A letter to my sons on their 14th month birthday!

Dear Chase and Ryder,

Happy 14 months!! The day came and went quickly and quietly but the milestone is still noted. It seems that every day continues to be a new day of growth and change. In your first 12 months you changed daily. From squishy, skinny preemies, to learning to smile, sit up, crawl, eat, etc. Though these changes, particularly at the time, are great accomplishments, these last two months your changes seem far more exponential. I guess because each day the babies that you were become more of a distant memory.
At 14 months you are bigger versions of yourselves. The other day (Sept. 6) I took you for your first pair of shoes. The outing was fun. Keeping you in the store, particularly Ryder was an adventure in itself. Chase, you love shoes. You wanted to try every pair on as you went to the shelves, picked up a shoe and held it up to your feet. In the end, we left with two pairs of stride rite shoes, Hunter green and Black size 5's for Chase and Light Blue and Gray size 4.5's for Ryder. When I look at you in your new shoes I swear I traded my two baby boys in for two bigger kids. Suddenly you seem like little boys, and perhaps you are. But, as I am learning, mommies hold on to their babies forever.
We bought you shoes because you are both walkers now. It is so cute. You have not perfected the art just yet, and occasionally you revert to crawling, but you are definitely in the walkers category. As you first began taking your steps, Ryder you would walk with your arms straight out and Chase you would walk with your arms straight up. It was so funny. Ryder you officially became a walker first, but Chase did not let you get too far ahead of him and always seemed to motivate himself whenever you took steps. Currently, Ryder you walk 90% of the time, Chase more like 75%.
Ryder you got another tooth on the bottom and your top molars are still working their way through. When you smile you do have a mouthful!! Most of your teeth are little and straight, except for this one on the bottom coming in now is a bit crooked. Chase, you got your third (8/14) and fourth (8/31) tooth this month, both on the top. Your top teeth are much bigger than your brother's and they seem to have a space between them.
-->Chase you talk, a lot! You have picked up words in addition to pooh and flower and bubble such as Mo (more) and A-boo! (as in peek a boo) and Apple (sauce). I have heard you count 1, 2, 3 but only after repeating it when someone else says it. You seem to add new words to your vocabulary every day. You can point out planes when you see them, and flags as well. You also started signing the sigh for more. I have not used it in quite some time so was rather impressed to see this.
Ryder you can continue with your same behavior when it comes to talking, occasionally saying a word or parroting what I say but never with any consistency. My guess is you are storing it all up and you will just start telling long stories one day soon.
We turned you around in the car this month. We never actually weighed you again, but Ryder had less than a pound to gain so we figured two months did the trick. Sitting forward means we can use the DVD player (which we did once and you seemed to like it) and that daddy and I can see you when we turn around. It is fun. As a result, you seem to sleep a little less in the car.
We also experienced your first plane ride this month. Now, I am the first one to say that you both are often a pleasure to take anywhere, well behaved and of course adorable, we never seem to have a problem. This flight was not one of those times. In your defense, you were not bad, per say, but you do not like to sit still and that was exactly what we were asking from you. For 2 hours you climbed up and down, up and down, up and down until finally Ryder you fell asleep and Chase you wailed at the top of your lungs for 30 minutes. You were inconsolable, but did not wake your brother. The flight home was a repeat of the flight there and we are not looking forward to flying again anytime soon. We went to Florida, however, and spent time with your great-grandmother (mom-mom Jill's mom.) That was quite enjoyable and I know she loved having her great-grandsons in her presence.
-->Your climbing skills continue to improve. Just in the other day you both managed to climb up onto the kitchen table in the sun room. You have very little fear and continue to turn everything into your personal obstacle course. Ryder you love to play with the buttons on televisions. On, off, channel up, channel down. It is particularly annoying when we are at other people's homes. Chase you love to play peek-a-boo and now you can do it yourself, which is amusing. You are also big into hiding into tiny little spaces, IE: under the crib, under the stroller. You get a kick out me asking "Where's Chase" then you pop out your little head and say "a boo."
Finally, your bathroom is done and we are able to bathe you in the tub, which you both love.
You both continue to be smiley, happy kids. Chase you wave hello and bye-bye to everyone always with a grin showing off those dimples, and Ryder you flash your smile only when you mean it, but its a smile no one forgets.
Daddy and I have such a good time with you and we laugh often. Your laughs are the best sound in the world to us and we pray you remain to be happy, humorous boys. Time passes quicker every day and its hard to believe that it has been 14 months but we are enjoying every minute of this journey with you. We love you both so very much and you make us tremendously proud. Always know, more than anything else, you are deeply loved.

All of my love,
Mommy