Dear Shep,

I’m a few days late writing your monthly update and I have a very good reason! You are all over the place these days. You walked amazingly for a few days, then decided that a fast (almost running) pace was more your style. You bonk your head on almost everything in site, and have mastered the graceful fall to slow down the impact. I used to be able to unload a few dishes and you would only make it to the next room before I snatched you back up, but now? Now you are across the house working on your next project and I am “this” close (I’m pinching my fingers together for effect) to getting a leash backpack for the house.

“BALL” is the first thing you shout when we come get you in the mornings, the first thing you say when you enter a room, and well, the only thing you say in context by recognition. YOU LOVE BALLS! Every color, shape, size, and kind. I’m such a sucker and usually end up buying you the ones you spot in toy stores and I spend most of my days fetching the ones that you so innocently roll under the furniture. Your throw is starting to look like a real big boy’s throw and you are mesmerized by watching your Daddy and I dribble the big red ball in your playroom. After the Easter egg hunt at school, you’ve believed that all Easter eggs are also balls and you absolutely love to take them apart then try and re-assemble them for long stretches at a time. You even mastered putting them into your Easter bucket and carrying it around the house which we think is absolutely adorable!

Books are coming back for you and we are finally able to get you to sit and wait on a page to finish before turning it for us. I think you learned to love books again from your favorite bathtub book that Daddy reads to you. “Two sharks, TWO!” shouts your Daddy and you watch intently as he counts each individual shark before turning the page. It’s one of my favorite things to hear from the other room.

You only nurse at night before bed and I have a feeling that this might be our last month for that. I’m more than ready to let you move on to the next phase, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t sad about missing out on the hours of snuggles and holding your sleeping self in my arms at night. Thank you for giving me so much love and for snuggling your Mommy despite the ball you see in your peripheral vision. You make life such an adventure and keep us on our toes. I adore you Sheppard Holden.

MommyXx

**I should start statistics with these posts! I might be late, but better late than never….

teeth = 6
words = “bye bye” “ball” “dada” “go”
Walking like a champ
nursing = once at night
favorite food = spaghetti
favorite drink = strawberry baby smoothie