Baby Babbles

(Trust me, I was as excited as you!)

Momma, being the stereotypical first time mother that she was, read lots of books before her little baby Gage came around. I learned how to get you to sleep good. I learned sign language. Did you know that at 24 weeks you were the size of a mango?

Lots of book, lots of theories, and most of them encouraged babbling with babies. You know, the coos, and goos. Even the occasional dada, baba. These sounds were supposed to make you smart. They were easy to say, and great practice for your developmental growth.

Well those are great sounds n’ all, but momma was determined to get you to say something else first. We practiced a far harder letter. We went straight for M. Hours and hours of “mama”. I thought that after months of saying my own name, it would have to be your first word. It was supposed to be inevitable.

Today it paid off.

That’s right. I caught you saying this verbatim, “ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma.” I loved every second of it. Whether you know what you are saying or not, is not what matters. Rather, the fact that you can make those noises, which could possibly lead to you actually saying Mama is what care about. Sorry Nana, I know you were hoping it would be you first, but I guess I beat you to the punch!

Love, momma

dear gage

Oh Gage, you are just the cutest little man ever. Your mom tries to tell me differently, but I'm convinced that I'm the only person who instantly makes you smile. Just the sight of me lights you up. More or less. I made a bracelet for you when you were a wee little one and you are just getting too chunky now. That one hasn't fit for quite a while, so now you get a new one in "boy colors" just like mom requested. Dark blue, light blue, and off-white. What's more boyish than that, right? I haven't gotten to see you in a while. Hopefully I'll get to see you all day long on Saturday. Hopefully you will start to recognize me again and I'll be back in the circle of your favorite people ever. You know what makes you laugh a lot? When I growl at you. Never fail. I growl and you giggle. I wouldn't quite call it a growl though. I normally call it my demon voice. I say "Gage" in a really throaty growling voice and you love it. Your mom says you growl a lot. I wonder if I had the tiniest little influence on that? I hope so.

When you get old enough I'm going to teach you to play mancala. That's my favorite board game and you'll become a pro. It's an Asian game so you know it has to be good for your brain. I'll teach you chess too, because that's a game that everyone should know how to play. Only a few more years until you'll be able to play... I can't wait! I'm even more anxious to hear you say words though. You little goobermeister.

Love you little man,
Aunt Amanda

Your Sensitive Side

I hope you turn out exactly like your dad.

Did you know your daddy lets his emotions get the best of him? Momma can’t think of a single movie he hasn’t cried in. This intense sense of emotion also extends to TV shows, or the occasional commercial. Yes, at times, it does make me feel heartless when the man sitting next to me is crying and I am not, but I love it.

I hope this for you.

I also hope that on the millionth time your wife find you crying in such a situation, that you continue to deny it, even if she see the tears as you wipe them away. I think she will just adore your sensitive side.

Love, momma

Curiosity getting the better of you

Do you know what the first thing I noticed about you when you were a baby? Those curly toes of yours. Those perfectly small, wiggly toes. They were so small. So fragile. Soft. I loved kissing them. Toes, of all thing, were the first thing I noticed. They alone made me fall in love with you. And then I discovered your teeny tiny hands. I fell in love all over again. Your precious hands that you insisted keeping near your face. Those perfect hands that loved to touch my face. You were prefect, everything about you was perfect.

And then you learned to use those precious little phalanges ….

You extend your reach by putting all of your force onto those tiny toes. You tip-toe around my coffee table just so you can get a centimeter closer to a not so edible object. You spread those fingers with every hope to grab something that comes along your way. You delicately pick up sharp objects that momma didn’t even know she had in her house.

Your curiosity has gotten the best of you, and your phalanges have only added to the problem….

That’s right. You have learned to use those precious little fingers and toes that I love so much, to get into some pretty nasty situations.

love, momma

dear gage

gage, I just got a picture of you and the family from Christmas Day and you are getting so big already. I've only been gone 8 weeks - what is going on?! why do you grow so fast? And why doesn't your mom update me with pictures?

So on a different note...I'm seeing some pretty funny things in the MTC and I've got some words of advice. When you play volleyball during gym, it's ok to have romance - but don't make it so obvious that it becomes the topic of gym conversation. However, I will give you props for being able to grab a sister who is years older than you. But be dignified for crying out loud.

Also, as soon as you learn to walk and run, can you drive your mom crazy for me? Since i am not there to do it!

You are so loved! I am so glad that you are my nephew and that you're the strength that your family needed. I love you little Gage and look forward to the day, 16 1/2 month from now, when I get to have a huge hug from you. I love you so much. Keep having fun - you won't be little forever.

Love, Auntie Steffie

Colds, Couches, and Crackers

(a glimpse of the snot we dealt with on a constant basis)

We were sick this weekend. And when I say we, I mean you got stuffy. Momma held you lots. Then Momma got stuffy. Daddy kissed momma lots. And what do you know. Daddy got stuffy.

After stuffy, came feeling miserable. Sunday afternoon we laid on the couch, I mean all of us, all day. Momma at one end, daddy on the other, and a big comfy blanket on top of us. We were prepared with tissues, a remote control, and crackers on the random occasion that we got appetites.

Oh little one, you were there too. You slept 90% of the day. On the occasions you were not sleeping you would crawl/climb back and forth from momma to daddy. Often we even got big slobbery kisses. Once you even mistook daddy’s nose for food, or at least that's what i choose to believe. You see you have a new fetish with nibbling on noses and ears.

By Monday you were waking up with snot crusted to your face so thick it created a seal on your nose. You couldn’t breathe, and yet you still managed to smile when I came to get you in the morning. Momma and daddy had to go back to work. You sweet auntie watched you lots. Now momma is just hoping you didn’t pass your bug to all of your cousins.

As the week went on your symptoms stayed the same, and yet nothing slowed you down. You managed to pull yourself up on the couch like you always have. Once you were standing up tall, you would wipe that nose right into my couch. Not only is your clothing and your face coated in snot, but just about everything in my living room.

I hate that your sick, but I love that you try to enjoy it. You have let me hold you more this week than you have in the last several months. You graciously let me tickle your tummy as we watch movies together. You love to put your sweet little arms around my neck and scream. And you can’t resist high-fiving my face with excitement. You have perfected open mouth kisses. I have got to be the luckiest momma in the world, and because I am so lucky, it doesn’t look like I am getting over this bug until you do.

Love, Momma.

Tis' the Season

(not loving it, deciding to give it a chance, enjoying it, and then refusing to come out)

Firsts:

• Meeting your baby cousin Sofi, and when I say meeting I mean mom and dad met her, you were too small, and didn’t seem to have interest

• Seeing the Zoo lights, and wearing all your warm winter get up.

• Road trip, all the way to St. George. It was much too long in your opinion

• Meeting Santa, a terrifying experience!
  

• Christmas, and you even celebrated it twice

• New Years, sadly you slept through it

Accomplishments this month:

• Crawling up stairs 63 secs flat

• Standing up in your crib, and even attempting pull-ups

• Pulling every single thing out of momma’s drawer in 34 seconds flat

• The best seeker I know in a game of hide and seek

• Coming in heavier than every baby a month older than you

• Discovering the Blu-Ray player opens

Favorites:

• Favorite toy: (other than the broom) The blue wire that hides under the coffee table, just out of your reach, oh and moms workout bands.

• Favorite food: Anything mom or dad is eating, You have also been diggin’ your squash these days

• Favorite time of the day: Bath time. Its gotten to the point that momma drains the tub just to get you out

• Favorite Christmas gift: Its a tie, between your own set of keys and your own cell phone....ok i confess those are moms favorite gifts for you, if only you thought they were as cool as mine.
  

It’s been an eventful Month to say the least. You are as boy as it gets. You love to wrestle. There is no challenge you won’t meet. If you could climb all day you would, this includes the obvious stairs and couches, and the less obvious mom and dad. I even caught you trying to get those teeny little hands in the toilet the other day. You are adventurous and active, to say the least. Everyone loves you, and you have a way of smiling that says “I love you too.”

What a cutie! Love momma