Dear Aiden,
This was the month of "I need" - I need more muffin, I need to climb up here, I need to play more....more and more needs. We are figuring out how to make sure you understand that your needs are important but so are mommy and daddy's sleep needs, etc, etc. This month was a doozy, hmmf, I'm just going to concentrate on the good things this month, instead of the uh ohs (like the big uh oh you said as you pointed up to our bathroom ceiling with the big saggy drippy spot). You help us remember and appreciate the simple needs - a big hug or a giggle or a new story or a new puzzle or a warm shower.
You had a habit of enthusiastically saying "I have an idea!" I'd ask, "What's is your idea?" You'd reply with a combination of responses "Hmm, it's a good idea!" or "Actually a question" or "Let's do it!" or any other jibber jabber to get our attention. You were excited to complete your own big puzzles and ask us whether the pieces belong in certain spots. You typically want us to repeat the question for you instead of actually answer it. After we'd finish a whole puzzle you'd smile and say "we do it to-gether." Your other favorite game is counting how long it takes to complete the new vehicle puzzle. You will even count while your dad and I try to race to put it together. You can do it just a little bit slower than we can, which means we must be slow big kids.
Your little baby voice still trips you up occasionally, but I do love it (and I'm sure I will miss it). You have certain phrases you say all the time really fast that your dad and I understand better than most. Sometimes words sound pretty similar, like cuddling sounds like coloring. One funny little consequence of your baby voice is that "pigwits" are baby pigs.
You are pretty patient about repeating whatever you are saying until we get it, but many times you start saying puhlease over and over instead. It's as if you are saying pleease understand me. Sometimes once we understand you, you've already changed your mind. I think sometimes it's a little game to you to immediately contradict yourself - "I want to go downstairs. Ok, let's go. Oh, I want to stay upstairs." The opposites game can be a bit challenging especially if accompanied by a whiney voice.
I've had a new work schedule that started this month where I get to leave for work when you are still sleeping and bang out all sortsa extra morning work. That means I get 7.5 hours awake hours more with you each week - that's almost a whole day! It's like we get to spend a long weekend together every week. Can you tell that I'm excited about this!? We get to go to Gymboree play gym together (which is sometimes too crowded but eh, it's the winter) and I'm learning the routine. You, your dad and Rebecca have whole games there that I never knew about! Your favorite is the "I want to hang" game for as long as possible to test mom's catch reaction time.
You like this funny little book that talks about what animals like to say. Now when we ask you what daddy says, you answer "daddy say i proud of you." My heart melts because I do know that your dad is so proud of you, although I think he taught you to say that ;) We were proud of your dad this month too when his first book arrived. It was fun to actually hold it in our hands and you liked to joke that mom was the flying woman on the cover.
You like to point out any scratch or scrape lately. You'll point at them and say "you have a booboo." You will examine your nails and ask for specific nails trimmed. Then you will insist that I need a nail trim and you want to help. You are Mr. Personal Hygiene although your hair always seems to be pretty messy, especially in the back. It doesn't matter how much water I use to comb it through but it will pop back into its contorted shape. The little whispy hairs that stick up and glimmer in the sunlight never want to stay down, but they are more fun that way. You were bouncing on your old zebra bouncer the other day and I did notice that your hair must be thicker now because it didn't bounce up quite a much as it used to.
This month we signed you up to start Montessori school in the fall. Your grandparents are excited that you will get the same experience I had as a kid. I realize that the HB motto does ring true: we learn not for school, but for life. As your dad and I sat observing the school before turning in your deposit, I thought about how these kids aren't "learning" just in the traditional sense, but they are gaining so much from being the classroom. Just as I was thinking how perfect this particular early learning environment seemed, your dad whispered to me that he thought that "this will make Aiden a better kid." I wholeheartedly agree.
You love to pretend your little figures, whether it be cars or lions, are talking to each other. Somewhat frequently the little guys will say "don't do that" or "ow, don't hurt me" which you then follow up with a jabbered I'm sorry lesson for your little toy. One of your favorites this month was penguin bowling and you were laughing as you pretended that they were grunting and groaning to stand back up after the ball hit them over.
You were a good molar teether most of the month with another two and half peeking through. There were cute funny faces and munches on your fingers and some night time yelping solved by a little bit of tylenol. You have developed some bad behaviors, like wanting to climb up in your high chair on your own, which you can do, but isn't so safe. Maybe unintentionally, you made a good nose blow but you forgot to get the tissue first - Auntie Lizzie dubbed it your first snot rocket- ugh. There was one night where you woke up whining in the middle of the night, mostly about why I didn't let you eat the dirty mashed potatoes that you accidently dropped on the floor at dinner many hours earlier. You think it's a game to rumble and kick your zingo tiles after you win the game. You think it's fun to put one foot on a bag/toy/box and trying to slide across the floor...until you slip and fall. We're getting better at redirecting you when you try to cause some trouble.
You had fun visiting with Gran and Pop this month. They spoiled you with lotsa new books and toys. It was sweet when you read books at the bookstore with PopPop while Gran picked out all these awesome learning books for you (and even some party favors for the future). You are so lucky to have a family that loves you very much.
I feel like our neighborhood is a good fit for us. I wish we knew the families even better, but as it warms up it is fun to reach out to the kids you see outside playing. We headed out on Valentine's Day when we saw "your friends" out to give them some crepe paper flowers. You were playing shy with your chin down looking out over the tops of your eyelids. I ask you what you're doing and you explain that you are "hiding behind your eyes." You eventually stopped "hiding" and took a nice cozy ride in the wagon with your littlest neighborhood friend around the melting snow.
You love picking up on parts of your books. You have the color mixtures and the rainbow colors down. You understand that Mommy's mommy is Gran, my Dad is Pop, and my sister is Aunt Lizzie (pronounced Ant like a good New Englander). You love to explain that "caterpillars turn into butta-flies" and "pollywogs turn into frogs." You ask us to draw monsters and rainbows for you so you can color them in. You had this funny game where you would hold up hot pink playdoh and say "it's coooold pink, brrr..." and laugh.
There are so many things that you are on the verge of really "getting." You're just starting to understand the Simon Says game. You have this sense of independence when you know you are successful that leads you to literally giggle with glee. You are getting better at pulling up your underwear or pullup. If I ask you why not just underpants, you tell me that you "wear both because it's better." You get excited to say "i can pull them up" as you yank them up. The new pull ups where the trophy or flags disappear if it gets wet doesn't seem to matter much to you, but maybe it will help eventually.
One of your favorite new words is super! "That's a super story" after reading a book is my favorite phrase. I promise not to use super when I see holes in the wall, so as to avoid confusing you with sarcasm. I'm ready for a super duper month as we get closer to spring.
Super smiles, Mommy
So Aiden and I did get away from the addictive Ok Go videos on Youtube this morning. Since J is out of town I wanted to go some place low key, but different. We headed to the Family Fun Day at the RI Audobon Society which Aiden dubbed "the park" and we broke our cabin fever in the nice warm sun. The absolute highlight was the 1/2 mile walk on their Boardwalk Bay all the way through the tall grass to the water. I honestly think Aiden walked twice as far as he normally would because he was so excited to be outside ;) All in all I think he walked just over a mile all on his own. He was really curious about this group of crows that were "talking" to each other (and I think getting ready to nab a small animal, so we headed on our way before the live Discovery Channel unfolded in front of us). There was hardly anyone around, but Aiden did manage to make friends with this little boy who was trotting along the path and caught up to us. 
#1: Daguerrotypes
The accomplice to February's havoc: the fixed leaky bath tub pipe -
Every time I see this bright blue velvet couch I daydream about redecorating - but I'm pretty sure this won't look good with milk spills on it:
Most of the time we look with our eyes, not with our hands... but sometimes we get to snap a few pretend photos:
