Cohen Is 16 Months Old

Dear Cohen,

This week you turned 16 months old. 1 year and 4 months old. Only 8 months away from 2. Holy cow, kid, how is this happening? I feel like everytime I blink, you get older, more independent, so much smarter, and even more fun.

This has been an exciting month for us. You have just changed so dramatically in the past few weeks. From the words you are learning to the social cues you are picking up to the hilarious sense of humor and motor skills you are developing, you are hardly the same kid you were last month.

Physically, you are growing up. And I mean up. A lot of your pants have become too short for you to wear lately, and you have completely grown out of all 12 month and 12-18 months clothing. Your waist is so skinny, but your legs and torso are so long, so clothes look pretty funny on you right now (everything is so baggy on you, but at least we're not showing your belly or ankles anymore!). You're still in size 4 diapers and size 6 shoes.

You have become quite the little parrot recently. You repeat everything you hear. I love it when you say "thank you," and daddy just likes to get you to repeat random funny things.You are also using words to communicate with us. You tell us when you want to eat or if you're thirsty, you tell us when you're "all done!" or want to go "bye bye." You tell us if something is "yucky yucky yucky". And you also understand so much of what we say to you. It amazes me everytime I ask you to put your toys in the basket or to leave something alone and you obey.

You love giving kisses. If we ask you for a kiss, you are usually very quick to lean in for a big, slopy kiss. Sometimes, though, you're just not feeling affectionate, so you'll blow us a kiss instead. You love to kiss your reflection. You blow kisses to random strangers. You give me giant bear hugs and steal my heart every time.

You say "thank you" when I give you a cookie and love to mimic people when they sneeze. You have learned that when someone sneezes, people say "God bless you," so you will fake sneeze over and over again to get that blessing. And everytime someone blesses you, you giggle hysterically. You know how to clean up messes and are usually a very cheerful cleaner. You like to feed people -- usually you feed me pretend food and keep the good stuff for yourself, but sometimes I'll get the real food.

You are so curious. You have to explore everything and want to see it all. When you see something new, you will point and say, "See?" You crouch down to look underneath things. You like to break things so you can try to put them together again. You like to test boundries.

You love food, and you love to eat. Eating has become even more enjoyable for you now that I'm letting you eat more things like a big boy (instead of cutting everything up into small bites). You love gnawing on a roll and taking bites out of bananas. You are a master of the straw and really like to drink out of water bottles and cups. You work hard to use a spoon. Lately, you will eat off a plate instead of playing with the plate.

Nothing thrills you more than feeling like a big boy. You love sitting in chairs, and if you see a chair anywhere, you go straight to it and sit down. You would rather sit in a chair at a restaurant instead of a high chair. You've also been given a pillow and a blanket in your crib, and you think you are a big deal when you go "night night" now.

I don't know what I did to deserve the blessing of being your mommy. Each day with you is a gift, and I cherish every minute. You are so loved, little boy, more than you'll ever know. Until next month, I love you to the moon and back, forever and ever.

Mama