Update for Garrett

Garrett, you are tricky...and in to everything. You are drawn to dirt. Here you are about to attempt to sneak back behind the chair that I set up as a gate of sorts, to play in my tree's dirt. Even though you always get busted for this, you never give up trying. That dirt is so appealing.

And look at that face, as I am saying "No-o-o-o"...as if you had no idea, and this was your first time. Oh, you are good.

Here is what else you love to do:

• Pull the cat's fur and chase him all over the house.
• Pull the pots and pans out of the cupboard.
• Open the trash and recycling bin to see if there are any snacks you could eat.
• Put your hand in the toilet and see if there is any toilet paper to suck on.
• Play with the toilet brush.
• Climb up on the bathroom stool and get the toothpaste tube down, and then try to suck the toothpaste out.
• Try with all your might to pull the baby gate open.
• Try with all your might to sneak out the front door.
• Pull all of my books off of my window ledge.
• Play with my cell phone and attempt to call your baby friends in China.
• Sneak in to the fridge, when it is open, to pull out an apple from the bottom fruit drawer.
• Pull open the drawer under the oven and take bites out of the onions and potatoes.
• Try to climb up on to Shelby's chair and grab whatever is on her plate.
• Try to sneak back behind the chairs in the front room, to play with the cat who is perched on his cat stand.
• Hit the TV when you see cartoons.
• Dance when you hear The Wiggles, The Backyardagains, and any other catchy theme song.
• Climb up on to Shelby's art table and eat her crayons and suck on the marker tops.
• Pull down all of Shelby's treasures that are on her dresser.
• Eat Shelby's lip glosses.
• Try to suck on Shelby's Polly's, Play mobiles, and any other tiny object.
• Eat wood chips in the flower bed.
• Dig in the dirt in our neighbor's yard.
• Climb up the slide in the back yard and get stuck half way up.
• Try to run off the front porch.

You are super communicative. You tell us everything that you are feeling. You make a lot of really interesting sounds. Like the one from Dumb and Dumber, where they say "What's the most annoying sound in the world?"...you make that one a lot too...like when we are not serving your food fast enough, or when you want what is on someone else's plate. You sing too. It's really lovely. You like to chew on your green blanket when you are tired. And sometimes you will walk up to your crib when you are ready for your nap, and pull the blanket through the bars, and then walk over to your books and pick one out to begin the bed time routine. You hate to be on your back. Changing your diaper takes 30 seconds, or you launch yourself off the changing table. You poop about six times a day (seriously). You never sleep in your car seat. I think that you hate being on your back. But you always fall asleep just as we pull in to the drive way, and have to have dad turn around and play peek-a-boo with you for the entire drive, or you wail. For a long time I have been narrating you. It sounds strange, but it was for your safety from the bigger kids. When you yanked out chunks of Shelby's hair, if I did a voice-over that said in a silly baby voice, "Oh, I just love your hair..I wish I weren't bald. I want to wear some of your hair..", then Shelby would laugh at you instead of pound on you. If I did a voice over when you had mashed Dalton's LEGO's to smithereens that went "I am Jabba The Hut...I am the Fat Jabba, I will destroy you!", then Dalton would smile at you instead of attacking you. But now it has turned in to somewhat of a family past time. Every one narrates you now. When you dance, when you are pooping, when you are playing, when you are crying...Shelby has the voice down really good. We a-d-o-r-e you. I can not say enough how much we absolutely can not get enough of you. You are feisty, and funny, and spirited, and cuddly, and quick, and coordinated, and happy, and you already throw a heck of a tantrum. When you are frustrated (like when I take away a cup that you have been drinking from, but you still wanted to hold it) you will throw your whole body back, arching your spine in to the shape of a C. You have a really good fake cry where you wrinkle your nose and sniff and squint your eyes...amazing! We all say "Nice fake cry Garrett" and then you immediately stop. You know that you can't cross the street, but you always stop just at the end of the driveway, and point across the street to tell me that that is where you want me to take you. You adore your dad. He is your favorite. Shelby is your best friend. You light up when you see her. I know that I post alot of my frustrations about how motherhood is going to send me to an early grave, but I just want you to know that every second is worth it. You are a doll. And every day with you in it is the best gift I could ask for.