Dear Shep,

Hands down this has been the most exciting month of your life. You are so incredibly amazing and taking this life of yours by storm, wide open for the 12 hours you are awake each day.

Daddy and I count to three before something fun happens. 1-2-3 means we are about to chase you through the yard, let you jump to us in a pool, or sneak up on someone unsuspecting the greatest fake surprise scare of their life. While on vacation, you started to stick your little pointer finger up in a way to initiate the fun and it absolutely cracked us up when you did it for the first time. We can’t get enough of watching you try to get the number 2 and 3 formed on your tiny little fingers. You’re so close!! You clap at the end of every song you hear and dance by shaking your hands up and down or do a little ballroom twirl taught to you by your Honey. – blame her if you dance like a girl one day. You are still 100% obsessed with seeing cars, but now you are in love with playing with them throughout the house. I am guilty of buying you toy cars in every store I walk into and I love seeing you light up when I pull them from the paper sack. You are waving bye to just about every one and every thing you see and now added a sweet blown kiss to the mix. It doesn’t matter where we are or what you see, you wave “bye” and kiss just about every one and every thing until you’re worn out. It’s amazing to see how much a little boy can light up someone’s day with such a simple action. I feel so blessed to carry you around on my hip and see you change a moment for someone else. Your magical. I’ve always told you that. As far as other words and actions, you are big on telling Daddy and I to “DO IT!” in a squeaky high pitched tone whenever you want us to take part in your games. I realized that I am always telling you to “do it” and clearly every one was right when they said you little ones are listening far before we realize it. Every time we ask you a question, you respond with “yeaaaaaaaah!” in yet another one of your sing song high pitched tones. It’s so adorable to hear your excitement and we are working hard on adding a “ma’am” or “sir” to the end.

Mother’s Day Out started back. Your teachers are Mrs. Kristie and Mrs. Renee and you are having an absolute blast playing with all of the big kids. Unfortunately for your Daddy and I, you cry when we drop you off and that just about kills us. I actually cried in Mrs. Jessica’s room last week bc you called me “mama” for the first time as you waved bye between tears as I left you. Talk about milking the whole pregnancy hormone thing. Had I not had a session scheduled that day it would’ve worked and I’d have rushed back in for you. Well played little man. Well played.

Other news: Your belly button. Lord help us. You insist on pushing it until it hurts or pinching your little man nipples and refuse to stop until I put a shirt and diaper on you. I guess they’re your own little buttons that you carry around and we all know you are one to push buttons (no pun …. well never mind). Bath tub crayons will be the will be the bain of my existence. I will never convince your Daddy that it’s fun to pick those up. You got your first pair of sneakers and think that it’s the greatest part of your day to sit in my lap and have me put them on you. You’re convinced you can do it yourself, but still let me finish the job if I’m persistent enough. You got your first bout of strep and while it was absolutely awful to watch, the last 3 molars started once you got well and let’s just say I prefer nursing a strep baby back to help over the alter ego you become when teething those molars. No one should have to hang with you on those days. I guess that’s why God made you so cute. It’s harder to watch a cute one suffer…..

As far as routine goes, bed time at 7:30 usually consists of book and/or caterpillar with your buns (yeah, he’s back) chocolate milk (bad mom move – in my defense you’ve always hated milk and I water it down with the real stuff so it isn’t too strong) and your blue blanket. I hog bed time from Daddy. He still does the baths but you and I have our cuddles down pat and I have him convinced that I’m better at it. Don’t tell him that it really doesn’t matter. River thumps you awake a lot when you’ve passed out in my arms. I often worry about how we’ll rock when he’s taking up more room in there, but knowing the two of us…we will figure something out. We always do don’t we? You wake up with Daddy every morning now at 7am. Why on earth you went from 7:45/8 back to 7 is unknown to me, but let me just say thank you for taking out sleep time when Daddy is in charge and not when I am. I still get to stay in bed until 8 while you and Daddy eat breakfast so it’s not a huge problem on my end 😉 Your favorite is oatmeal. You could eat that with your Daddy every morning if I let you. As far as your appetite for the rest of the day? Well, you are Papa Shep 100%. I could leave you alone for 48 hours with nothing but a bag of potato chips and you would be set. It’s unfortunate really but after your Dr. visit with strep and seeing that you were down a pound, I figure if you refuse everything else, a little sweet potato bbq chip lunch can’t be any worse than eating nothing at all. (My hands are getting tired…I told you it was a big month).

I’m sure I’m leaving out 100 things that happened this month, but to sum things up all you really need to know is that you’re amazing. The Lord has big plans for you. You are so kind and loving and you touch so many people every day. You light the room up just like your Daddy and I know that you are going to be a world changer. I pray that over you every night as I rock you. I’m so honored to be your Mommy.

Mommy Xx

Updates:

>weight 21 pounds (down one)
>diaper size 4 (pampers)
>favorite foods are spaghetti and mac n cheese. Veggies? What’s a veggie? chips, crackers, juice for days. You still love your apple juice.
>teeth – I THINK you have 12, but it could be 11. Not sure if the last few days of Sabastean (your teething alter ego) have been over 2 or 3 molars. I often get bit while searching and well, it simply isn’t worth it.
> favorite song is Daddy’s version of ABC and Mommy singing the itsy bits spider. Although you’re still 100% a fan of the Christmas music box. Lucky us.
> words: bye bye, car, do it, weee (for more), yeah, ball, side side, go, and mama and dada although still not 100% in context.
> cow says moo, car says vroom, & dog says woo woo.