all by yourself

dear zack
You are nineteen-months-and-one-day-old . I have never been into counting the months. To me, you are almost two-years-old. That is exciting and scary and sad all at the same time. I am thrilled about your new discoveries and skills. You are running and dancing and jumping. You stack your toys as high as you can before you ferociously smash the tower like Godzilla. You have opinions and opinions and opinions...

Last week at dinner you requested a sparkling water with a lime in a short glass, just like your beloved Gramps. Of course, the moaning and wailing and mini tantrum you had trying to convey this request was difficult to translate. Perhaps you could come up with a better choice of words next time.

And there are words flowing from your mouth. Not as many as "the books" say you should have, but your pediatrician assures me not many boys your age have a whole lot to say yet anyway. It seems it begins at the very early stages of life; boys are visual and full of movement, girls are verbal and less likely to tumble down the sloping backyard creating a masterpiece of grass stains. But you do say, "CAAAAAAT" when our linx of a house kitten saunters by, you exclaim "HOT" in a serious whisper when near a stove, a toaster or steamy driveway. On occasion you will mimic an "I WUV YOU." Yesterday you pointed to the flashing green numbers beside our bed and whipped out a "CLOCK" clear as a bell. Most of the days are filled with you babbling "DADDY, daddY,DaDdy, Da-da-daddy..." And of course "MAMA-MA" when you are upset or pissed off.

Just like Mama, you bite your nails when you are nervous. You constantly grind your teeth. When you are excited you flex your muscles like Arnold Schwarzenegger and growl, just as you have since you were three-months-old.

Yesterday, Dad and I celebrated your day by blowing off the afternoon at Toys'R'Us. It was just as difficult for us to decide what to buy as it was for you to pick. We tried out everything from Crocodile Keyboards to Dancing Elmos, to Chopper Style Tricycles. We settled on a Lil'Tikes Bowling Game with plastic balls in the pins so it makes as great crashing sound when you get a strike!

After a quick game in the living room we headed off for sushi. With a table next to the window you enjoyed Friday's rush-hour and the busy Metra train schedule, shouting "Woo-Hoo" each time a train passed. This was all to the delight of a very pretty blonde three-year-old seated behind you chiming in with her "Choo-Choo!"

You filled up on EdaMame. You gobbled on tekka-maki and tempura. You sampled everything off my chop sticks. And, as always, you flirted with the wait-staff assuring us great service.

You fit right in kid. Thank you for a beautiful day.
We love you so much.