15 Months
Dear Braden,
I’m writing you this letter on the night before you turn 15 months old. It’s one of those months where you have to have a Well Baby Checkup, so we are sure to have fun tomorrow morning! Actually, do you want to know a secret? I love your WBC’s.
I get to see how much progress you’ve made from the time you were a squirmy, little man who cried all the time because his intestines were bleeding from food intolerance…
to now, when you scream just because you love the sound of your own voice!
01/15/08
You used to be “shrimpy,” but you thrived on that icky Nutramigen once we switched you to it in December 06. Over a year later, you are just finishing up the 3rd of your BIG food allergens trials, The Soy Trial. As with The Milk Trial and The Wheat Trial, you have passed with flying colors. And that is such a relief, because practically everything has soy in it nowawdays. If there was a nutrition label on air I bet it would show that air has soy lecithin in it as an emulsifier.
You LOVE to be naked. And because your little hiney is so sensitive, we allow it for a good while after each diaper change. As such, quite a large number of our photographs of you show you naked from at least the waste down (often more). You will have to forgive me for that, son, because I just find the natural version of you far too beautiful not to capture every moment I can on film. Oh, that and I plan on e-mailing them to all of your girlfriends. Yep.
This month had your 2nd Christmas in it. I remember your first so well. You were this tiny, perfect little guy, just letting us cradle you in our arms, unaware of the difference between that day and the one before it or after it. You were little, and sleepy.
This year you were such a big boy. Look who got coffee for Christmas!
Thanks, Gramps!
On your first Christmas, you were such a cute, little elf!
You have been insanely attached to your Paci this month.
You have turned to it for all your Teething Comfort Needs. Daddy and I feel so bad for you about the obvious pain you are in that we cannot deny you The Pleasure of The Paci.
Unfortunately, this has perceptibly slowed and mangled your language development. All of a sudden, you have decided that it’s just too much trouble to tell me “All done!” when you are done eating. Instead? You scream and thrash and buck in your chair. That’s “Bradenese” for, “Dudes! I am done eating and want DOWN. Kthx, bai.”
And “light” is now sometimes “light” and sometimes “gah-kah!” spoken so reverently, that I am almost willing to believe that “Gah-Kah” is The God of The Ceiling Fan Lights. And, since “gah-kah” makes no sense any other way, it’s either that or you have finally suffered too much mental trauma from the crazy crap you do, like this:
The new word that I love hearing you say is, “look.” You say it so well! It matters not what I am doing. When you say, “look!” I drop it all and LOOK.
And LOOK! at what you got to see recently!
The great thing is that just this past week you have been taking that stupid Paci out of your mouth more often and you have been trying WITH GUSTO to get something across to us.
“Et! Deh.Og.Tuh! DET! DIB! Buht-eh-bat! Ogog, et! Eh.Teh. Teh-Dib! DET-IT-BUT-EH-BAH!”
It is SO amazing and exciting to hear you doing that.
AND CONFUSING.
But mostly amazing and exciting!
You’ve also been showing us that your brain is getting FASTER! BIGGER! BETTER! just in the way you play with your toys. Your Bounce ‘N Spin Zebra is actually starting to get a bounce from you! And that Corn Popper toy that you got for your One Year birthday (Oct. 16, 2007)? You don’t just hold it for a minute and then throw it down as if it said somethin’ bout yo momma! NO! You actually roll it across the floor, smiling to yourself about what a bad mothertrucker you are.
But even better are my 2 favorites: The Piggie Coin Bank and the Fire Truck. You are finally able to put the plastic coins in the coin bank, instead of just throwing them across the room. *sigh of happiness*
Although you have figured out a rather loud game of throwing the coins down on the glass table top so that they spin on their faces. Honestly? I think it’s devilishly genius of you.
The Fire Truck. Your Digger Tractor and your Fire Truck are no longer just toys with buttons that make sounds. Nowadays you actually sit down with them and roll them along the floor, pretending they are driving somewhere, maybe?
You have also been discovering things this month.
And you are aware of what it means to “pee-pee.” Of course, that’s because you’ve been doing it on the carpet for months, with Daddy and me yelling, “That’s pee-pee! Braden’s making a PEE-PEE!!!” So now you look down when you’re about to pee, which means you know you’re going to… This has made us initiate Operation Potty Familiarization. Three times this past couple of weeks when you were naked, you started the Peeing Event and got placed on the potty. The first time, you clenched up and wouldn’t pee until you were allowed off, because everyone knows that you’re supposed to pee on the carpet, right!? No! With love and patience, I put you back on the potty the next time the Peeing Event began, and that time, you peed on the potty, and you’ve done it again since then. Mommy and Daddy are SO PROUD.
Oh, and even though this is long as heck already, there are a couple other things I need to bring your attention to about this past month. You’ve been testing some limits and trying out some new things that are, shall we say, “unfavorable?” in The Carroll Household.
Testing your limits is okay, really. In fact, the hardest thing about it is not laughing while we’re locked into The Staring Contest of Wills with you. Whoever breaks first loses, and if that is Mommy or Daddy, then you will continue to torment us with whatever you are testing us on (Can I push the TV buttons? Can I hammer on the window? Can I pull the knifes out of the dishwasher? Hmmm???) for an as-yet-undetermined amount of time to come.
So, you do the “I’m not touching this… I’m.Not.TOUCHING.this!” thing with your hand about 2cm away from something, and you engage me in The Staring Contest of Wills.
Your eyes are big and serious, and your mouth is set in a somewhat angry/somewhat jokerish slant. And your face says, “So. You serious about this one, Momma, or not?”
And I hope my face says, “Son. Don’t.Even.Think.About.It.If.You.Want.To.Live.” instead of what I’m really thinking, which is, “AAHAHAHAHAAA! You.Are.So.Cute.Right.Now.That.I.Could.Die! Hehehehehee!”
You usually break first, and answer with the “whine, pout, whine, cry, fuss” and then stomp off, so I’m thinking it’s the first one that I’m successfully portraying. *Whew*
Then, there’s the matter of The Shriek. Mommy & Daddy are really tired of hearing The Shriek. We have been told by many wise people to buckle up and get ready for the long ride, because you might just keep doing it for a long time. But please be aware, Braden. I checked, and I can so totally get a new car for trading you in. And I would look SO GOOD in a new car. K?
On the upside, thanks so much for not slapping any little babies on the head this month when we were at Storytime at the Library. A great improvement over last month, Braden!
Also? Older girls are already checking you out:
Oh, and, incidentally, if you drop another turd on the carpet like you did the other day while I was “cooling down” from my Dance DVD Workout, could you refrain from picking it up to investigate? Because I turned around and saw you throwing it down in disgust, flinging your hand around because it was sticking to you. It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve done that, so I’m hoping you’ve learned from your repeated forays into poop smooshing, that it’s no fun. Besides, as we recently learned, the dog will just eat it for you if he gets to it before you do.
***
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Maggie
Oh my gosh, that was so cute and sweet and funny all at once. Braden is just the cutest thing going. But you already know that
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Kara - down to earth mommy
MMMMMMM….you make me feel like a terrible slacker mom for not writing beautiful letters to my children every month. but I love you and Braden and your blog anyway. I’ll be over it soon.
Maybe I’ll just change the names and pass it on to my kids…..hehehehe
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janet
i love your letters to braden. they make me yearn for the baby days … and then remember why i was happy to leave them behind.
um. for bigger and better milestones of course. yeah. that’s the ticket.
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Kat
This was so funny and icky, and sweet and just awesome. I was laughing through the whole thing and recalling these same things with my two sons, in what now feels like forever ago.
The shriek may suck badly, but in about 15 years, it’s replaced with the “I hate you”, the slamming doors, the “I don’t want to talk about it” crap.
Sometimes, I really miss the shriek.
Becky
ok…does it count if I just nod and say “yeah! us too!” to just about every word in this post? No? I have to write all this down myself for Max to read one day? Damn. Is it ok if I copy and paste yours and just change a few facts? LOL! But seriously…Braden and Max seem to be cut from the same cloth.
Becky’s last blog post..I’m not allowed to get motivated…
river
Oh ha-ha! “can I pull the knifes out of the dishwasher’ woke up a memory for me. Way back in 1997, I had the table set for dinner, I lifted my grand-daughter into her booster seat and turned to the kitchen for the salad. From the table came a little voice saying, “What’s this knife doing sitting next to my plate. Don’t you know it’s dangerous, I could pick it up and hurt myself. You really shouldn’t leave a knife where I can reach it Nanny, come and move it please.” She was three. (Seems like yesterday. Next month she will be 14.) I’m loving watching Braden grow.
Veronica
Did you know that too much cute can kill? Just sayin…
Happy 15 mths! Our well baby checkup isn’t until 18mths and I will be interested in seeing how much she weighs etc.
Sigh, I love Braden.
Veronica’s last blog post..The Toddler
Nicole
I love this!
He one day will either be totally embarrassed to read this or he’ll love it
Yeah, dog kisses……..I never get why some people really DO enjoy them……
Stephanie
What an awesome post! I keep telling myself I’m going to do this for Logan…I have til next Friday to get my 15 month letter ready to roll. But don’t hold your breath.
I like your other readers’ idea of cutting and pasting and replacing the name & pix…he-he!
Stephanie’s last blog post..I WON, I WON!!!
Kim
LOVE THIS! You make me feel insufficient and unworthy as a mother for documenting his life like this.
And the cuteness . . . killing me with the cuteness!
You almost make me want a baby again. Almost. Then I listen to the screaming and it all comes rushing back.
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Sister Honey Bunch
OMGosh! He is such a sweatpea in those pictures!
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Lou Lohman
PMFP.
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MissFrenchJessica
What a sweet, silly, funny, sappy all rolled into one letter! Congrats on surviving 15 months with your little man-it only gets better!
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Wendy
I just found you through Top Momma!! I love this post. Braden is adorable and you wrote a wonderful letter to him:) Very sweet. Can’t wait to read more. I also LOVE the name Braden. My daughter was going to be named Braden had she been a boy.
Wendy’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday
lilknitter
Ahhh…the sweet pooping, shrieking memories that this brought up. I so wish I had written letters to my kids but no way would they have been as good as this. You rock girlfriend! You know, you really should write a book…you’re so good at this.
I still cannot believe one kid can be soooo dang cute! My kids even like to see the pictures of Braden.
Braden, my 13 yr old skaterboy thinks you’re awesome, dude!
Hugs!
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Don Mills Diva
I enjoyed that so much – he is such a gorgeous little boy – happy 15 months Braden!
Don Mills Diva’s last blog post..Silencing my inner bitch
Lydia
Totally adorable baby butts. And flannel pajamas. What could be wrong with baby butts and flannel pajamas? NOTHING.
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Beth_C
What adorable pictures! You have one cute baby.
Reading this posts make me miss my little babies…they are now 3 and 5…seems like just yesterday they were this small…sigh..sniff…sniff…
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Autumn Dahlia
Fat ol baby butts… oh how I love them. And he’s a STUD workin it on the hippo tounge. All the heartbreakers start out on the hippo tounge.
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MommyTime
I love this because it reminds me of all the lovely milestones my oldest (turning 4 tomorrow) has long passed and my youngest (just 5 mos older than Braden) has recently passed.
Also because it warms my heart more than a little to know that someone else has a dog who craves the poop-snacks. My world is not as abnormal as I thought!
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Dawn
hee hee… turdbrgr … hee hee
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AMomTwoBoys
So sweet…untilt he dog eating the poop thing. That’s disgusting and has NEVER happened around here. NEVER. Or, well, not that many times, at least.
AMomTwoBoys’s last blog post..Could you BE any more annoying?
SuzanneSays...
Ok, this was so great to read, really, it was. But the idea of ME writing a post like this, even at say…year intervals on their birthdays?…nah…not so much. (I’d have to remember their names, first, which some years could be a problem as I’ve repressed that information to protect the guilty.)
SuzanneSays…’s last blog post..7 More Random and Weird Things About Me
Robyn
This was a great letter!! I love the pictures too, (Especially the naky ones…) and was relieved…(or maybe not…) to see that our sons share some of the same issues…..
He is a serious cutie…
Robyn’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday!
Eve
I was ooo-ing and aaahh-ing and reaching for the Kleenex. So sweet – such wonderful memories of my little girl and then of her children. (You can see them today at http://adamswife.wordpress.com/2008/01/16/snow-angels/) And then you had to bring up the turdbrgrs!!!! As soon as I quit retching I laughed and I laughed and I laughed. Thanks for sharing your Braden with a sappy grandma.
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E Flo
AHHHHH! I love the screamin video. You two are cuties!!
E Flo’s last blog post..I like to be a crybaby.
Beck
What a cute, cute munchkin.
It’s hard when they’re mobile and yet unable to communicate, so they just spend all their time getting into crap and screaming. And then there’s The Baby, who gives me these long paragraphs about how she’s never going to potty train. Yeah.
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Penelope Anne
This is a delightful, and hilarious read all in one, and I am so loving living vicariously through your posts….realizing I don’t ahve to deal with this anymore having teens…they start peeing on the carpet or playing with poo…..you can bet I am getting a new car!
Good luck with Operation Potty.
Do you chill teethers in the fridge? Always helped when my kids were teething and saved the paci — which we learned with our first, who destroyed his fav paci and well, that was a long 2 weeks but he never had a paci after that.
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Gordo
I REALLY have to stop reading this with food in my mouth! LOL
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Groovy Mom
Awww, adorable pics! And we’ve learned the same lesson about dogs and turds. Really gross.
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Sleeping Mommy
Ah, hope the well baby checkup went well. I always loved those checkups too–for the same reason. Hopefully any vaccinations he has to get won’t hurt for long.
He’s getting so big!
Sleeping Mommy’s last blog post..WLW–He gets it.
mamafabulosity
You just made my day, and reminded me of how immature I am. I won’t be able to stop laughing about the turdbrgr all day. Braden is too cute and your letter makes me want to start writing letters to my little cuties.
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Kat
OK. The curtain thing? That was funny. I knew he was going to end up smashing his face into the wall… I was waiting for it. tee hee.
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Queen of Shake Shake
Turdburgr. gag.
Very funny!
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amy
So funny and sweet!! I absolutely LOVE this age and your boy is quite precious, loud, but precious!!
amy’s last blog post..Hip to be Square
Ree
awwwwwww. those feetsies. that butt.
Happy 15 months Braden. We all love you.
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HappyCampers
Girl, I get lost in your blog for HOURS at a time! I love your story telling style
I guess it helps too that you have one adorable munchkin to tell stories about!
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julie
This is terrific, Lotus! Braden is just so adorable, and makes such cutie pie faces!
You reminded me of something that happened when my boys were little…where they made me laugh so much I couldn’t punish them. I wrote it up for my blog post today…
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MP
Sooo sweet!
Man that hiney..TOO CUTE.
I think that I am better off not knowing what the dog puts in his mouth before he licks me.
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Junebug
The last picture with the dog licking his chops is too funny. My outdoors cat has a big mouse this morning playing with it and promptly chopped it up! Ewww….
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witchypoo
Yeah, dogs eat turds, but that was a hilarious caption.
Sweet letter! He will have written proof how much you love him when he is older and is behaving like a teenager.
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rachel
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW ~ so sweet momma! His laugh/scream are too cute and your giggle is adorable!
This was so adorable and such a wonderfully put together letter for him.
Love this.
rachel’s last blog post..Granny
Annie
His eyes are easily the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen on a baby.
He is such a cutie! And I am going to be dead toast when I become a parent and have to deal with the staring contests.
amy
As usual all your pictures of him are gorgeous! But those first Christmas ones, oh my gosh, soooo tiny and sweet you could eat him up!
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Twitter: amy2boys
Amanda
I’m sorry. I hadn’t stopped laughing from watching Braden bumping into the wall – until I saw the turdburger section. My stomach started to turn all over again remembering the days of Neilen playing with his poop.
And dogs are gross. I like them, but eww. Don’t let them kiss you, ever! Braden’s poop is not the worst thing that the Mexican would eat given the opportunity, haha.
Neilen knows that he’s cute, too. Like when he does something mean to me, and then giggles and screams “I’m sorry!” when I get the look on my face. He knows when I’ve had enough.
Beautiful blog!
Tasina
Wow. And I never even finished a baby book for either kid. Actually my post for today proves that I can’t even remember their NAMES most of the time!!
Beautiful post yo.
Tasina’s last blog post..Random photos
A Jill of All Trades
You are fucking hilarious!!!!
((HUGS))
We will one day have to get Braden and Aidan together!!! What fun we would have!!
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Christina
That video of twirling in the curtains is awesome! It’s a perfect description of a toddler, too.
Isn’t it crazy how fast they grow up? I’m in shock that Mira is already nearing 8 months.
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Angie
Great post – and again, cutest baby ever!
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Redneck Mommy
Can’t stop laughing at that last picture and the image of the dog eating a turd burger. I think my dog may have just met his match.
LOL.
Redneck Mommy’s last blog post..Just A Mom
Twitter: talesfromtyahoo.ca
peppylady
Thank you for sharing.
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Jenni
That pouting face with the eyes closed?
Cuter than my kids!
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Catherine
Love it, love it, love your blog!! It is awesome…I loved the videos and pics and all of it.
Your son loves you so very much. I loved the video where you were both shrieking.
LOL Great blog and you’re a great Mom!
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Sarah is Ok
I usually try to lurk for a while when I stumble across a new site, but I HAVE to comment. This is so cute. I just love this age.
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Catherine
By the way, I am going to put you on my blogroll. I just love your blog. I found you via Blog365, by the way.
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Lyssa Ireland Thomas
Wonderful post about your awesome Braden!
Just wanted you to know that I also have a Braeden, who suffered from the same food intolerance. We just about went bankrupt from the Nutramigen bills. Our Braeden will be six in March and has outgrown all intolerances. He was shrimpy, also. But now is tall and skinny (lucky). And the same hiney problems, too. That’ll change with potty training.
Good luck!
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KimlovesKolby
I love it, love it, love it. I can SO totally relate!
Z
Great post – great pictures, great stories, great everything!
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Irene
I just LOVE your pictures. The are the best. Great post!!!
Irene’s last blog post..Princess, “Pincess” everywhere!!!
Tanya
That was beautiful and hilarious. It made me go AWWWWWWWWWWW and HAHAHAHAHA and ERRR!!!!!! at the same time!
Tanya’s last blog post..My evil plan…mwahahaha
Dawn
What a sweet, sweet letter to an absolutely adorable boy! The pictures are great too. He will love looking back at this when he is older (and so will you) . Thanks for sharing with us. He is a doll!
LOL at the Mexican story; that pic is hilarious!- ACK!
D
Dawn’s last blog post..What Matters is the Heart
Kathryn
You are killing me with all these pics! Killing me! All the cute naked butts, and little toes! Ack!
My fav has got to be the first Christmas in the little white outfit with the santa hat. Tooooo much! BAH!
Kathryn’s last blog post..All In A Days Work
Tara
Yay Braden! Can’t wait to hear about the WBC
Why do all dogs LOVE to eat baby poop? Is it just that irresistible? Maybe I’LL try pooping on the carpet and see if the dog likes it…
Tara’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: Through the lens of a 3-year-old
kasper
What an incredible post! Reminds me how much more blogging I should do about my son. Braden is such a cutie. The idea of writing him a letter chronicling the past is really beautiful, not to mention all the uber-cute photos. Very inspirational!
kasper’s last blog post..Starting all over again
Karleigh
Aww! I miss Braden SOOO MUCH! I wish I could be there to witness the wonder that is him.
Di
Looking at the elf picture made me posit this question, “Does every baby do the black power salute in photos???”
I love them with their little gesture of solidarity with their fellow dudes of color!
Di’s last blog post..Shocking news flash!
Karla ~ Looking Towards Heaven
he is so cute! he reminds me of my Seamus.
And that hair!!!! love it!
Blessings,
K
Karla ~ Looking Towards Heaven’s last blog post..One day, this will be my kids reaction to me…
Stephen
Very cool ‘letter’, and very cute. Well, except for the turdburger part. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Stephen’s last blog post..ungggh.