20 months

I do not know if it is because this is the month of giving thanks or what, but I have been incredibly thankful to have my sweet toddler lately. I have to start by admitting that the time from when he was about 4 months until 14 months were some of the hardest days of my life. The first thing that changed was our location, which did help a lot on its own. But he has also become such a happy, pleasant little one recently, and I enjoy his company more every day. He has his own inventive ideas and he makes his own hysterical jokes. Of course he still has his own strict agenda, but we do a much better job of communicating with each other, so that cuts down on frustration. He says many words and signs even more. The cutest thing I've ever seen is when he makes his Mickey Mouse do sign language. Everybody in the house needs to be on the same page!

He likes a lot of the same things that I like: gardening, hiking in the woods, finding interesting leaves and rocks, coloring, squishing playdough, chalk artistry. He is still asking to get in the stroller, and we have running races up and down the driveway. If we could only love sleeping to the same degree (one way or the other we need to meet in the middle). But I have a new activity that I'm starting, which is getting on the trainer when he naps. Knocking on wood... he will sleep reliably for the first 40ish minutes of his nap right now, so I'm just praying he does not decide to give it up any time soon! You should have seen my sprint the other day when I heard a noise through the monitor. The trainer is in the playroom downstairs, so I braked, got out of my shoes, ran around the couch, up the stairs, hopped the baby gate, and slid sock-footed around the corner in the living room then down the short hall to the bedroom. And he was still zonked out. Must've been a cat. 

our hobbies include drilling

I realize that he's getting big and doesn't need me there within 5 seconds like he used to, but I also know that he really trusts me to be there since I always have, and I do not want to go messing that up now. It was hard work getting a good secure attachment (especially in those particular 10 months), but I am thankful for it. I know the effects. But I imagine a lot of people would feel sorry for me if I told them that we have never left Hunter with anybody other than my sister, and mom once, and I couldn't dream of leaving him overnight. I am definitely not feeling any wistfulness that he would be perfectly happy without me. That time will come too fast anyway.

At 20 months, he is tall enough to be mistaken for a two year old frequently (and has been for several months now), at almost 3 feet. His blond curls keep growing and getting bushier, and I keep trimming and hoping I don't cut off any babyness. He understands and responds to every question asked of him, even if it's rhetorical. He is forgiving of me when I make mistakes during his games, politely telling me "uh oh" when I get it wrong. A lover of all animals, he kisses them and hugs them, and puts them to sleep. Mostly gently. Except when he needs an excuse to kiss them, and then they might get stepped on and "hurt." 

Sweet, attentive, observant, funny baby Hunter.