17 months

Dear Matt and Ryan,

Ummmm … sure, I haven’t written to you guys in, oh, 5 ½ months, but never late than never, right?

Here is a list of things I never want to forget about you guys at 17 months:

1. We watch The Price Is Right almost every day, and you both clap and go “Ehhhhh!” when the audience goes crazy at the “Come on down!” part.
2. I love how you say “Ah-DAH!” (all done), “apple” and “uppah” and “ba-ba” (baby). “Ba” is Ryan’s way of saying “blankie.” I love when you sign “more” (esp. Ry), “all done,” “sorry,” (esp. Matt), and “please.”
3. When Ryan is mad, he hits himself. When Matthew is mad, he hits everyone else.
4. You are fascinated with the potty. I let you guys come in and check out the scene now when I’m going to the bathroom (OMG, you will be so humiliated to read this later – haha!), and you are VERY interested. Matthew likes to look down at the floor, like he can hear something … but where is that sound coming from? And you both want to wash your hands, watch stuff go down the potty, and pull all the toilet paper off the roll.
5. The body parts you both know best are “belly button” and “hair.” Ryan is working on “eyes,” “nose,” and “mouth.” Matthew just wants to touch everyone’s eyes (and/or glasses) and ears.
6. Your Irish step dancing, which is the cutest thing ever and has replaced the upper-body bobbing dancing you did around a year.
7. You have, in the last month or so, gone from walking to RUNNING. I think I noticed it for the first time when we went to the DuPage Children’s Museum with Aunt Danielle, Ms. Manda, Sydney, and Katie. Holy crap, I am in trouble. And you want to walk everywhere and be big boys. Screw that stroller thing.
8. You can go down the stairs by yourselves now. You don’t always want to, but Matthew crawls down backward, and Ryan scoots forward on each step, then bounces on his butt.
9. Letting you guys feed yourselves SUCKS! Of course you won’t have it any other way, but the mess. The MESS. You won’t wear bibs. You pull off the snap ones and yank the over-head-ones right back over your heads. Lately, I have convinced you to wear Mama’s dirty shirts over your clothes for morning oatmeal, but that doesn’t protect your hair. Your faces. Up your noses. Your ears. God, that stuff is sticky. It makes me laugh and cry all at once to see you hold the spoon or fork in one hand and shovel the food into your mouth with your free hand.
10. When I leave for work, you guys walk over to the gate and give me kisses goodbye. I can see you stand at the window and watch me leave!
11. Ryan started the trend of sticking his face in between the spindles of the banister when it’s time to go upstairs, waiting for Mama and Dada to give him kisses. You both do it now, even when no one is there because we’re going upstairs with you.

I could blame chasing after you all the time for the reason I haven't written ... but you know me too well. I will try to be better. xoxoxoxoxoxo I love you SO much!