Dear Lucas (72 Weeks),

Every week just seems to fly by and I am always amazed by how much you have grown and changed since the week before. I never would have guessed my life with a 16 & 1/2 month old would be so busy but every day this week we've gone somewhere for you from playgroups to story time.

This morning I took you to story time at the library. You have been there several times before but today was the first time you left my lap to participate with the other kids. It was so great to watch you dancing along to the songs and playing with the "poppers" just like the other kids as the librarian sang "Pop goes the Weasel." After story time was over the librarian opened up the collapsible tunnel and you dove right in past all the big kids. Some of our playgroup friends were at story time and they cheered you on and were just as proud of how much you have grown as if you were their own kid.

After we finished at the library some of our friends invited us to what is known in our playgroup as "The Chicken Restaurant." I almost passed because I knew it was your nap time and you were tired but decided to go anyway. I knew when you saw the indoor playground you would wake right up and boy was I right. You love any chance you have to climb and explore on your own.

You are really trying to play with other kids now. You kept trying to get your 11 month old friend to explore with you but he wasn't really interested. You would go up to him and look him in the eyes and start "talking" to him and he would turn and walk the other way just like you would have done a few months ago.

On the way out of "The Chicken Restaurant" you ran right up to the lady that gives out balloons and gave her a big smile. You have this obsession with balloons that I don't understand. (I am also one of the few moms in the playgroup that gives their toddler balloons. That being said we never let you play with them unsupervised) Yesterday was your Dad's 27th birthday so I took you to the store to buy food for his birthday dinner and let you pick out a present for him. You of course picked out a balloon and actually let him hold his own balloon for 10 seconds when we got home. We also bought him a "Happy Birthday Daddy" card which you colored on for him. When he saw it I thought he was going to cry. He told me to put it with the rest of our important papers and make sure it never gets thrown out.

You and Jadie are starting to get along again. I think it is because you been bopping her on the head less and less (of course that could be because your toy bat and hammer are "lost") and sneaking her pieces of your blueberry waffles in the morning more and more. You love playing tug-a-war with her and "her baby" and you always take in personally when she gets tired and doesn't want to play anymore.

You still haven't had your first haircut yet and I'm not sure when you will. I know technically you have plenty of hair in the back for your first haircut but I'm not sure if I'm ready to see your baby mullet go just yet. I just can't get enough of those baby curls. When you first wake up in the morning you will sit on my lap and let me rub your fuzzy little head and I love those moments. Plus I don't think there are enough long haired little hippie babies in the world. Yes, I realize that before I know it you'll be a teenager and I'll be begging, pleading, and threatening you to get your hair cut.

When your Dad got home this afternoon you were still sleeping so I decided to take a thirty minute nap. Fifteen minutes later I hear this happy little squeal coming running down the hall towards our room so I pulled the blanket over my head to see what you would do. You climbed up on the bed and pulled the covers off my head and you had the biggest smile on your face and you just laid your head on my chest and snuggled with me. Your Dad was right behind you offering to take you back to the living room so I could nap for fifteen minutes but I told him it was OK. Who wants to nap when there is a snugging hippie haired baby on the bed?

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Bugga, I love you to the moon and back!

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Mama