The other day Dave, Milo and I brunched at Founding Farmers in DC. We sat at the end of a long table filled with Dave’s law school peers who are also transfer students. I was the only wife, and Milo the only child, as is usually the case when we spend time with GW Law friends who aren’t members of our church. I had packed snacks and toys, but the snacks ran out and you know, when a toddler is hungry, he is HUNGRY! It was about the time that I would have to pull mister wiggler out of the high chair and let him wander the restaurant poking his fingers into other’s omelets and collecting salt shakers from each table to maintain the peace, that I spied the sugar packets. I passed up the Splenda and Truvia and pulled the tiny brown All Natural Cane Sugar from the dish. “Can’t be any worse than a pack of fruit snacks.” I thought as I ripped the top off and began pouring small piles onto my palm that Milo would then lick off. All of the sudden, he was content, I was content…and I slowly realized the table had gone slightly quiet, with muffled giggles. They were all staring at me. The (maybe too) young mother feeding her now-sticky-all-over child sugar straight from the package right before BREAKFAST of all meals!! Some faces read “unfit mother” while others read “coolest mom ever!” I claim to be somewhere in the middle, learning and growing right along with my boy. I’ll pack more snacks next time. And the brunch was delicious. Now, how about a little update?
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| (Milo waving hello from the driver’s seat) |
Milo is growing up. It’s wild, and fun, and busy. At 16 months he weighs 23.5 lbs (the same as he did at 15…and 14 months!) He is 34 inches tall and has eight teeth and three molars. He says a lot. Most of it sounds like “na na na” with a pointer finger waving anxiously towards whatever he wants. We occasionally get a “dog” “roar” “ball” “vroom vroom” “hi” “bye bye” “da da (intoned like thank you)” “all un (all done)” “baby” “dada” “mama” “uh oh” and “baba (bottle, or milk, or water.)”
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| (Milo feeding Dave his burrito) |
This monkey could play with friends all day, and we are lucky to have some really good ones around here. He adores animals, and we love trips to the zoo. Most every day we visit one park or another, and he’s getting pretty good at driving the little cars, and riding on the mini tricycles (not pedaling, just riding!) He is very social and loves to observe people. He’s also really good at waving “hello” and “bye bye” to everyone we meet. Are all toddlers total mooches? Well, Milo is! Anything that someone else has, he wants. And whatever I pack for him he doesn’t- which usually works out okay, because the other kids all want it! He is also really good at sharing, and tries to feed everyone around him. The characters in his books get sips of milk from the sippy cup during story time at night…as do I, often (with the perfect little fish mouth sucking sound.)
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| (Milo folding his arms for the blessing) |
I think of all the new and fun things that Milo is up to, my very favorite is seeing him fold his arms up to pray. He did it for the first time about a week ago, and has caught on quite quickly that we say a blessing on the food before each meal and pray at night after we read the Book of Mormon. He has made it all the way, start-to-finish, through exactly one prayer with his arms folded the entire time! We cheered him on at the end! Cliche, but I can’t imagine my life without the laughter, snuggles, diapers, open-mouthed kisses, dancing, splashing, screaming, learning and growing of this little one. Being his mom is by far my favorite project!
