Month two

Dear Xavier,

The last month has flown by, little buddy. It’s like you went from being this helpless little baby to being a “real person” as your daddy says. He’s looking forward to you becoming even more “real,” i.e. able to go fishing and play catch. Your daddy has also been known to read a book about development to figure out how advanced you are. But don’t get too far ahead of yourself. We are already blown away just by a simple smile on your face.

When do you smile the most? Simple answer—whenever you are on your changing table! We are not quite sure where this obsession with the changing table came from but have a hunch that it has something to do with having a clean bum. You could be screaming your head off but if we put you on that changing table, you are suddenly smiling, kicking your legs, waving your arms, and talking away. In fact, your parents (remember, we are novices at this!) have been known to carry your changing table pad downstairs and put it on the couch to prolong that happy state. You pretty much hated your rainforest activity mat until I had the genius idea of simply putting that changing table pad under there. Most kids have a security blanket—you have a security changing table pad. Hopefully it won’t have to go to preschool with you in a few years.

You have surprised us by being a social butterfly. In the past couple of weeks, you’ve attended a cross country banquet, football banquet, and a couple of basketball games. You seem to enjoy being passed around from mother to mother and basking in the attention of the high school students. Maybe hanging out with high school students is the reason why you already like to talk on the phone. You’ve been babbling away to Grandma Mueller on the cell phone a few times a week (usually when you’re lying on the changing table).

You have already outgrown much of your 0-3 month clothes and are wearing primarily 3-6 months. (This provides a nice excuse for Grandma Hill to buy you more clothes). Also growing at an alarming rate is your hair! I thought you were born with a full head of hair but it seems to keep multiplying. So, I have only given you…ummm….*four* haircuts so far. The first one was when you were about 6 weeks old and I was just going to get rid of that mullet (sorry, Uncle Jon). But the very next day, I trimmed the rest…and then again a few days later to “even” things out. After three haircuts, I promised your Uncle Nate he would be the next one to cut it at Christmas time…but I might have broken my promise. At least I haven’t started styling it with gel…yet.

Tomorrow morning, I have to leave you to go back to work for the first time. I cried most of the day today (so you cried most of the day today). I know you are going to be fine and that you might not even notice that I left, but I’m going to be thinking about you all day, kid. And that will be true the rest of your life. No matter how far apart we are, you will always be in my heart.

Love,
Mommy