How Is Our Son 18 Months Old Already?

Well, we're still a bunch of sickies around here! It's getting old, but it's getting better I think. New ailments are showing up, but I'm hoping it's the last phase before feeling good again!

I've had some time to think in the last few days, and I've realized that I want to record some of the things I love about Nathan at this age. I can't believe he is over a year and a half already! Not sure where the time has gone. I was looking at his one year pictures and I am amazed at how much more grown up he looks and acts now!

My son, my joy, Nathan Cole Wittleder:

Your daddy and mommy love you so terribly much. Don't be fooled by those times when our exhaustion and frustration with your "persistence" is in full light. We're just fearful of whether we know how to raise you right! We want so badly what is best for you, to give you the love and discipline the Lord requires of us. But it's hard work at times and we're sure we make plenty of mistakes! I'm sure you will tell us about them later :)

There are things about your persistent personality that I love. My own mom (your Grandma Liz) laughs as behaviors of my own occasionally seem to come out in you. Your persistence will take you very far in life in so many respects...but if and only tempered by discipline and wisdom. And knowing when it's okay to give up. I'm not sure if your mommy is one to teach you this...maybe your daddy? :) I'm just hoping and praying that you also get your mommy's conscience that kept me from pushing the envelope in matters of right and wrong. Annoying as it was and is in so many respects, it kept me out of a lot of heartache. If you were not blessed with this trait, we have quite the road ahead!

I love your tender and loving personality. It reminds me of your daddy. As does your passionate, aggressive and physical side as well! It's such a fun and hilarious combination. One moment you are lost in your emotions of excitement...or frustration, and you are waving your hands and running around like crazy. Then you hit mommy in the head or jump too hard on my stomach or in some other way unleash all your energy and accidentally hurt me. I (or daddy) let you know that your hurt mommy and that you need to be gentle. Immediately, you smoosh your face up to mine as close as you can get it and nuzzle in. You leave it there for awhile. It is so adorable and funny the way you say you're sorry, and the way you know exactly what is going on. Sometimes you do this and all I have said is, "ouch!"

Just because we think we see some of our own characteristics and personality traits come out in you does not make you just like either one of us. You are so unique and special, Nathan Cole. Everything about you God has created for a very wonderful purpose! We're anxious to see how God uses everything about you to accomplish his purpose in your life. We want to facilitate that and not get in the way of those plans. Have patience with us in this process, we are still learning! But what we want you to realize the most in your life right now, is how incredibly and dearly loved that you are. We are crazy about you.

We love the way you entertain and will try anything for a laugh...a silly look, a dance in your high chair in the middle of Subway, a snort like a pig at the most random of times, a tickle on our exposed bare skin, a honk on your nose or ours...

We love the way you make known what you want...you push daddy over on his back so you can bounce on his stomach, you push mommy over on her stomach so you can have a horsy ride on her back! You rub your belly like CRAZY in a way to say "please" for whatever it is you're wanting, you go nuts at Home Depot and Lowes looking for your race car cart so you can "drive" around the store (and then you show your displeasure when we leave and transfer you from the car to your carseat), you point and grunt and rub your belly trying to get us turn a fan on or the switch for the fireplace, you bring your shoes to us and start trying to shove them on your feet yourself!

We love your social personality...at the store I believe you set your sights on someone and decide you are going to get their attention and get them to smile at you, you start waving at the most random of people out of nowhere (but refuse to wave at anyone who first waves at you and WANTS you to wave back), at a restaurant you will turn your whole body around in your highchair to get the attention of some ladies you want to smile at you...then once you have achieved this you continue to turn around for another smile (I think you embarrass your daddy quite a bit! He keeps saying, "Nathan, eat your food!"), you are no longer going to any random person who opens their arms to you anymore...you now have a higher sense of where daddy & mommy are in these situations and will reach out for us when a stranger that you have not sought out gets a bit too close for your comfort. This is okay with me, probably not good to trust everyone! Mommy has had to learn that over the years too.

More that we love...
We love the way you break out in dance when you hear music.
We love the way you break out into full laughter when you hear others laughing,
We love how if you fist pump one of us, you always turn to the other as well for a fist pump...and you will stay there with your fist outstretched until we notice!
We love how you get irritated when some of the food on your plate touches...like yesterday when a piece of macaroni fell into your meatballs!
We love that when we say "Nathan, lets change your diaper!" You come over and plop yourself on the ground in front of us...always completely backwards :)
We love your kisses out of nowhere! The other day I think someone said "kiss" on TV and all of the sudden I find you coming towards me smacking your lips in a kissing sound. Then you place a big one of my cheek. Again, if both daddy and I are around, we always BOTH will get one. Lately, you've been going for the lips when we least expect it! We don't know if you got this from watching Mommy & Daddy or if Grandma J taught you that!
Speaking of...when Daddy & Mommy are hugging or kissing and you are in your high chair you start making loud noises to distract us! Or, if you are closer, you run up in between us. I don't blame you, I was the same way with my parents, but I think I was older!
If Daddy and Mommy are sitting in the recliner or couch together, you climb right up on top of us...you don't like to be left out! :)

I could go on for days about what we love about you, Nathan. The bottom line is, we love you very much. And we feel incredibly blessed to have been given you as our son. Thank you for making us laugh when we are being too serious, thanks for making our world brighter! And don't grow up too fast... Love, Daddy & Mommy

Although about a little girl growing into a woman, I was listening this Taylor Swift song at the gym the other week called Never Grow Up, and it made me cry thinking about Nathan! Right in the middle of trying to do leg squats! What can I say, I'm an emotional woman...and becoming a mom only made it that much worse! It made me think about enjoying this time in our family's life as it will go by so fast. In fact, it already is. I don't want to get so caught up in projects and getting our home the way we want it that we miss out on the special moments. I don't want to take any rough night when we are rocking Nathan to sleep because he's teething or sick...for granted. I want to embrace every phase to it's fullest. So much easier said than done sometimes. I want to view the times that we are all sick as a family as a time that we become stronger as we pull together and have to rely on each other. And not worry about everything that didn't get accomplished because we are all wiped. Even though I know there are many grandparents who wish they were here to help and it certainly would make things easier! I want to embrace the wonderful and the tough times as we learn to grow stronger as a family. And as we encounter things that will show our true character, I want to be reminded that Nathan is watching us, and that Matt and I cannot model what we do not possess. And I want this to drive us to our knees. "Oh Lord, mold us in to the parents, spouses, neighbors, friends and son & daughter of You that you desire for us to be!"

Sorry all for another long one without pictures but I wanted to get some of these things down right now. I did take some pictures earlier this week of Nathan and I hanging out around the house. At some point, I might get to these! Right now, my hubby AND my son are still napping so I better use this time to pick this place up. It's a mess! But I'm so thankful to have had this time to contemplate and record this stage of Nathan's life! Love you all.