Dear Levi - 16 months old

Another month of changes, another month closer to being a big brother and another month growing up and away from being my baby!!

You have started to experiment with two syllable words. You managed "basket" "ball" the other day and "tractor" is another favourite. You mention it every time we go to the grocery store because through the autumn time they have an old tractor our side with the pumpkins and hay bales but it went away with the season change and every time we pull into the car park you start saying "brrrum" bye bye" "tractor" "ut oh", and then for a few hours afterwards and at random times through the day as it crosses your mind! You are really starting to remember things and process life.

I think some of that is why your separation anxiety continues to be an issue. You have been willing and ok to stay in the nursery at church again without tears but with your Daddy travelling so much this autumn I think you have become a little unsettled at home when he is gone. He only has this current trip sweet boy and then its the three of us together for the holiday and on until your sister arrives! (Although you also love that Grandma and Grandpa have been coming to stay while he is gone, they are a very close second to your Daddy).

You have started to want to be on my hip at all times which can be exhausting. I am sure that as my belly grows and as your Daddy and I begin to anticipate the arrival of your sister you are picking up on all the changes happening in your safe place even though you can't express your anxieties in words I think your actions are saying it loud and clear. After some reading up on the subject, I also think your night time waking is to do with your seperation anxiety so we have tried to be more understanding when you cry out :)

You have been sleeping through some of the time and when you are in our bed you have started sleeping later so that is at least a step in the right direction. You don't know it yet, but we might have plans to look more closely at this issue when Daddy is off over the Christmas holidays and we can take turns to nap duringthe day if we ned too from being up with you at night!

You have also started to do this delightful expression when we tell you things like, "lets' go and look at the Christmas lights" or "Let's go and see if there is football on TV" you suck in air and purse your lips together and your eyes get big and bright and you say "oooh". Even when its something really mundane, you seem so excited by the prospect we are presenting! You just make life more enjoyable sweet boy, it's that simple.

You have also become so sweet when you are giving hugs and kisses, you always accompany the gesture with a sigh. When your Daddy travels and we Skype with him you love to kiss the screen or try to throw him the ball you are playing with. You also LOVE to Skype with "Nana" and "Granna" (Grandad) and often point to the "pooter" (laptop computer) and ask for "Nana" so we give them a call and you show them your new tricks and toys.

You continue to consider your socks your nemesis and step out of them in a hot minute. Pretty much every day Daddy comes home to you wearing just one of them!

You have started to play more with your building blocks you love your medical kit and especially taking temperatures with the "beep beep" (thermometer) and listening for heartbeats with the stethoscope. You listen to Mummy's heartbeat and the baby's which is just adorable!

Ok, the more I am writing the more I am thinking I should include, so I am going to stop here. And to think, I thought this would be a tough month to write about. As I read over this, its really no wonder I'm exhausted :)

Big hugs to you bugger boo - onto your seventeenth month of life we go

Love Mama xx