Month Eighteen

Ah, my sweet, biting Angel.

Happy Eighteen months my love! I know I say this every month, but I can’t believe you’ve grown so much. I was going to wait and include your first *real* Christmas in this post, but I know if I start going off on random dates, pretty soon I’m be starting off saying, “Happy Twentieth through twenty-third month birthday!” And that’s no fun, now is it?

So although I don’t have much new to tell you about in the 10 days since I wrote your last letter, I do have a few quite adorable new quirks of yours to relate. The first being, of course, you learned how to sign “Angel” and “Love” so now I can ask you, “Where’s my Angel” and I have been known to do just less than a hundred times each day, and you put your little hands up to your shoulders and give me a big goofy grin. Loves it. And if I ask you, “Do you love Mama?” You’ll make the sign for love. My heart melts, so remember that when you come home 2 hours past curfew with monkey-bites all over your neck. Just tell me how much you love me, give me a big hug, and all will be forgotten. Maybe.

We’ve been driving around at night looking at the Christmas houses lit up, and I realized a few things about you. 1) Your favorite word of exclamation is “WOW.” We’ve heard a few “oooohs” and maybe an “aaaaah” or two, but when we drive by one you’re really impressed with, “Wow” is what comes out of your mouth. 2) You like trees with multicolored lights. They don’t even have to be pretty, but the big statues don’t even make your head turn, the tasteful white-light decorations barely faze you, it’s the huge, gaudy, multi-colored light shows that frost your cookie.

Which reminds me of something not entirely related, but still cute. Whenever you look into the laundry room, or see someone coming out of the restroom, you say “Eeeeew.” And I don’t really know where you got that from, because your Papa and I mostly say “kaka” but without fail, “Eeeewww.” And you said it today after you wiped your own nose with a tissue, then looked at it.

One of the not-so-sweet habits you’re really getting into is biting. Mostly Jackson, but anyone who puts their hand near your mouth may become an appetizer for you. I know why you bite him, he does take things from you and I know you’re frustrated, but if this keeps up, I’m going to get you a rabies shot and a collar. Enough said.

I think I said it in the last letter, but your language skills have become crazy advanced. You repeat so much, which is fun to hear in itself, but you also seem to know what it means right away too. Every day you are picking up new words, talking, babbling, asking for cookies or agua, doing things that we ask you to without having to show you first, it’s crazy. Your comprehension of both English and Spanish is staggering, and I think maybe I wished for you last month that you keep understanding both, and this month, my wish for you is that you learn to read and write Guarani, in addition to English and Spanish. It’s a lot to ask, but if your language skills in the last couple weeks are any indication, it shouldn’t be a problem for you.

Well, your Papa will be home in a couple days, and I know you will be clinging to him like you’ve never done before. Any time you hear Papa, you look around for him, fight me to let you go so you can find him. I know it’s so hard for you to be apart, and I hope it never has to happen for this long again. You are the light of his life, and mine too, and as I feel every day of my life since I found out I was pregnant with you, I am so grateful to have you in my life.

I love you.
Mommy