including everyone in Ohio) and you are adored. Everyone thinks you are the cutest kid they've ever seen and you bask in the attention, even showing off a little bit for those boy cousins of mine by throwing the football and hitting golf balls with your own tiny clubs.
You love art time- it's still your favorite thing at school. And while you bring home what I am assuming are pretty typical toddler art pieces, the pictures they send home of you creating your masterpieces are priceless. You are intense in your concentration and determination to place just the right paint stroke or choose the best color marker. Because of that (and because I love you) your art means the world to me and I have several pieces hanging up both at home and in my office.
There aren't words to describe how special you are, how happy you make us, or how full our lives have become. You make us laugh, you make our hearts swell with pride, and you awe us every single day. I think that makes up for the occasional frustration (though if you wanted to knock off those temper tantrums, we wouldn't miss them. I promise). We love you more than anything in the entire world. You are the best thing that ever happened to us. I cant wait to see what you're like in another 6 months...
love,
mama
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