16 Months

Dear Zachary,

We made it through yet another month and you still continue to amaze me on a daily basis. You are turning into a most delightful little toddler. I truly cherish each and every moment that I get to spend with you because I realize that each moment is so fleeting.

The last month of your life has been a little crazy, yet wonderful. Your day care was closed down while Ms. Aliesha took care of her newborn baby, so Granny and Papa came up for a visit and agreed to stay home with you while your Daddy and I were at work. I’ll admit I was slightly nervous about this arrangement, but I soon found out there was no need to worry. You adjusted easily and had a fabulous time with them. You learned so much from Granny and Papa while they were here. Plus, you had the chance to really bond with your grandparents and I’m sure that’s something that they will never forget. It is hard having them live so far away because you don’t get to see them often. I love watching your face light up and hearing you exclaim "Papa!" every time you see a picture of him. You point to Granny’s pictures with excitement as well, even though you still don’t have the hang of saying "Granny" quite yet.

One of the great things you got to experience while Granny was here was her cooking. Mama isn’t too creative with our meals at home usually, so it was nice to have a little variety. Daddy was thrilled to see you chowing down on gumbo, jambalaya, and rice and gravy. Well, Daddy was pretty thrilled to be chowing down on some of his favorite foods too to be quite honest. Mama just doesn’t have the skills, the time, or the desire to slave away in the kitchen so we eat a lot of chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.

While Granny and Papa were here, we took you to the Kansas City Zoo for the first time. You seemed to really enjoy the day except for a minor meltdown around lunchtime. It was fun to see your reaction to the animals. The elephants seemed to interest you the most, probably because they are so enormous. You also enjoyed the sheep because you could get up close and pet them. I had a great time trying to get the perfect picture of you at the zoo. Instead of the perfect picture, I got many perfect pictures and some great memories to reflect on as you get older.

Over the last month you have become much more proficient at a number of things. You handle a fork and spoon much better, getting the food to your mouth most of the time. It only takes a little bit of direction (when you will allow it) to get the fork in you hand in the correct position. Sometimes you prefer just to smear your food on the table, but that’s another story all together. You are talking much more and I can even understand most of what you say. Sometimes you go off on a tangent and I can’t follow you, but you always find a way to let me know exactly what you want. Sometimes in order to tell me what you want you scream and scream until I figure it out, but I do figure it out…eventually.

You recently discovered the joy that is The Upside Down Show. Oh my, how you love that show. I sometimes feel guilty that I allow you to watch a little too much TV, but seeing how excited you are to see Shane and David on the screen always makes me smile. You have learned to say "uh-sie-dow" (upside down), "da-de" (david), and "whoa!" all while watching that show. When I turn it on you will either sit still like a zombie watching it or jump up and try to imitate whatever they are doing on the show. It all depends on your mood at the time.

Also, much to my dismay, you have fallen in love with all things Elmo. You have a set of Sesame Street books that were handed down from your cousin and they all have Elmo in them. They are your absolute favorite books. I keep putting them back in your room, but they somehow always end up back in the living room scattered around the floor. When I took you shopping for some new winter pajamas, you spotted the Elmo jammies from the end of the aisle and insisted that those were the ones we purchased. Now you expect to wear your Elmo jammies every single night. The biggest problem with this is (even though I kind of detest Elmo) that when I go shopping I can’t resist buying you a little something with Elmo on it just to see the excitement on your face when I give it to you. Just yesterday I bought you a Halloween coloring book with Elmo on the front of it. Hopefully someday soon you will stop eating your crayons and actually color with them so you can use it.

Even though I miss my little baby, I look forward every day to seeing the newest thing you have learned. I love watching you try to "jump" up in the air. You have the motions right but your feet never leave the ground. I can’t wait for the day when you actually figure out how to get your feet up. I can already picture your excitement in my head.

I love you so much. Thank you for bringing so much joy to my life.

Love always,
Mama