Sachs Press

Dear Great-Grandma,

My friend Ethan just left for home. His daddy brought him over this afternoon to play with me. I think maybe his daddy had someplace else that he had to be, too, so my Mommy was taking care of him. Anyway, Ethan and I had a great time playing together. Well, mostly he played and I watched him play. He is a little better at doing things than I am. He can actually turn around, and sometimes he can manage to get a little ways on the floor. I can’t do that, yet, though I am trying pretty hard. I mean, I can’t get anywhere yet, although I am starting to be able to turn around. So anyway, I watched him play with stuff and I think I learned a lot. Then we both took naps. I woke up just in time to say goodbye to him.

Yesterday I met somebody new. His name is Colin. His daddy also had someplace to be, so Mommy agreed to take care of him for a while. He is two months younger than me and I can do so much more than him! I can remember when I was that age. I like being me, now. I’m glad I’m growing up. But I enjoyed watching him, too. I like having friends over. Mommy is nice, but it is also nice to meet other people. Do you like when friends visit you? I know I liked visiting.

It is so hot down here! Mommy and I go down in our basement where it is a bit cooler. She also lets me not wear any clothes sometimes. I like that too, because it’s easier to get my toes. I can get them in my mouth now! They taste pretty good. So I am proud of that. I hope it is not too hot where you are. I get grumpy when I am too hot.

Something else I discovered I like is playing on my belly. That used to make me really grumpy, but now it’s fun. When Mommy puts me down on my back I usually roll over so I can play on my belly. I push up on my arms and kick my legs and try really hard to get the toys that are just out of reach. Man, that’s hard work! But it’s a lot of fun, at least for a while. Eventually I get tired and then I get grumpy and frustrated.

I also like standing at the sofa. If Mommy leans my chest against it and puts my hands on top, I can stand there for a while and play with my toys on top of it. That’s pretty neat, because I’m standing without her holding me! Of course, she stays right behind me in case I lose my balance, but I’m still doing it by myself.

Great-Grandma, the world is so interesting. I was playing with something new at lunchtime today. See if you can figure out what it was. Mommy told me afterward. It was hard, and kind of cold, and bigger at the bottom and smaller at the top. It was about as tall as one of my legs. It didn’t weigh nearly as much as me, but it was still kind of heavy for me and I couldn’t really hold it. It was mostly white, but it had some other colors on it in spots. Daddy took the top off at one point and held it over his salad and some stuff came out. I liked to knock it off the table onto the floor and then have Mommy or Daddy pick it up for me. Did you guess what it was yet? I still don’t really understand it, but they said it was called “salad dressing.” Why do salads need to get dressed? Do they wear onsies and socks like me?

Well, it is time for me to go eat some supper now. I am getting pretty hungry. I want some milk!

Love,

Isaac

Dear Great-Grandma,

Well, how are you enjoying the weather this week? It is getting a little warm down here. Not exactly too hot yet but getting closer. I have a bag that I wear to bed–it is like pajamas only no legs, just a bag–and Mommy doesn’t know whether to put it on me at night because it is too warm to start with, but once the night cools off I might need it. So she just leaves it off and figures I will wake up and call her if I get too cold, which is correct. I never hesitate to let Mommy know if I need her.

But there have been several nights recently where I haven’t needed her. I used to get so hungry in the middle of the night! But now, for some reason, I don’t much. So for instance last night I went to bed at 7:00 and I didn’t need Mommy until 5:00. I think she appreciated being able to sleep more. I like when I can sleep more, too. But I also think it is fun to get up really early and hear the birds singing and watch the sun rise. Do you ever watch the sun rise?

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit me this week! I was glad to see them again. I showed them what I have been learning lately. I can do push-ups! It takes a lot of effort, but I can straighten my arms and get my chest off the ground. I can also pull my knees up under me and stick my bottom up in the air. But the problem is, I can’t do both of those things at once. So I am still stuck in one spot. Boy, it is sure frustrating to have a bright pretty toy just out of reach, and I can’t get it in my mouth! So I work really hard to try and get it, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t quite reach. But I won’t give up! Every day, I think, I get just a bit closer to being able to get around!

I don’t think I told you in my last letter that Mommy has been trying to put this weird stuff in my mouth lately. I am not sure what she is trying to do this for. It tastes really funny and I tell her so by making faces at her, but she is kind of persistent. Actually, I am starting to think it might taste kind of good, but even so, I can’t keep it in my mouth. It just goes right back out and down my shirt.  Mommy has tried this a couple of times but not for a few days now. I think maybe in another week or so I might not mind if she tried it again. Come to think of it, it would be kind of neat if I could taste that stuff on a regular basis. I like the milk, but it gets kind of same-old same-old after a while, you know? I just asked Mommy what it is that she is trying to feed me. She says it is called “rice cereal.”

Besides the rice cereal, I put all kinds of things in my mouth. I especially like trying to eat Mommy and Daddy’s napkins at supper. They are bright colors and they feel very interesting in my mouth. Plus, they are easy to hold on to. I put all of my toys in my mouth, too. My octopus, and my zebra, and my keys, and my bead game–that one is kind of heavy and hard to lift–and my bunny rabbit, and any blankets that happen to be lying around. Everything goes into my mouth, if I can get it there! Sometimes I get ahold of something and Mommy or Daddy takes it away. Paper, for instance–they won’t let me put paper in my mouth. That is starting to get kind of frustrating and so I tell them about how upset I am that they won’t let me put those things in my mouth, but they don’t listen. I suppose I will have to trust that they know what is best for me, but that is very hard for me still.

Hmm, let’s see. What else have I been learning lately? Well, I guess just the usual stuff, like how things work around here in this bright world. I still really like my toes. They are cool to play with. But I haven’t been able to get them in my mouth yet, although I would really like to. Wait, that’s not true! Grandpa helped me get my toes in my mouth one time. I appreciated that. He was very kind.

Mommy shows me around the yard most every day, and we get to watch the plants grow. Today we saw something sad. She had planted little sunflowers, and they were just peeking out of the ground yesterday. Today, they were all nibbled off. Mommy says a bunny got a good snack, but she wishes that he hadn’t. She does still have the bigger sunflowers that she started inside, and they are big enough that the bunny doesn’t want them anymore, but she was hoping to have more than four of them. Poor little baby sunflowers!

Speaking of baby things, besides me, we are going to have something else. Mommy says we are going to be getting a “baby grand piano.” I am not sure what she means by this. I can’t understand her explanation. I will tell you more about it next week after we get it, I guess.

I love you, Great-Grandma! Give Great-Grandpa Al a kiss from me! And say hello from me to the next person who visits you, too! Also, Mommy sends her love.

Love,

Isaac

Dear Great-Grandmother,

It was so nice to see you this weekend! I hope you enjoyed the visit as much as I did. Everything was so interesting. Home is nice, but it can get a little boring being in the house all the time. But it wasn’t boring seeing you! I’m still sad that I missed dessert at the restaurant, though.

I was so tired on Saturday night that I fell asleep on the way home in the car, and didn’t wake up till after midnight. Then I went right back to sleep and didn’t wake up till after six o’clock. It was good to sleep that much! I don’t know why I don’t do it more often. Maybe I will.

Sunday was Mother’s Day, so I decided to be really nice to Mommy. I was very good all day–well, mostly good, as good as I could be–and I took two good long naps, one during church (I was in the nursery) and one after lunch. Mommy took a nap while I napped, too, and Daddy did the dishes. It was a nice Sunday. Did you do anything else for Mother’s Day? I am glad you got to see all your daughters.

For the past two days Mommy and I have taken a walk in the morning together. It is such nice weather, and we both wake up so early, and it is a good thing to do before my first nap. There is so much to see outside! Trees and flowers and houses and the beautiful sky and people and big noisy things that go past us in the street and startle me–I don’t like them so much–Mommy says those are cars, like the one we ride in sometimes. But I do like going for walks. Only this morning I got tired by the end and fell asleep, so I don’t remember the last bit.

Our neighborhood is built on a big hill, so the streets behind our house all go up and up and up. It is funny to listen to Mommy complain as she carries me up and up. I guess I am a little heavier than I used to be. I don’t mind going up. You can see more up there.

Today Mommy and I went to the store together. We do this sometimes. I ride in the carrier on her chest looking out, and I point out what we should buy. Mommy doesn’t always listen, though. I also try to help her by grabbing things off of the shelves, but she usually makes me put them back. I guess I have a lot to teach her, don’t I? So today we went to a big store and we bought a few things, and the ladies at the checkout smiled at me and made me laugh. Then we went outside and it was wet! Drops of water were coming out of the sky and landing on my face and hair and hands. Mommy walked very fast and soon we were back at the car and I wasn’t getting wet anymore. It was a very interesting experience. I will have to see if she will take me outside some more when those water drops are falling. On the way back from the store I fell asleep. Why do I always do this? I am always falling asleep and missing things. It’s kind of frustrating and sometimes I try very hard not to fall asleep, but when I do that somebody always comes and makes me go to sleep anyway. But I do always feel better when I wake up, so I guess it’s all right.

Well, Daddy is away tonight helping somebody with their computers, and Mommy is washing dishes, so I am in here in my crib typing by myself and if Mommy finds me she might make me put the computer away, so I should probably send this to you and go to sleep. I love you!

Your great-grandson,

Isaac

Dear Great-Grandma,

This letter is going to be a bit shorter because I have to go grocery shopping with Mommy in a bit. I am sorry I have not written in a little while! I enjoyed getting your letter last week. I wish the doctor could make you all better, but it sounds like you are very patient. I don’t know what it is like to hurt a lot but I do know that when something on me hurts it is very unpleasant. Or when I am hungry–I get so upset, until Mommy feeds me, and then I can hardly remember what it was like before. I will tell you a little about what I have been up to and maybe that will help you forget for a little while.

Well, let’s see. Right now I am helping Mommy type but she says actually I am not being helpful. I like sitting on her lap and watching what she does. But even better I like standing on her lap. Or on the floor, or anywhere, really. I have just discovered how to stand this week, and it’s great! You can see so much from up here! But I can’t stand by myself. Somebody has to hold me.

My new favorite toy is a hammer that Grandma found for me at a yard sale. I am sending you a picture if me playing with it. Mommy says I might not quite have the right idea yet. I will also send a picture of me standing with Mommy’s help.

I had some play time with my friend Ethan last week. He is a month older than me and sometimes he makes loud noises that scare me. But he is also very interesting to watch.

I have been helping Mommy in the yard some more. She and Daddy planted some raspberry bushes. So maybe in a year or so we will have some raspberries to eat! I don’t mind waiting that long because I can’t eat raspberries right now anyway, just milk.

I do have a doctor’s appointment on Friday, and he might tell me that I can start eating rice cereal. I’m not sure what I think about that.

On Saturday I get to come see you! I am not sure which will get there first, this letter or me. Maybe we will arrive at the same time! That would be funny.

I think all kinds of things are funny these days. Daddy is very funny when he smiles at me. It’s funny when Mommy tickles me. It’s really funny when she jumps up and down and makes funny faces at me! I will try and show you how I like to laugh when I see you.

It is time to go grocery shopping, so I will send this off! I’ll write again soon!

Love,

Isaac