Dear Shenzie and Heaten,

I know I say that every single month is my favorite, and I mean it. Every single month just gets better and better. While your Dad is pining away for those blob baby days I am loving the independent, walking, fighting stage to its very fullest. I LOVE this age. You are both so much fun. The time outs, hair pulling, scratching, biting, hitting, and pushing….I could certainly do with less, but the walking, babbling, signing, laughing, kissing, and loving I can’t get enough of. Your little personalities are just bursting out of you…so big and wonderful. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be you and see the world from your eyes, but let me tell you..watching you watch the world is amazing. Watching you learn things is so amazingly wonderful, I seriously just sit and watch you all the while giggling at how funny and cute you both are.

For my birthday your and Dada got me a new camera. By now you are used to seeing me with my third child and used to the constant attempts to get you to look at me. This camera has something that my other camera doesn’t….video! I am addicted to making videos of you. I follow you around with the camera recording everything you do. I’m sure this phase will pass once I’ve gotten over the fact that you’re both walking!!!!! Yes, my little Clammies, you are walking…..and I love it. You are both so proud of yourselves to walk. It has become your favorite new toy. Walking. You walk in circles, walk around and around the kitchen, walk from your bedroom to my bedroom and back, over and over and over again. Who knew that the one thing we didn’t spend money on is the one thing that keeps you occupied for the longest amount of time. Go figure.

Dear Shenzie,

If you’re wondering why you are always first in these letters it is because you were born first. You are exactly one minute older than your little big brother. When you’re older you can use the “look here little brother” line while looking up at him. We had your pediatrician appointment today and you had to get two shots. It is harder to sneak them in now that you are aware of whats coming. Your 15 months stats:

Height ¤ 29 inches ¤ 10th percentile
Weight ¤ 21.10 Pounds ¤ 35th percentile
Head ¤ 46 cm ¤ 50th percentile

Not too shabby. You are still on the small side and probably always will be. You’ll have a life long problem with finding pants that are short enough, not being able to see in crowds, and having people use your head as an arm rest, but it is all ok…I’ve lived through it and so shall you.

You are so very funny. Your face is so expressive. You always know when you’re happy, mad, tired, or upset. When you smile your entire face lights up and your eyes shine. You laugh a lot. Gone is that serious baby we once knew. You are a very happy baby. You are getting more independent and less clingy which is nice. I can now leave the room without you crying.

You are still very wary of strangers, are scared of Sesame Street but love Elmo, and love watching Signing Time. You dance along as they sing. You love to dance. You dance sitting, dance while crawling, dance while walking, if I watched you long enough you probably dance in your sleep! My little ballerina (if swaying back and forth could be considered ballet).

Shenzie Bear, you are so very smart. You pick up on things so quick and constantly amaze me with things you know. We are still semi practicing your signs. You know milk, more, eat, dog, quack, bye, and sometimes all done. You are constantly mimicking me whether it be a sound, a word, or an action. You help me clean the floor with wipes, you help me fold the laundry…and by fold I mean take all the items I’ve folded and throw them down and then rearrange them in their new pile.

You are a toy hoarder. You will pick up and carry around as many toys as you possibly can hold. It is hilarious watching you try to cram more toys into the stack you are holding. Some of your favorite games are peek a boo, walking with things on your head…preferably covering your eyes so you can’t see and run into walls and doors and such. You love to rough house, get spun around, get thrown in the air, and hang upside down. For some strange reason you also love medication. Sometimes before you will nap I have to pretend to give you Oral Gel. You’ll reach and reach for it on the shell and won’t calm down until I put some on your gums (or pretend to put some on your gums).

This month you almost gave Dada and me a heart attack. The first heart attack occurred while I was out and Dada was watching you. He came to the stairs to see you had climbed up 4 stairs all by yourself. The second heart attack came when you did the same thing on my watch. I was gone for 20 seconds and you were climbing right up the stairs. While I’m glad you learned how to climb and are so great at it, would you PLEASE wait until we are with you before attempting to do so again. We are too young for heart attacks!

I love you so much sometimes my heart hurts. You are such a sweet, special, amazing little girl. I am so very happy I am your Mama. I love you Shenzie Weather.

Love,
Mama

Dear Heaten,

I know I always say how sweet and loving you are and this month is no different. You are so sweet and loving and cuddly. Until you get mad of course, and then watch out! You’ve recently developed a temper and you ARE NOT going to let Shenzie beat you up and bully you any longer. You hit back, push, and try to bite. Luckily you still only have two teeth so it isn’t all that bad. You have been trying to cut your two front upper teeth for over two weeks now. You are a very SLOW teether and it is NOT fun.

Your 15 months stats:

Height ¤ 30 1/2 inches ¤ 25th percentile
Weight ¤ 23.2 pounds ¤ 40th percentile
Head ¤ 49 cm ¤ 90th percentile

Anything look weird about those numbers to you? Rightio big headed bandit! You have one BIG noggin. Probably to hold your large brain. It takes a lot of brain to be as smart as you are!!

You are all boy. You love to bang things, throw things, and of course you love your Dada. You love to snuggle up on his lap whenever you get the chance.

And now on to the things you hate. The list is getting longer and longer. You hate to get dressed and fight me every single morning and night. You screech out this wounded animal sound when I put your shirt on. I have to tug and tug to get it over that rather large melon of yours. You hate to have your diaper changed, you hate when I lotion you, you hate to have your nails clipped, you really really hate to have your hair washed, and hate for me to brush your teeth. Hmmmm. All boy indeed!

Feeding you is becoming more of a challenge. One day you love blueberries the next you hate them. You throw your food all over the floor or hide it next to you in your highchair. I think you’re eating all good and then find handfuls of food when I move you out of your highchair. Very clever, very clever indeed. I’m sure if we had a dog you would be sneaking him all of your gross food. One day you eat wonderfully the next you can’t stand anything I feed you. One thing you always love no matter what is milk. Mmmm. It does a body good.

Where sissy puts things on her head you like to put your head on things. One of your new things is headstands or headcrawling. I’m not quite sure where it came from, but it is quite hilarious.

While you’ve been taking steps for quite awhile you are now officially walking. The day after Shenzie started you started. I guess you couldn’t let sissy show you up! You walk like Frankenstein. Your chest all puffed out, your legs straight, your gait heavy. It is pretty funny. I gasp in fear a zillion times a day when you almost fall into the coffee table or cabinets. You are still pretty clumsy, your Dad wants to put you in a helmet. And while you would look adorable I’m sure I just can’t cover up your rock star hair. Grandma wants me to cut it, but I say NO! I will not give in! I love your hair even if people think you are a girl. Screw them!!!!

Little man, I love you more than you could ever dream of and then even more than that. I love seeing you grow and learn and turn into this amazing, wonderful little boy, my son.

Love,
Mama