Dear Nicholas,
It amazes me, but this is the last letter that I'll write you before you are a big two year old! In terms of your skills, knowledge, and behavior, you are already a two year old, but in my heart you are still my little one year old for a few more weeks.
Your 23rd month included Thanksgiving and lots of holiday celebration leading up to Christmas. Dzia Dzia and Grandmama came to visit for Thanksgiving and you enjoyed spending a week with them. Thanksgiving dinner was still a little hit or miss-- you liked the mashed potatoes and you ate maybe a couple bites of turkey and a green bean-- but you enjoyed sitting at the big dining table and celebrating with everyone.
Cheers-ing Dzia Dzia and Grandmama
After Thanksgiving, you helped us pick out and decorate a Christmas tree, and you watched Daddy and Dzia Dzia in amazement as they wrapped the trees in our front yard with Christmas lights. You loved our lights and you loved driving through our neighborhood each day to see all of the Christmas decor (ahem, inflatables) out on the lawns of our neighbors. You definitely caught on to the idea of Santa and were able to identify him quickly, but the "nomans" (snowmen) were your favorite.
The best we could do...
We took you to visit Santa for the first time (breakfast with Santa, hosted at your school), but you were having none of it. There was no crying or fussing, but you simply refused to let go of me when I tried to sit you down on his lap for a picture. So the three of us posed for a picture together. Afterward, you were more than happy to take part in the arts and crafts, play with your friends, and scarf down some pancakes.
At the end of the month, you took your 9th plane trip. We flew to Portland to visit Bapa and Gammy for Christmas. After a disastrous flight to Seattle this summer, we were really nervous about the flight to Portland, but you surprised us and did great! Daddy had the great idea of buying a pack of Matchbox cars and he strategically pulled them out one at a time during the flight to keep you excited and entertained. We had a layover in San Francisco, and you ran around their children's play area to burn off some extra energy, which also helped. Most of the rest of the time, you sat calmly in your seat, playing with your cars or your sticker book. Such a big boy!
During your 23rd month you also started displaying a lot more affection. Two of your favorite phrases that we hear numerous times each day are "hold you!" (meaning you want one of us to hold you) and "my lap!" (meaning you want to sit in our lap.) It's not always convenient to drop everything and pick you up, but it is pretty cute to hear "hold you" or "my lap." I kind of hope it takes you a little while to sort out the right pronouns for those phrases.
You love giving hugs everyday when you wake up (after your diaper change of course) or when you get home from school. You still haven't quite gotten the hang of kisses (they are open mouthed) and you will receive them, but don't freely give them. But, you did recently develop your own new kind of kiss, which I will gladly accept any day. You lean in really close and touch your nose to ours and then rub it back and forth a couple times and say "wiggle wiggle." It's pretty adorable.
You also love music, particularly children's songs. We have a CD from your school of songs you sing during your music class, and you love listening to it in the car. You also love for us to sing to you in the car, before bed, or during diaper changes. Favorites include "Old MacDonald," (you like to sing along, 'yi-o-yi-o'), "Country Roads" (you have an illustrated book with the lyrics of this John Denver song that you love for us to read/sing), and "Rock-a-bye Baby." We're not sure where this one came from, but every time we put you on your changing table, you will clasp your diaper and say "rock a baby!" Sometimes you request "rock a Nicholas!" It's pretty cute, so we're always happy to oblige.
Nicholas, you continue to bring so much joy to our lives every day. As much as I hate to see you get older each month, each new stage brings such fun. Your big smiles and bubbly giggles make my day.
Lots of love,
Mommy
