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April 19, 2008

Month Fourteen

Dear Felix,

Today you turn fourteen months. It seems that only a few days ago you turned thirteen months and that I wasn’t so completely delayed in writing my letter to you. The days are moving very quickly lately and each one is filled to the brim with activity, learning and events. What they have not been filled with is much child-care outside of your father and me. A visit from your grandparents brought some relief, and a luxurious night spent in a hotel. But beyond that it’s been a whole lot of you and me time and me working through the evenings and weekends as dad went back to work. For my own development I think I’ve made great strides since aside from two freak-outs, I’ve been able to find some semblance of a rhythm with these days which comes as rather a great surprise to me. It seems after all these months I’ve somehow settled into the role of Mother. I think you’ve taken notice to this as well as you’ve started doing something these past two months: You shower me with your love and affection. It might just be the most wonderful feeling there is. We’d hop into the bath as we’ve done together for so many months now, but now, instead of going for a cup or the counting bath book, you go for me. You gaze deeply into my eye and rest your head on my stomach. As the water fills the tub, you scoot up to rest your head on my chest and then on my shoulder. A great big hug. The first time it happened I thought maybe you were sick and had a fever. But the next night and the night after that you did it too. You know what that is Felix? That’s love. Can you say LOVE? Guess what? I super love you too!

The majority of the past two months has been spent watching you walk which you started doing on your 12 months birthday (I apologize for not writing you a letter to celebrate our first year together). I can’t think of a better way to spend my time, perhaps it’s because I lack sleep or perhaps it’s just because you are so darn cute. Your arms waving high in the air as you waddle a few steps in one direction, you then make quarter turn as if you just remembered that you left something behind. You are really a walking machine. A few days ago you’ve really picked up the pace and can sometimes be seen jogging. You also stand up pretty reliably on your own as of a couple of weeks ago which surprisingly came after learning to walk.

Determination, one of your defining characteristics. You really know what you want. You don’t yet know always how to get it, and you certainly don’t have the words to say it, but pointing seems to often enough do the trick. So you spend much of your days pointing at things. You point at your bottle of water when you are thirsty, you point towards the stairs when you want to go downstairs for a nap, to the curtained window when you want to see sunlight after you wake up. You are communicating all the time, though no discernable words come out your mouth. In addition to the pointing a near constant stream of babble comes flooding out your mouth complete with intonation for questions, pauses for answers, statements for assertions. When you are on the phone, or at least holding something up to your ear you think is a phone, you get into focused conversation mode as though you are brokering a deal or some sort. Are you? And you sing. Ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh.

You love music and singing and dancing. The first books on the shelves you pull out are the ones that command a more theatrical reading. Animal sounds, songs, and bottle pops. Ever since you saw me make hooking the inside of my cheek to make a POP, you will come up to me with your finger in your cheek trying to get me to make the sounds again. Other sounds you imitate are the DANG of something falling onto the floor or the closet doors opening, the MMMM of the cow and the WOO WOO of the dogs in the park barking.

You are becoming increasingly independent. There are corners of the house where you go to hang out on your own. It seems sometimes you go there to play hide-n-seek, but other times just because you like to be in a private space for a few minutes. You help in dressing and undressing you. You pretty much control your day but fairly clearly expressing your wants and needs. When we are in the sand box, there is eventually a point where you will walk up to your stroller and indicate that your want to get in it and for me to take you home. It’s this communication that I think has really helped me finally settle in to my role.

These last two months have been a gift. You are lovely and loving. Thank you.
Love, Mama

Posted by talia at 10:26 PM

April 18, 2008

Month 14 Photos


Posted by talia at 3:18 PM

April 5, 2008

Movie: Good Morning!

A baby is a workout: all that lifting, with the ox getting larger day by day, one can't help but get stronger too. However, Talia is taking it to a bit of an extreme here....

Posted by atshuldiner at 8:40 AM

April 3, 2008

Movie: Should I laugh or should I cry? part 2

A few days later I decided to rearrange the ladder into this more safely playable configuration. That same day, while Talia, I, and Nurit were all watching him, he fell off the top platform all the way to the ground. So no surprise, I guess, that he now needs some reassurance.

Posted by atshuldiner at 11:37 PM

Movie: The sexy side of Felix

Legwarmers: FM, as always, leading the fashion trend!

Posted by atshuldiner at 5:33 PM

April 2, 2008

Movie: Potatohead

Not for the weak-stomached.... And no, this is not normally tolerated behavior, but I wanted to get the evidence on tape.

Posted by atshuldiner at 5:35 PM