dear jack,

oh jack.  my sweet (and sometimes) sticky little honey pot.  you are sixteen months old and boy, oh boy, you are growing up to be a very curious, very opinionated, very strong-willed, AND :) very sweet little boy!  i just have to laugh at your impatient behavior, because, i, unfortunately, think you got that trait from me!  your daily meltdowns, particularly as we near dinner time, are not our favorite times of the day, but i take them as a necessary rite of passage and can just hope that they dwindle in frequency sometime soon.  plus, the tantrums are typically short-lived and nearly forgotten when you lean over my back when i am kneeling down to reach something on the floor and rest your head on my spine while hugging me around the waist or when you back yourself onto our laps so that we can read you a book. this weekend, as dada and i were finishing our last sips of coffee and  watching your knee-bounce-head-banging move to the indie music (apples in stereo) playing in the background just after finishing a breakfast of dried cranberries and greek yogurt, i leaned over toward dada and called you our "little indie foodie."  indie = indie music lover + independent little man, and foodie = speaks for itself- you LOVE good food (see below photo).

i don't think you will ever get cuter than when you throw your head back and open your mouth wide enough to expose your teeth during a good laugh or when you smirk, in that perfect jack way, when you are just a little nervous or excited.  nor can i imagine your smiling, feet pounding response to your dada coming home ever being sweeter.

your curls are really growing and, boy, i am so in love with them!  even though your hair is growing long, i am still holding off on your first haircut because i can't bear the thought of how it might change your "skater/punk" look that we are so fond of.

we are having so much fun with you!  your reckless sprints outside leave us holding our breath and hoping that you don't bust your face on the sidewalk, your sweet babble has found many new multi-syllable words- turtle, blueberry, outside....and we know it will turn to entertaining conversation very soon (and your new ability to communicate will hopefully bring with it a well-deserved rest for your little pointer finger and a more relaxed approach to a world that will FINALLY understand what you want the moment you want it!), and your diaper changing banter leaves us sweating and wondering when we can start the potty training process!   but for now, lets just keep doing the things we are doing, because mr. man, it has been pretty great so far.  you've brought so much love and wonder to an already charmed family and we all love you an insane amount because of it.

just when i think i can't love and adore you any more, i do.  i love you, and all of your attitude!

hugs and kisses,

baba