A Letter to Carter at 19 Months

My dear, little Carter you are just the sweetest little boy.  Each month a little bit more of your personality is revealed and it makes me love you more and more.  You are the biggest snuggle bug and still love to be held and melt into me when I pick you up.  When you're tired you bury your head in my neck, suck your thumb, and twist my hair in your hand.  That's something that will never get old for me, but I know you will eventually outgrow it.  We see your daddy in you with how outgoing you are.  You aren't afraid to walk up to a complete stranger and shout "hi" while waving no matter what their age.  When you see a child around your age who sparks your interest you walk right up, hug him/her (usually a her), and put your hand out for him/her to hold.  I hope you are always so fearless in creating friendships and making others feel welcome.  It's definitely something I struggle with!  We see me in your sensitivity.  If you do something and I tell you "no" in a stern voice or even just give you "the look" you break down and cry.  I have to pick you up and tell you I love you and I'm not mad at you, you just can't do (insert action, such as slap the dog or throw food on the ground).  Sometimes you'll even say sorry and then you want to snuggle for a while before I can put you down.  You also get your feelings hurt when Harper gets grouchy with you and gives you her warning bark that says, stop doing that I don't like it!  I have to pick you up and console you and explain that Harper loves you she just needs a break.

Taking pictures this month was even trickier than last month.  Along with wanting to grab the lens cap and the camera, you wanted to take pictures.  When we first started the shoot, the camera was still set on a timer to take multiple shots at once which you thought was hilarious.  Once I called your daddy and he helped me get it set back to the regular mode, you were desperate to take pictures.  We ended up taking a break so you could play with the camera and you even took your first picture all by yourself with no help!  Then you took off running and as you ran by your xylophone toy with wheels you decided to grab it and run with it so most of your pictures are on the move, just like you are!

Trying to grab the camera.

Your first picture taken with no help!

Sleeping is pretty glorious right now.  You go to bed between 7:30 and 8:00 and usually sleep until 7:00.  This past week you have been waking up between 5:30 and 6:30 because you are teething.  At bedtime you say "ni ni" to everyone before heading off to bed.  If I tell you it's bedtime you will say "ni ni" and start waving bye.  One night we were at Grammy and Grampy's house and Uncie Tommy asked you if you were ready for bed.  You said "ni ni", reached your arms up to him, and when he picked you up, you kissed him on the cheek.  It was so sweet and you were all set for him to take you on up to bed.  Some nights you are just hilarious when I am putting you down.  Every once in a while you try to fight going to bed.  I'll be rocking you and you'll have your head down and will all the sudden pop up and poke me in the nose or the eye and laugh.  If I say, "Carter, do you want to lay down in your crib?"  You instantly flop your head back down on my chest to signify that you want to stay right where you are.  You will even lift your head up and make silly faces at me until I laugh.  Some nights I have to lay you down simply because I can't stop laughing and I know you will play until you pass out!

Eating is another source of entertainment for us around here.  If a food is hot you will announce "hot" and then purse your lips and blow on it.  If a food is cool, but you are used to it being hot you will still do the hot trick.  You are rocking it with spoons and forks and rarely spill food on accident, although you do seem to spill lots of food on purpose.  You have also started pulling your bib off.  When you are finished eating you either start throwing your food on the floor or pull your bib off your neck.  You will lift your plate in the air while saying "more" when you want more food.  As if saying "more" isn't enough, you have to take your plate, one hand on each side, and thrust it over your head, making sure daddy or I can see.  Often times when you are finished you hand me your plate and say "thank you".  It is the absolute sweetest!

At least a month with no head injuries and then the day before our shoot you had 2!

Books are still an ultimate favorite.  When you don't want to be in the car and not even Scout is cutting it, the only toys you will take are books.  In the car it's always "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?".  That's still a favorite book.  You also absolutely love your tractor book that makes noises from Papa and Gigi.  I'd say your all time favorite right now is "Go, Dog, Go".  You love to flip through the book reading it by saying "doggy" on each page.  You even attempt to say "Go doggy" which turns into "go-gee".  The theme for your 2nd birthday is going to be "Go, Dog, Go".  You have finished the summer reading program and we will go to the library this week to pick up your prize.  My favorite thing about reading with you is how you request to be read to.  You will grab a book, carry it to your intended reader, and back up until you plop down in their lap.  If the person you want to read to you is not sitting in a way for you to get on their lap, you walk backward until you plop down to sit on a random body part such as a shin or a stomach.  It is quite comical.  You will also come sit on my lap and reach for our library bag while saying book over and over.

Harper love, love, loves you and almost can't even stand it when you give attention to other dogs.  She follows you everywhere you go and keeps a close eye on you.  She isn't exactly thrilled about your favorite book, though.  Now you like to get behind her and push on her hind quarters while exclaiming "go!"  The funniest time was in the morning with daddy.  Our bedroom door was just open ajar.  Harper went to the door and put her nose up to the crack wanting out and then walked away because she couldn't get it open.  You marched right over, opened the door for her, walked up behind her and said "go" as you pushed her toward the door.  I think you get a bit of that bossiness from your daddy!  You love to walk her and will even go get her leash and walk around fussing until I hook it to her collar.  Instead of just calling her doggy all the time you now call her by name consistently.  Before it was "Pa-par" and then it was "Ar-er" and now it's "Ha-ler".  It is so cute to hear you say her name!  You also call my parents' dogs by name Fezzy, Benny, Bobbi (you've had that down for a while), you haven't said Zuma yet, and Uncie Tommy's dog Quinn you say "Din".  The cats are still just kitty and are normally accompanied with a high pitched screech which they don't appreciate.

You can hear Carter say Harper's name at the beginning of the video if you listen carefully.  My mom was also talking, so you have to listen to Carter, not her!

Walking around with your hands behind your back.

 

You are so mobile and becoming increasingly independent.  You jumped for the first time the day before you turned 19 months old.  You can climb up rock climbing toys at the park, you make it up the stairs alone, you climb the playground equipment by yourself.  It's amazing what you can do!  You also love to blow bubbles and when you see containers of bubbles, and you always somehow know that's what they are, you yell "bubble" and are desperate to get them out.  When you see sudsy soap you also yell "bubble"!  You brush your own teeth and if I say, "Let's brush our teeth," no matter where you are, you walk to the master bathroom where I keep our toothbrushes and wait for me to hand you yours.  I had to get out your kiddy toothpaste because you were desperate to have toothpaste like me.  One day I was holding you while we brushed our teeth and you reached over and wiped toothpaste off my mouth and onto your toothbrush, eww!  I had your toothbrush and toothpaste packed for a trip and you found it in your bag, brought it to me, and said "please".  Of course, I let you brush your teeth!  You also put bracelets or hair ties around your wrist, necklaces and medals around your neck, hats on your head, rings on your fingers, and daddy and my shoes on your feet.  I always put my wedding ring and your great grandma's ring I inherited on first thing every morning.  One morning I forgot and you found them and put them on your fingers.  I was shocked you could do that!

I am loving that you are talking more and more.  One of the cutest things you do is scream "daddy" anytime you hear someone mowing the lawn or weed eating outside.  I guess you associate that with daddy just like you associate food with me.  When you're hungry you say "mommy".  It's pretty silly!  You love to ride in your stroller and if you see it, you walk over to it and say "ride" and then begin fussing until you are in it.  You do the same thing with your wagon.  When you see a horse you say "neigh".  The first time I heard you say it I was lifting you into the car.  You kept saying it and I couldn't figure out what you wanted.  Then you leaned forward and pulled a horse toy out from under the seat.  You will hand things to people and say amazingly clearly "here ya go".  You also say "what's that" and "that's _____" (for example, "That's Bobbi" while pointing at my parents' dog, Bobbi).  Other new words I can think of are tiger, why, hot, woof woof (you'll say doggy, woof woof and you'll say woof woof if I ask what a doggy says), wow, and night night.  Grammy's been playing with you during diaper changes.  She'll grab your diaper and say stinky while pinching her nose.  So now anytime I change your diaper you say "inky" and pinch your nose.  It is so cute!

We've been watching a lot of soccer this month.  We didn't sit down and actually watch games much, but I would have it on in the background which you definitely noticed because I usually keep the tv turned off all day.  The pro of that is you've picked up some new words as a consequence.  You say soccer and will point at the ball on tv and say ball.  You also say goal which is hilarious.  We'd be in a different room of the house and you'd hear the announcers scream goal so you would go running to the living room, stand in the door way, and yell "goal" with your hands stretched out above your head.  There were 2 games I actually sat down and watched while you were awake (USA vs Belgium and the final, Germany vs Argentina).  You missed the first part of both games due to naps and then mostly played in the room while we watched, but you were definitely listening.  I can be a bit of a vocal fan when I'm excited, typically screeching and making noises more than saying actual words.  You were so hilarious because when I would screech or make a weird sound you would copy me and even mimic the look on my face.

You are still wearing the same size in everything as last month: 18 month and 2T shirts along with 12 month and 18 month shorts/pants, size 4 diaper, size 5 shoe.  You are getting really good at helping us get you dressed.  It won't be long until you are doing it by yourself!  You can even put daddy and my shoes on since they are bigger and easier.  Although you can take your own shoes off!  You still love to help and people continue to be surprised when you start cleaning up and putting toys away.  You even enjoyed helping me pack my make-up when we visited Grammy and Grampy.  Unfortunately I didn't notice you pulled my foundation out and put it back in the drawer, so I had a huge pimple on my chin and nothing to cover it with!  You also like to help load the car.  When we went to grammy and grampy's I gave you your swim diapers to load.  You accidentally turned the bag upside down and dumped them all out, but you still carried the empty bag out to the car.  You also like to help carry groceries in from the car. 

You learn so quickly it's crazy!  There's a park by Grammy and Grampy's house and we played there quite a bit when we stayed with them.  The first day you climbed up a plastic rock by walking over to the shortest parts to climb.  The next day you just went right up, not even using the shortest parts!  I am amazed that in one day you will do things totally differently than you had the day before!  A lot of times it seems like you just have the thought, hey I could do it this way instead and then just go for it!

Carter climbing the rock wall the careful way where he walked over to the shorter step up:

Carter climbing the rock wall where he was a dare devil:

This month was our first full month home together and it was the best month of my life!  You are so much fun and the sweetest little buddy!  I love spending so much time with you and my most treasured moments are when you pucker up your lips and kiss me just because you feel like it!  We have gone on so many adventures and laughed so hard!  I know next month will be just as much fun and I can't wait.  I am so thankful that I get to stay home with you and you continue to grow and make me love you more than I ever could have imagined.  I never in my wildest dreams could have thought up a child more perfect than you.  I love, love, love you forever and for always!

Now on to daddy:

So many words and so much to say! Every day you seem to have a new word to say to me when I get home. It makes my day coming home and seeing how excited you are to see me. You always know when I am home because the alarm beep gives me away!

I was just joking with your mother that if we ever need to find Skippy, we could just turn you loose to look for him and then just come when we hear you screeching! It is a very loud, piercing sound that you only make for him, and he does not like it haha.

Harper is quickly growing into one of your favorite animals and you are always on the watch for her so you can pet her and cuddle her. Lately you have been holding her leash and walking her. That is truly amazing because even just a year or two ago a full grown adult had a hard time keeping her under control!

Love you buddy!

And he's off!