Clean & Clear Teeth

Dear Connor,

I was so tired today that I mistakenly put face wash on my toothbrush. Twice.

Love,
Mom

First Haircut

Dear Connor,

Today was an exciting day for you: You had your very first haircut! Your hair was so long that we could no longer see the tops of your ears or the back of your neck so it was definitely time for a trim. PoiPoi told me to give you a haircut myself but yeah, I was not about to go anywhere near your head with a pair of sharp steel blades--so Mommy and Daddy paid a stranger to do it instead! We took you to Cozy's Cuts for Kids in Manhattan and I was worried that you wouldn't stay in the salon chair but Cozy's has a magic weapon that can turn the squirmiest of children into perfectly still little zombies: the television. 

After we plopped you into the cool car-shaped seat and wrapped a giant hair salon bib around you (you looked so cute!), your stylist turned on a Dora the Explorer cartoon for you and you immediately stopped moving, except to occasionally stand up and point at the screen (yes, sweetie, I did see what Dora and Boots just did!) or move your head when the stylist's arm happened to block your view (man, you can't miss even a second, can you?). 

So you went from this:

To this!

You're such a handsome little guy!

Love,
Mom

Underage Drinking

Dear Connor,

We had a party at our house today and you crawled over to a case of beer that was on the floor. Aunt Daisy asked you if you wanted a beer and you replied, "Adoo." Haha, were you trying to say "I do"? Sorry buddy, you have to wait awhile. Two decades, in fact.

Love,
Mom

Working Out

Dear Connor,

I will never understand people who go to the gym and then take the elevator to go up a couple floors.

Love,
Mom

Those Things With the Pages

Dear Connor,

Your grandparents grew up in a world with no Kindles, Nooks or iPads. Being old-fashioned myself, I don't own any of those devices, either. But your teachers will probably be using all of them in kindergarten by the time you go to school and one of my greatest fears is that you're going to come up to me one day and ask me, "Mommy, what's a book?"

Love,

Mom

Cute Overload

Dear Connor,

All moms will say this about their babies but in my case, it is totally true: You are the cutest baby ever! You were already doing a bunch of adorable things right after you were born, like pursing your lips into the "Blue Steel" pose (that's why all your aunties and uncles called you "Zoolander Baby") and waving your arms around as if you were conducting a symphony orchestra.

And the cuteness has kept on coming! Here are just a few of the many cute things you do now:

-You look so proud when you accomplish something for the first time, like holding your own fork and using it to feed yourself. Your eyes light up and you absolutely beam.
-You often point your finger up in the air and wag it around when you talk. You look so commanding and authoritative! PoiPoi saw a video of you doing that and said you're going to be President of the United States one day.
-I guess you got the pointing and wagging thing from me. I point and wag my finger at you when I'm reprimanding you and sometimes you point and wag and go "da da da da!" back at me. I can't believe you are already talking back to me!
-You are strangely fascinated by my belly button. Whenever you see it, you make a beeline for it and like to put your finger in it.
-You shiver when you pee. At least I always know when I have to change your diaper.
-You like to clutch my arm as you fall asleep. Actually, I think any body part will do, so long as you have skin-to-skin contact with me. There have been a few times when we were lying next to each other in bed and you fell asleep with your hand pressed against my chest or, more disturbingly, on my throat.
-You look so dazed and confused when you wake up from a nap. And your hair is always sticking up every which way.
-You're a little piggy! It doesn't matter if you've already eaten a full meal. If you see me eating anything, you have to have some, too, and will tug on my clothes until I give you a bite of food.
-If I give you a damp towel, you'll use it to wipe your high chair tray or the tabletop. Anytime you want to help me clean is fine with me!
-Sometimes when you cry, you flap both of your arms up and down, as if you're trying to fly away. And since you don't actually fly away, you look a lot like a penguin.
-You are such a social butterfly. Whenever we go to Gymboree for your music classes or free play time, you like to crawl up to other babies and try to hold their hands.
-When you walk, you often take five or six steps and then stop and squat for a few seconds before you stand up straight again and walk a few more steps. Are you resting or exercising?
-You always get a big cheesy grin on your face when you see your own reflection in the mirror. Even you think you are super cute!

I love every single adorable thing about you!

Love,
Mom

Beware of Dog

Dear Connor,

This is a timely letter, considering the fact that Halloween is tomorrow. Uncle Ray and Aunt Sylvia gave you a Fisher-Price stuffed puppy for your birthday and it talks, laughs and sings when you touch various spots on its body. It's cute, interactive and a good learning toy. However, it is also creepy when I'm working in the living room late at night and the puppy suddenly starts talking when no one has touched it. Especially when it says, "Peekaboo! I see you!" in its high-pitched voice.

Yikes.

Love,

Mom