Thaddeus-Love:
Since your first birthday, you have decided to take off! You are walking!!! Not all the time; you still find crawling a safer and quicker way to get to your daddy FAST! when he walks through the door in the evening! You are not cautious; rather, you seem to want to do things perfectly before committing yourself to them.
You are babbling with inflections and saying a few more words: "quack", "bawk" and of course, your favorite "hat!" Tasks are still performed with various hats on your head:
You are a charmer, Sir Thaddeus! Everywhere we go you have a smile and an eye-twinkle for people. You are genuinely interested in people's faces and suffer very little stranger-danger or separation-anxiety. You have mastered your Uncle Christian's wrinkled-nose smile and bestow that on people you especially love. It cracks them up!
You also are very facile with your hands. You can stack five small blocks and you can turn small knobs. You LOVE to play the drum--which Daddy and I are THRILLED about as we are both frustrated percussionists! You like to push your rocking chair or your pushcart down the hall at breakneck speed. You also will ride your "bike" for a time. And when Uncle John rocks you on it, you can hardly stay awake!!
You will sit for 10 minutes thumbing through books on your own, telling yourself the stories in your own language. Even better is when Mom or Daddy will read to you--oh, books AND attention!!
You also are getting better with the spoon! Yea!!!! You can get stickier foods to your mouth by turning the spoon upside down and into your mouth.
You also met more of your cousins this last week: John and Megan were very excited to meet you, too! And you have REAL THING for your Aunt Bryn, too! You flirted shamelessly, right in front of your mother!!
For a few hours, the whole Christianson/Rose Family was together and Kid Kaos reigned! You loved watching your older cousins and they loved to make you laugh. Megan would literally do anything to hear your famous belly laugh!
You had sweet time with your Grandparents Christianson. They adore you!
Whenever I go out with you, I feel like I am making the world a better place . . . spreading a little joy . . . because you are so smiley and good. Daddy and I are grateful for your easygoing spirit and your lovely countenance. You are, truly, a joy!
Much, much love,
Your mommy ("Mom")
