Dear Luke, 22 months

Dear Luke,
I haven't written you a letter since you were 16 months.  It's been 6 months! I've missed it.  As you can imagine, a lot has changed about you in 6 months...

You woke up this morning in typical fashion, peeking through the cut-out on the back of your crib, saying, "daddy!".  Your crib has been facing backwards for several months now because you figured out how to climb out of it.  Even with the mattress all the way to the floor you were clever enough to wedge your foot in between the bars and hop right of over it (not so gracefully, I might add).  The back-side of your crib is taller and doesn't have any slats so you haven't figured out a way over it... yet.

A couple days before you learned how to get out of your crib.  We should of known something was coming.

You love your Daddy.  You ask for him several times a day, and always when you wake up in the morning or from naps.  Often, Daddy is the one to get you from your crib in the morning.  It's your special time together- Dad's favorite time of day with you.  There are several days out of the week dad has to leave before you get up.  I tell you, "Daddy's not here right now" and then you respond, "Worrrrkkk.". 

You say everything we say.  Or at least you try to say everything we say.  Reading books together has completely changed.  We no longer read to you, you just to point to everything on the page and want us to tell you what it is, that is, if you haven't already told us.  We have these flashcards with pictures and letters on them and they have become your favorite play item in the house.  You sit for long periods of time telling us what you see on the cards, making all the animal noises you know, and saying "x-ray" when you come to the x-ray card.  You already know the letter R, E, and A.  You like to point them out on our shirt or in books.  You are so smart.  As much as you are talking these days and putting 2-3 word sentences together, you also have your very own language.  It cannot really be described, except that it's one of the cutest noises I've heard and makes us all laugh when you do it.  Good thing we have some of it on video.

Some of my favorite phrases you say right now are;

"old ju"- when you want me to hold you
"dare eee esss" which translates to, "there he is!"
"uuuug?" - always asked in question form- you love to give out hugs
"Biiiirrrrrrd"  You love animals, but especially birds
"cooo duue"  which is, "cool dude" what we say when you wear daddy's hats or put sunglasses on.

I see so much tenderness and curiosity in you and I pray that God will make me equal to the task of developing those things in you.
I love you Luker!
Mommy