Dear Alex,

It has been so, so long since I've written to you. There's no excuse for that. Raising a child consumes much of my time, and I'd almost always rather spend time with you than write a blog post. 

That said, though, I know there will come a time when neither of us will remember how awesome this period in your life is. It's only right that we try to capture some tiny semblance of it. 

You are 21 months old. You weigh about 27 pounds, and I have no idea what fruit or vegetable is the same size as you. My bulging left bicep can attest to the fact that you are really growing big. 

You have had some wonderful new experiences since I last wrote. You had your first plane ride, when you and Daddy and I went to San Francisco for our friends' wedding. (This was your second wedding. The first was Aunt Cha Cha and Uncle Chuck's.) You got your feet wet in the Pacific Ocean, and you gave your paci to some sea lions. 

You went trick-or-treating for the first time, and you really racked up. Fortunately, you also had your first trip to the dentist, so maybe that balances out all the sugary candy you've eaten. You dressed as Jake from "Jake and the Neverland Pirates."

You haven't had a haircut yet. It may be time for that, but I hate the thought of cutting off your beautiful hair. 

You are starting to put words together into phrases. Here are some of your more frequent ones:

Mama juice

Grandpa's cars

Hi, Fork

Night night

I love you

I see you

There it is!

I found it!

Eat eat eat

Paci please

Open please

Your favorite things to do are dancing, playing with guitars and maracas, watching cartoons, going to the playground, gathering acorns, watching "Jeopardy!", playing with cars, giving us running hugs, reading books, climbing on things, picking flowers, and petting cats. 

Your favorite things to eat are waffles, strawberries, hot dogs, tomatoes, raisin bread, cookies, sautéed mushrooms, grapes, French fries, blueberries, blackberries, cereal bars, shrimp quesadillas, pizza, Cheerios, fried tofu, pot stickers, and apples. 

You love taking your bath. One of my favorite part of the evening is when we undress you, and you run stark naked to the bathroom. You seem so excited and unabashedly joyful. My absolute favorite part of the evening is when, after milk and songs and tooth brushing and stories and telling the planets good night, I get my hugs and kisses. You are a great hugger, and I love your sweet baby kisses. 

Every day, I am more overwhelmed by how amazing you are and by how much I love you. Even when you drive me crazy. Even when you pitch a fit and make us leave a restaurant. Even when you wake up at 5:00 AM, ready to play. You are the best thing that has ever happened to us. We can't wait to see the person you're growing into. Just remember, you never have to be afraid to be yourself. Mommy and Daddy will always love you.