Category: Letters to Zach

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Dear Zachary,

Yesterday you turned 13 months old.  I have three words for you that pretty much sum up this month.  MOLARS. FROM. HELL. Seriously, don’t you think it is about time to let those things come on through and join the other 8 teeth?  I’m sure they would love to have a little company in that big mouth of yours.  There is plenty of room.  Plus, then we can start feeding you chunks of steak and such that require actual chewing. 

Thanks to those teeth, your usual appetite has really dwindled.  Well, it’s either the teeth or you just decided to slow down a little with the growing, which is okay becuase that means I don’t have to buy so many clothes.  But, you used to eat pretty much anything I set in front of you and here lately you aren’t interested in food much at all.  It gets a little frustrating for me because I used to be able to give you a snack to settle you down when I needed a few minutes to use my hands.  Now you just want to be held all the time, unless I want to hold you and then you want down.

The teeth are also really disrupting my nightly routine.  Before the molars interuppted, you were going to bed around 8:00 every night.  I took you in your room, turned on your little light up music playing thingie, gave you a pacifier, and put you down in your crib.  You then would roll over and go to sleep, usually without any crying or fussing.  These days I’m lucky to get you down by 9:00, and that is after an hour of screaming, snuggling, rocking, Tylenol, and Orajel. This leaves only about an hour before Mommy crashes to do the household chores and spend time with Daddy.  I really miss that extra hour.

The upside to you going to bed so late, is that you are sleeping later in the morning.  I have to actually wake you up in the mornings now instead of rushing through my shower and hoping you don’t wake up before I have a chance to throw some clothes on.  When I do come to get you up, you sit up in your crib with a huge smile on your face.  Then you stand up and jump up and down until I reach in to grab you up and give you a hug.  That is my absolute favorite time in the morning.  I’m not a morning person at all, but you always help to start my day out right.

You are getting to be such a big boy all of a sudden.  These days I have a hard time calling you a a baby anymore.  You really are a toddler now.  Even though your words aren’t very clear yet, you still manage to tell me what you want most of the time.  You are getting very good at pointing to your cup when you want a drink, or to Daddy’s guitar when you want him to play for you (which is pretty much all the freakin’ time).  You have also finally learned how to turn yourself around and back down off of couches, chairs, and beds so Mommy doesn’t get quite so scared when she sees you heading for the edge.

It really makes me quite sad to see how fast you are growing up.  But, at the same time I am so proud of everything you have accomplished in your short life.  I absolutely love watching you grow up and change.  Recently you have started mimicking Daddy and I, especially when we laugh or make a weird noise.  It is so much fun to listen to you.  I can’t think of a better sound than the sound of you laughing.

I really hope that someday you will read this and have at least a little bit of an idea of how much I really, truly, deeply, love you.  It is so hard to convey in words the feelings that are in my heart.  You are an amazing little boy and no matter how frustrated I may get with you at times, I hope you always know that it is out of love.

Love always,

Mama 

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I know this is a week late now, but I just finally got a chance to finish writing it and choose from the hundreds of pictures I’ve taken this month.

June 26, 2006

Dear Zachary,

One year ago today I was lying in a hospital bed waiting for your arrival. I was so anxious to see your face I could barely stand it. When you were finally born and I got to see your face for the first time I was instantly in love. I’m not sure I even knew that such a strong feeling could exist before that moment happened. I remember looking up at your Daddy and thinking that he must be feeling the same thing.

In only twelve short months you have changed from a completely helpless infant to a walking, climbing, talking toddler. Every month I think to myself that this age must be the best age. Then the next month I am surprised when I think the same thing again. Every little stage you go through is so much fun to experience.

During the last month you have really changed. You started walking on your own and even though you are still a little wobbly at times, you can pretty much get wherever you want to. Daddy and I have let you have a little more freedom in the house and you love to walk around and explore.

Along with the walking has come more and more climbing. I think you must be pretty intelligent because you can always figure out a way to get to those things that are just out of your reach. I love watching you use your toys to stand on so you can get just a little bit higher. One day I was sitting on the couch typing on my computer and before I knew it you climbed up into my lap. I was so surprised to see you up there.

My absolute favorite thing these days is to sit around and just listen to you talk. It is really just babble, but you seem to think you are having a totally legitimate conversation. Most of the time you are saying something like "dabba dabba dabba" like you are on the Flinstones or something. Sometimes you ask us questions and point at an object, but we’re not quite sure what you are asking. I wish I knew because I would love to be able to answer you correctly. You have learned how to tell Daddy and I what you want. You point with your finger and say words that we can’t understand, but we can usually figure out what you mean. When we can’t you are quick to let us know that we didn’t do the right thing.

Recently you have developed a favorite blankie. I made you a nice, soft, fleece blanket for your bedroom because it tends to get a little chilly in there in the winter. I never expected you to become so attached to it. It seems to be your comfort item. All I have to do is wrap you up in your blankie, give you a pacifier, and rock you a little bit to send you off to dreamland. It was really nice to have when we traveled to Arizona this month because I could easily get you down for a nap or bedtime.

Dinnertime has become very interesting with you lately. We’ve been working hard trying to get you to eat from a plate and use a fork or spoon. You really like the fork, but don’t really use it to eat with. You would rather play with it and throw it at Zeke. You really seem to have no use at all for the plate. You prefer instead to dump the food off of it and toss it in the floor. Sometimes (when I’m lucky) you hand the plate to me instead of tossing it. Then, once the food is dumped out on your highchair tray you like to smash it up real good with your hands. You have also decided that you have no use for bibs anymore so dinnertime is always nice and messy as well.

We had your birthday party a day early since your birthday was on a Monday. It was a Baby Einstein themed party. All of our family that lives close by was there plus most of our good friends. We had a barbeque where you chowed down on hot dogs and cheetos. Then we opened presents before letting you dig into your cake. You got a lot of really cool learning toys that will be good for you to play with now and as you get a little older. You had a great time eating your cake. You got to have your own little individual cake and tried to stuff the whole thing in your mouth at once. I think we had as much fun watching you as you had eating it.

This year, I have felt things that I never knew it was possible to feel. You have enriched my life and brought happiness to our family in so many ways. Every day that you are in my life, I feel like the luckiest mom in the whole world. I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us in the coming year. I love you so much!

Love always,
Mama

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Dear Zachary,

It has been eleven months now since the day that we first met. You would think that I would know you pretty well by now, but you still continue to surprise me every day. Just when I think I have you figured out, you go and do something completely different than what I am expecting. You really surprised me one night when I looked up to see you standing all by yourself without holding on to anything but your sippy cup.

One of the most exciting things I have noticed about you recently is that you have started reacting to praise, which also means you are starting to understand words and physical cues a little better. You have been trying really hard to get some new words out, but I still can’t understand most of what you say. Sometimes it sounds as if you are trying to imitate the words I say and other times it just sounds like jibberish. One word you definitely understand is no. Every time I say "no" to you, you start saying "nonononononononono" and shake your head. I never realized that I was shaking my head when I said no until you started doing it too. Now I catch myself doing it all the time. It’s just too bad you don’t comply and stop whatever you are doing when I use that word. I suppose that will come with time…hopefully.

I have really been having fun praising you when you do something good. Every time you do something new I now have to clap my hands and say "yay Zach" and you get so excited. You just think it is the coolest thing ever and when you do the same action again, you wave your hands in the air and holler to get my attention and show me what you have done. This has become quite a ritual at dinnertime. I got excited the first time you actually placed your cup (right side up) in the cup holder part of your high chair tray, so now every time you do it you expect the same level of excitement. And, really, it is still exciting-even after the twentieth time.

We have also been playing a really fun game almost every night after your bath. Daddy and I both get down in the floor with you. We sit across from each other and then you walk back and forth between the two of us. You started out only able to take about two steps at a time, but a couple nights ago I counted nine whole steps before you stumbled and fell to your knees. You get really excited about this whole process, giggling and squealing the whole time. I have really loved watching your progress. When we first started doing this, only a couple weeks ago, it seemed that you were just stumbling as you fell forward. Now you have taught yourself to slow down and re-gain your balance as needed so you can take a few more steps.

We had a couple of really bad weeks this month while you were teething. You now have a total of 7 teeth, with the eighth about to appear any day now. During the same time you developed a cold and a very bad ear infection. Mommy was up with you several times a night while your little body was working through that. You finished off another bottle of anti-biotics and now seem to be feeling much better. I’m still trying to catch up on my sleep, but you are back to your normal sleep schedule. In fact, you are sleeping even longer than usual since I finally got some curtains up in your room to darken it a bit.

There is only one more month left before you turn one year old. June is going to be a big month, and althought I’m looking forward to it, I wish I could freeze every moment I have with you right now. You are so much fun to be around. Your personality and character are really coming out as you discover this big world in your own little way. I could spend all day just watching you and never get bored. I want to savor every single moment I have with you. These last eleven months have been the best of my life.

Love always,
Mama

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Dear Zachary,

I cannot believe that you are already 10 months old.  You are quickly reaching that one-year mark and it is going by entirely too quickly in my opinion.  Every day I watch you grow more and more independent and I am so proud of you.  It is so amazing to see you develop into a little person.  It is absolutely the best gift I’ve ever been given.

I thought that you were moving fast before, but you have become even more mobile over the last few weeks.  Daddy and I can barely keep up with you anymore.  Besides the crawling at the speed of light, you are now cruising around the room with your hands barely touching the furniture.  Sometimes you even let go completely and stand for a few seconds before landing on your butt.  As soon as you figure out that balance thing, I’m sure you will be walking on your own.

Besides the crawling and cruising, you have also started climbing on everything.  We have caught you climbing up on your rocking chair, climbing on and through the bottom shelf of the end table, along with using various toys as steps to reach objects that you aren’t supposed to be able to reach.  Then, last weekend at the park, you showed me that you already know how to climb stairs.  I guess you just applied your furniture crawling techniques to the steps.  I put you on the steps leading up to the slide and you started climbing right up with no hesitation whatsoever.  We have never turned you loose on the stairs at home and to my knowledge that was the first chance you ever had to try them out.

When you actually stop moving long enough, you like to use those four teeth of yours to bite everything in sight.  Soon you should be gnawing through almost anything because you have another four teeth quickly on the way.  You stuff absolutely everything in your mouth, including strings, fuzz, and various other things you might find on the floor.  You are eating mostly table foods now, but every once in a while you refuse to eat so I feed you a jar of mushy baby food and you scarf down every bite.  I guess it must taste better than the dog and cat food that you keep trying to sample when you get loose in the kitchen.

A few weeks ago we started giving you a little bit of whole milk and gradually increasing the amount.  You are now completely switched over to milk during the day.  I’m still giving you some formula when you wake up in the morning and just before you go to bed at night, but soon we will be cutting those out as well.  Before long, my baby will be gone and in his place I will have a big boy who eats regular food, drinks regular milk, and walks all over the place on his own.

You are growing up so fast that I can barely keep up, much less remember all the details that I want to treasure forever.  Each time I sit down to write you a letter I wonder if I am leaving out something important.  I do know I’ll never forget that ornery smile you give me where you wrinkle up your nose, stick out your teeth, and scrunch up one eye.  I know that’s not a very good description, but every time you do it I can’t help but smile back.  Your little grin lights up the room and Mama’s heart.

Love,
Mama

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