21 Months

Dear Tyler,
Last week, you turned 21 months old. I'm saying it in months because it makes you sound younger. To think that you'll be 2 years old in just 3 months is truly amazing, because you have learned so much in the short time your Daddy and I have been blessed to have you in our lives so far.

On Wednesday, we celebrated Halloween and took you around the neighborhood to Trick or Treat. You were dressed as a dragon, the cutest and most polite dragon in the neighborhood! You said "please" and "thank you" to all our neighbors, and they were delighted to give you a piece of candy. Many of them tried to help you out and put the candy straight into your bucket, but you'd rather take it in your hand and put it in the bucket yourself. We spoiled you for the night, letting you have 2 lollipops and a piece of chocolate. You don't normally eat any candy at all, so this was a treat to you (and maybe a sugar shock!). The sugar made you dance and run around the living room for a while :)

Last weekend, your Lolo and Lola visited. You had so much fun with them that you didn't want them to leave. You actually wanted them to take you along, but Mommy and Daddy would miss you too much, so you stayed with us. They helped encourage you to try out your "big boy" bed (we converted your crib to a toddler bed). You can now climb in and out of it all by yourself, and you love having books and toy cars in the bed with you. You always hug your stuffed dinosaur as you fall asleep every night.
You amaze me every day, my sweet boy. You are learning new words so fast, and pronouncing them so well! You can say "L's" very well, and love to point out all the traffic lights to Mommy as we drive to day care every morning ("A light! A light!"). Tyler, you also have started to recognize letters and numbers. You can spot an "o" in the words in older children's books and you recognize "9" easily, too.
Mommy loves reading books to you at night, we often read 3 or 4 books. I mostly let you decide which ones to read, and when you have to make that decision, you kneel in front of your bookshelf and put your hand to your chin and say "Hmmm". I think you got it from watching "Curious George" :)
Tyler, you have been calling your daddy "Daddy" for a while now, but only recently have you graduated from calling your mommy "Mama" to calling me "Mommy". Now, when we're home together, I can't hear "Mommy" enough! (Not that you don't try to say it often enough!)
You can easily play on your own, but you love having either Mommy or Daddy play with you...always asking us to follow you or play a certain game with you.
You are much taller now than you were a year ago, it seems you've grown a foot, but we just don't think that can be. But you can easily reach the countertop, hold more than one toy in each hand, and you can get by eating a meal without a booster seat (if need be).
You are a sweet, but stubborn little guy...it always takes coaxing from us to get you to switch activities or take a break from one to change your diaper. But you usually find a way to have fun doing your new activity and then you don't want to go back to doing what you were doing before! :)
Your daddy is very proud that you are so interested in cars, trucks, planes, and trains. Everything that goes "Vrroooom!" interests you, and your favorite movie has been "Cars" for a long time. Mommy and Daddy will splurge and spoil you with Cars toys, blankets, and books!
We love you so much, Tyler! You are our little man and you make everything we do worthwhile!
Love with all our hearts,
Mommy and Daddy