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
