Dear Sawyer, SEVEN MONTHS!

Seventeen years and five months until you get the boot! That is how we count your age now and for some reason it cracks us up. No, we don't hate you, no we don't want to kick you out, we just think saying stuff like that in front of other people is hilarious! Daddy also likes to say, "I haven't beat you for two days now." and "Keep crying and I'll drive you right to the fire station!" Oh man, it makes us laugh but everyone knows, we love you like nothing else. You are half me and half daddy, I don't have to say how great that makes you. I mean, I'm pretty damn awesome, and your daddy is spectacular, so hello, that makes you freakin' GREAT! Boy, are you lucky!

This month you have been really clingy to me. You only want your mommy. Yes, I am the food source and that makes me really important, but some days this month you would not have anything to do with anything or anyone else. Daddy would pick you up and you would scream, reaching for me. You would push Daddy's face out of the way and scream until you were in my arms. Yes, I love that you love me and want to hang out with your mama, but sometimes it wasn't very nice and really hurt daddy's feelings. I think the clinginess had something to do with us traveling... again!

This month you got to spend almost a week in California. A few days in Los Angeles and a few days in San Diego. You had to sleep in your car seat, your schedule was WAY off, you had new people all around you constantly and that had a toll on you. I think after all of that you wanted to make sure that mommy was yours and I was there when you needed me. I am yours. I will do everything in my power to provide you with all the things that you need. Though your clinginess gets tiring, I'm cherishing the time. Soon you will have nothing to do with me. Mommy will be sooo un-cool and when that happens I'm going to cry like a little baby, I will be sooo sad... then I will become the really un-cool mommy just to embarrass you... but you already know that, I talk about being able to embarrass you A LOT!

Grandma flew into Denver and we spent a few days in Keystone. Mommy and Daddy got to ski together whenever we wanted while you hung out with Grandma. It's funny, you were not into anyone else but me for a while but you were into Grandma this week. I think you guys had a lot of fun hanging out. One night me and Daddy got back to the condo and Grandma said you were pretty upset, were looking around for me crying out, "Mamamamama!!!" OMG, Did you say Mama?! Did you really say Mama?! I wasn't sure I believed it and figured it was your way of crying. The next day I was in the kitchen and you wanted me again. You cried and in the middle of crying said it again, "Mamamamama!" You cried it until you saw me, reached your hands out for me to pick you up (Man, do I love how you reach for me!!!) and said it again, "mamamamama" until you were in my arms. I heard it one more time, you cried "mamamama" looking and reaching to me. Grandma and Daddy are sure you are saying Mama now. I think you are too but am still too shocked to really believe it. You didn't say it any other time crying. You didn't say it while reaching for anyone else, just me, your mama!

You still don't like tummy time. I keep trying to put you in the crawling position but you collapse and cry. I don't know why I want you to crawl so bad. Once it happens, I'll never have an ounce of sit down time, you will be EVERYWHERE!

You are really enjoying your home-made baby food. Pears are your favorite now. Broccoli not so much! You make the worst face when I give you that green mush, swallow it down then gag it back up. It's sooo comical!

You are drinking a little water here and there out of a big boy cup, not a sippy cup, a real big cup!

You still love to stand, balance on daddy's hands, and like to take little steps while holding my hands. Man, you are cute!

Several people have complimented on the way Daddy and I raise you. How we are strict on certain things but still super loving. How we travel with you, introduce you to many different things, how we don't baby talk to you, encourage sign language, read a ton, how we are really serious about breast feeding and kept it up without ever having to give you formula, but more than anything how we teach you to soothe yourself. It's pretty amazing that other people can already see the work we consciencely put into raising you. These are decisions we made before you were created. These were decisions that we made based on a lot of research, books, and experience I had as a pre-school teacher at one of the strictest schools I have heard of. You are impressive and I can't believe that other people can see it as well and take me aside to seriously compliment those efforts. Some of those things were not soo easy, AT ALL, but I felt were super important for your growth, health, maturity, sleep patters, future education and many other aspects of your life. Thanks for keeping up with our standards kid!

I love you little guy and now I know that you love me too! Like, you really love me. (Show dada some love too, he would really appreciate it!) Thanks for being one of the coolest things to ever come into our life!

Your Mamamamamama!!!