17 months. Like a fork to the head.

This really could go either way Van. You are now 17 months old. The past few weeks have been so funny and I have been writing things down that you have done on a piece of scratch paper and of course I have misplaced it.
We went to dinner a week ago tonight with Afton to Olive Garden. It was late and you were tired and a pain in my butt! Afton and I sat on one side of the booth and you and Dad were on the other side. You got restless and so naturally you got on top of the table and came across to me. As our food started to come out I made a plate for you and stood up to put you back across from me and next to your Dad. He put his arms out to take you and you picked up a fork and jammed it into the side of his head. Oh the look in his eyes! Speaking of eyes, the fork missed his eye ball by only a very small measure. He looked at me and said "take him, take him now!" Now I have had people tell me that one day when Dad and I want to go out or when we want to be spontaneous and pick up and leave for the weekend I will wish for you to be back in my stomach. I have never wished this, maybe because being pregnant was by far the very worst 10 months of my entire existence but I think at that very second as the fork made 4 indentations in the side of your fathers head he may have for a split second wished you back in my stomach. I have also had a few friends tell me that they just don't understand why people want kids so bad. This is not something that is remotely explainable until you have laid eyes upon your own baby for the first time, and in the exact instance you know why. It is still not explainable in words but as a parent you know.
You love us, in a way that we have never been loved. You fulfill every expectation and far exceed them. You love books and will bring me or Dad a book when you are starting to get sleepy, you will crawl up on our laps and hand us the book. Last Saturday I was folding laundry and Dad was sitting on the couch watching a show. You brought him a book and crawled up next to him and starting pointing at the animals on each page and putting your own Van sound to each one.

This is one of those moments you point to when someone asks why you would ever want a child.

Speaking of forks! The other day I was cleaning the kitchen, you must of gotten a fork out of the dishwasher. I came over into the living room to check on you and found you with a fork, stabbing into our leather couch!!! Speaking of couches.....
I fixed you a bowl of oatmeal and poured it into a bottle because you wouldn't sit and eat it otherwise. I again walked into the living room to check on you only to find you pouring the oatmeal out into the creases of our leather couch!!!! I don't know if I am a bad mom or if you are a bad child, one or the other must be true.
Your love affair with balls is stronger than ever. You love anything that even resembles a ball. You have a million and one toys and you do not care about anything but the balls and books that show you cows and horses. Right as I am pushing the point of wishing you back in my stomach I turn around to look at you because the dining room light has mysteriously just turned off. I find you throwing a ball up against the light switch and turning it on and off with the ball. Do I need to say more? Your accuracy kid!!!

When you got so sick about a month ago and were running such a high fever Dad and I made you sleep in the middle of us so we could keep an eye on you. This was the biggest mistake I have made in my parenting so far. Now when I ask you if you are ready to go ni-night you will shake your head yes and walk into my bedroom! This has made for a miserable sleep for both Dad and I. You will migrate to one side of the bed when we are lucky, allowing the other person to get a few minutes of real sleep but most of the time you sleep horizontal. By horizontal I mean your head burrowed in one of our necks and your feet on the other persons face. Dad woke up the other night because you were rubbing his lip with your big toe. I have asked a few of my friends what to do... "just put him back in his room and let him scream himself to sleep." So I tried this, you started to crawl out of your crib head first, I would hear you land on your bedroom floor and just as I was running to your room you would be opening the door, stars in your eyes from the fall and barely able to stand. Aunt Jenea suggested ordering a crib tent so you couldn't get out of the crib, I did this and was talked out of it by Grandma Angie. Our neighbor Amy suggested taking the front off of your crib and turning it into a toddler bed. We tried this and now you can get out of your bed without the possibility of breaking your neck but you just open the door to your room and walk on out. Julie at work told me that she just locked her son in the room and he eventually learned that he had to sleep in his own room. I tried this and you hang on the door knob until it breaks. Last but certainly not least our other neighbor Jeanette suggested a new door knob turned around so it locks from the outside, a round one that you can't just pull on. This is the point where we are at now. I am trying to get enough sleeplessness built up that I don't care if you hate me and I scar you for the rest of your life, causing serious emotional issues that you will have to see a therapist for all the way through to the end of a midlife crisis. Please don't hate me for locking you in your room. I love you, I just need to sleep!

I love you, you 17 month old monster!
Mama

We (Dad, me, you, Landon, Jade, Ammy, Kari and Brandon) went fishing last week. You played in the sand and dumped it all over me. The sand was EVERYWHERE!! Aunt Ammy and I had it in our ears, our clothes and our teeth. Like I always say, don't rock the boat!












We went camping over Memorial Day weekend with Afton and her family. Your very first horse ride. You were in all your glory! Your love horse!