Dear Oscar and J.J.
You are seven months old. How the hell did that happen? I cannot believe the little people you have become. All of the sudden you are no longer helpless little creatures that cry all the time and instead have been replaced by funny little boys, complete with personalities, likes, and dislikes.
In the last two months, you have reached a ton of milestones. You are sitting up on your own, flipping over all the time, and eating real food! Oscar, you are a fresser (Yiddish for little piggy) and you love everything we put in front of you. You are a big fan of Hawaiian Delight (good choice, I love everything tropical too) and you went to town on a strawberry. You put everything in your mouth, so I wouldn't be surprised if you ate a shoe if it were given to you. Judah, you appear to be more picky - and strangely enough, you appear to prefer veggies over fruits. Kiddo, you are making a big mistake there. Sweet stuff is ALWAYS better than vegetables. I will be sure to teach you all about the value of doughnuts someday. You just couldn't be my kid if you picked sweet potatoes instead of something junky and wonderful, like chocolate. I simply won't have it.
Judah, you are also on the brink of being mobile. You have started scooting around backwards. I know it is only a short matter of time before you are getting into everything. And as much as I am anxious for you to hit your developmental benchmarks, I am terrified of you being able to move independently. I think that might mean the end of my tacit neglect. No longer will I be able to sit you in the middle of the room, assured that I can run to the bathroom, check my email or pour a glass of wine and you will still be right where I left you. Once you guys both start crawling I will commence chasing you. And I fear that chase won't end until you leave for college. Sigh. I am tired just thinking about it.
Oscar, as much as Judah is about to crawl, it seems that you are about to talk. No, I don't think you are even close to saying "mellifluous" or any other impressive bon mot, but I think you are quite close to say Da Da Da, which I consider equally exciting. You have been a verbal little thing since the day you were born, and I suspect that you will continue being our talker. I wonder where you get your loquacious qualities from?
I know it seems that I am comparing the two of you a lot, and really I am trying not to. But look at it this way: every mom spends a good deal of her time comparing her kid to others the same age. I can hardly go to lunch with another mommy friend without us comparing every drooly moment and minuscule milestone. And you guys are growing up right next to each other. Your pediatrician calls you a little science experiment. Really, you guys are an amazing example of nature vs. nurture. You are being raised in an identical environment, with identical conditions, and you could not be more different. Oscar is blond, fair, and blue-eyed. Judah is dark, olive, and well, Jewish. Oscar's feet turn out, Judah's turn in. Oscar is developmentally advanced cognitively, Judah is developmentally advanced physically (you are both on pace in all categories). Oscar is emotional, Judah tends to be serious. Oscar is great sleeper, and Judah, well, isn't. The differences are endless. And we feel so lucky that you are both "on the spectrum of normal" and teaching us every day about how different you are and how important it is to treat you as individuals.
But as individual as you are, you are both my little men. I adore you. Happy seven month birthday!
Love,
Mama and Dada (dammit! Why is it that the Daddy is always gets named first! One of life's biggest injustices).
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