1.5

Mellow is 1.5 today. I never thought we would make it this far - just like I can't think about him attending his prom or even kindergarten. Or even having another kid and making it this far again.

This monkeyseemonkeydo business has gotten out of control. Now is the time we have to begin tempering our language and actions because it is guaranteed that Mellow will imitate. He will walk around in our shoes, can identify most body parts, and is working on the letter "M."

His picky eating is defined as thus: if you are not feeding him something off your plate, he is not eating it. He knows exactly what you mean when you spell c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e and begs for a no-nut in every pastry section.

His love is big. I wait each day for the running-down-the-hallway hug that I get when I walk in the door. I will even take the snot covered, drooly, sloppy kisses planted in the middle of tickle matches. He and kitty are best friends and he shows his love by belly flopping on her whenever she is still enough for the sneak surprise. He will grin and hug his stuffed animals, with Brown Bear and Monkey leading the pack.

He is in his big bed at night. We let him cry it out after we leave the safety of his bed, giggling downstairs as he throws a tantrum - books hitting the door, stomping, banging, diapers everywhere. We arrive to a tornado-strewn room but a sleeping baby most nights, although not through the night. He is not quite finished with his pacifier and that hasn't given us reason to worry, yet.

His obsession with balls must run as deep as the male chromosome; he can kick and throw and run and jump and skip and is overall pretty damn coordinated. He has begun to go down the slide by himself and B brags about how he can hang on the monkey bars for ten seconds without falling off. We can't wait to throw him into the pool this summer.

We read and read and read. He loves Wheels on the Bus and Pattycake and anything that has babies or doggies. He will sit in the chair on Saturday mornings with his milk and cereal cup and watch most of Sesame Street. He loves Ratatouille and Cars and Toy Story and soccer. Chalk and crayons can entertain him for hours, a balloon - for weeks.

We have been through dinners and surprise parties, wedding and graduations. We try to expose him to as much as possible. The pleases and thank yous need work, so do the excuse mes. That grin, though, the ornery one that shows his top teeth, makes up for a lot. How can you not forgive?

Happy 1.5 Marsh-Mellow.