Kane's ABC's

You say "Cookie!" (okay, it sounds like "cook", but you do it when you point to Cookie Monster or when you grab the box of Triscuits from the cupboard and goosestep toward me in a bid to open the box for you the fourth time in one day). You say "baa!" when you point to a sheep (stuffed, of course, unless it's on the PBS show "Zaboomafoo," which is your new absolute favorite show, and, if you you could talk, I know you'd say it kicks Sesame Street's arse, since I see you bouncing like a lemur on speed whenever the show's theme music comes on - thank the lord for overly-earnest brothers living in Maryland who film a children's show about animals - I salute you, Kratts). You say "clock!" while pointing to Mommy's and Daddy's ridiculously oversized clock hanging in our bedroom. You say "clock!" (sounds like "cockt") when you point to Mommy and Daddy's watches - or anyone else's watches, for that matter. You point to your own wrist and babble sometimes when you want to start a new activity. No, I don't know how you figured that one out - I never taught you, but you are a genius baby, 'tis true. You dance every day like you are trying to sit down on an imaginary chair over and over and over again, and I can never be tired or in a bad mood whenever I see you do that with your big wide grin on your apple-cheeked face. You want to listen to "your" CD - full of children's songs that WILL NOT LEAVE MY HEAD - first thing in the morning, right after your diaper is changed and I give you your juice sippy cup. You run right to the CD player and point and look back over your shoulder at me and grunt "Uuhn?" until I come and turn it on. And you do this at least five times a day. And, more often than not, you reach up to have me sweep you up and dance with you, and my heart just melts, because I know that won't last forever. Just like when you were sick this past week, and the only way you would fall asleep was lying on top of me with your head buried in my shoulder, me stroking your back. I didn't want you sick, but I was trying to memorize the moment, just the same, because I knew it wouldn't be this way forever. You're fourteen months old, Kane, and you are perfectly amazing, and I love you so so much. Love, Mom