January 17, 2010
Dear Nicholas,
This Christmas was a big Christmas for you. It was your first Christmas, but sadly it was your last with Grandma Arlene. She was so happy to get to meet you and loved you so much. True to her style, she gave you a giant bag full of special presents that she bought just for you. She gave you Benny the Bear, who quickly became your best friend. You love cuddling with Benny and sleep with him at ever nap and every night (even though we’re not supposed to let you have any stuffed animals in the bed). We put you down and give you a pacifier and then you turn and nuzzle your face up against Benny. If your hands are unswaddled you grab his ear and get him in a big bear hug before falling asleep. It is the sweetest thing.
Grandma also gave you a giant stuffed bear with a big head and a body shaped like a bear skin rug. You love lying on the rug and watching the ceiling fan in your room. I always try to read you books while we’re lying on the bearskin, but you only have eyes for your fan. You look over or under or around the book so you can get a glimpse of your fan. Who knew that would be so all consuming? The one book that you do read with me is That’s Not My Bear. I don’t know what it is about that book, but you love looking at that one.
Grandma gave you Puff the Magic Dragon so that she could share her love of dragons with you and CDs with classic stories so that she could share her love of storytelling with you. Your grandma was always telling stories. She collected all kinds of stories about her family, her life, and the history of the world. She thought telling stories was a very important tradition that helped people to understand where they came from. She wanted you to know that she would have loved telling you stories and reading you books when you were older, and she wanted you to think of her when you listen to your stories on CD.
Over the holidays you also met all the rest of your relatives on daddy’s side. Grandpa Sam and Grandma Cheryl were in town with Auntie Emily and Auntie Annie. Uncle Nick was here for a long visit. Your great-grandparents, Nanee and Grandad, and great Uncle Frank and Aunt Nancy came for a quick trip too. You were surrounded by loving people practically all month. What a lucky guy!
This month you fell in love with your play mat. You were so amazed to discover that you could swat at things. You spent many happy hours looking up at the toys hanging above you and trying to hit them. By the end of the month you were getting pretty good at making everything swing around, and you got a kick out of the musical star that came with it. Now that you can sit up a bit you’ve also been having so much fun in your bouncy seat. It plays music when you kick your feet and you just can’t get enough of it. Your favorite is to have us sing and dance with the music you play. The very first intentional smile that I saw was on your bouncy chair. You were playing with it by yourself when you caught sight of me bending down to play with you. Your eyes lit up and you flashed me a giant grin. It lit up my whole world. Ever since then you have been a smiling maniac. You smile at me. You smile at your daddy. You smile at your great grandparents. You smile at your music star. You smile at your mobile… I think you get the picture…
You are progressing in leaps and bounds when it comes to sleep, and are positively spoiling us. You now just wake up only once in the night, and we get a good 8 hour stretch between feedings, which makes for a happy mommy. You still spend almost all of your time grunting and straining, whether you’re awake or asleep. You sometimes grunt so forcefully that you wake yourself up. Other times I’m amazed that you can be straining so much and still be asleep. I’m now on a special diet to try to see if something I’m eating is bothering you…we’ll see.
Little boy, one of my favorite things about you this month is how much you love your daddy. Your whole face lights up when you catch sight of him. He loves making funny faces and noises for your entertainment and tickling you all over. You’re always showing off for him, practicing standing or sitting or lifting your head up when you’re laying on his chest. You two are just so happy to be together.
In truth, all three of us are so happy to be together!
Love you,
Mommy