This photo sums up this month! (check out that devilish grin)
Baby girl,
Woah. Do you realize that the older you get the older I get. With that being said, please slow down. k? You are in the twenties for cryin' out loud. This is big time. It truly does feel like just yesterday I was sitting on our back porch in Mustang rocking you in the chair wondering if you could be more perfect. Well, I still think you are quite perfect....but you've added a few not-so-perfect behaviors to your list this month. I would characterize this month as "trying"....as in trying to get you to listen to me. I guess this phase is to help prepare parents for the terrible twos. They are upon us. I'm just gonna go ahead and get this bad behavior junk out of the way first so that I can write about all of the fun and good things that you have been up to. But bare with me because heeeeeere we gooooooo........
I'm writing this in a very exhausted state of mind....and honestly it's a been a bit difficult to sit down and really get started. I typically start your monthly updates a lil ahead of time but I haven't found the time to on this one. Well I really haven't found the time to blog at all lately to be honest. Now this is the part where I'm going to be brutally honest: I don't have a whole lot to blog about because 75% of what you've been up to lately is whining. Is that too harsh? Girl, you love to say the word "no" but you sure don't like to hear it. The word no immediately cues a stage 5 meltdown. Your face turns a violent shade of red, your lip quivers, your little fists ball up and you stand there wailing. It's great fun. We have been to meltdown city way too often lately. What on earth is up with all of this whining? And could you please explain the whining while I'm holding you? And the whining while you are eating dinner? And the whining while you are riding in the car? You have been attached to me about 99% of the time this past month. No, I mean literally. You like to stand at my leg and hug it just to make sure I won't go anywhere without you. While this is something that usually makes my heart go 'pitter patter', it also makes me very inefficient and downright slow about getting chores done around the house. Have you ever tried to walk with a thirty pound weight on your leg? I usually cannot leave the room without you hollering "mommmmmmmmmaaaaaaaa!" and chasing after me. Just the other day I was leaving of an evening to run an errand when I happened to spot you wailing at the side patio door watching me drive away. Of course I did what any pushover mommy would do and I went and loaded you up to go with me. Or sometimes when we are in the same room you are still not content unless I'm holding you. This is usually conveniently when I'm in the kitchen cooking and obviously in need of both hands. On the bright side, I about a month away from becoming a pro at one-handed cooking/baking. Speaking of this baking business you are very interested in helping me. And by helping of course I mean sticking your hands in the batter, rubbing it on any surface you can reach and occassionally stirring....
I enjoy watching you try out new skills simply because I get to see your sweet little smile telling me you are proud of yourself. You are mommy's excellent stirrer. I wouldn't ever hire another stirrer but you. ;) Promise.
You are officially in the "me me me" phase. All of a sudden you started spouting off the word "mine." Everything is yours according to you though. There in lies the problem. Your dad and I have dinner after you go to bed because otherwise we wouldn't have any food to eat after you got done with our plates. I also stopped going to Sonic often because you seem to claim my drinks before I can even take that first refreshing drink. I have to sneak behind your back and drink my grape Propel because you have a serious addiction to them. Although most of the time, no matter how sneaky I am, you will find a way to get your little hands on my drink....
"It's inevitable mom. Give it up!"
Is it so bad that I don't like sharing. This is precisely why....
It ends up as a receptacle for your snacks
So I'm guessing by now you are tired of hearing about the pre-terrible twos, am I right? Ok, ok...I'm ready to move on as well. Enough about all of those not-so-sweet moments because there were PLENTY of these kinda moments to balance it out.....
"Seeeeeeee!!!!! I'm not so bad!"
That right there is my happy girl I know and love. When you aren't shouting "NO!" and "MINE!" here are a few words that I love to hear you shout. You've added quite a few to your list this past month: car, me, mouse, soap, couch (sounds like cow), butterfly (sounds like by), phone (sounds like fo), that (sounds like dat), drink (sounds like dink), food (sounds like foo), there (sounds like der), remote (sounds like mote), cheese (sounds like deese).
Your dad taught you how to play the "who wants to" game. For example: "Who wants to watch Mickey!?!" You respond with a resounding "MEEEEEE" with your hand raised high in the air. Other times you will dramatically point to yourself.
Much to the delight of your aunts and your Gman, you are able to repeat each of their "names" "Bee", "Ky", "Kay-ee" and "Gee." I think it's the most adorable thing in the world when you say Aunt Katie's name. It's the most difficult one to say by far but you have managed to give us a couple spot-on attempts. Your little voice goes up really high when you say the end of her name. We are still working hard on saying Carmen's name. You've already got the 'car' part down so you're halfway there, girl. The dogs names are becoming part of your vocab lately too. The funny part is that I think they have been rolling off your tongue for quite awhile now but we are just now understanding what you've been saying all along. You and your dad holler out their names together.....your version usually sounds something like this: "Ewwwwwwwcy!" (for Lucy) and "Emmmmmmmmm!" (for Emmi). While the names Nanny and Papa have been easy for you to say for awhile now, they sound even more clear and precise now. You can pick out family members in photos when asked and you can of course name momma and dada in photos. In fact, looking at photos has become quite a popular activity lately. We sit at the table (you in your big girl chair, of course) and we flip through pictures. Wanna know which ones make you the most excited?? The pictures with your dad in them. Followed closely by the snapshots of yours truly.
You are one smart little stinker. I've been thinking back about what you were doing last month and my how things have changed in such a short period of time. You are not intimidated by anything. In fact you face all challenges head on. You can crawl up into the car on your own, up to the dining room table on your own, you've come eerily close to crawling to the top of a bar stool, you can climb over the side of your wagon, etc etc etc. You are a climbing maniac. Maybe that's why you get so excited when you see a monkey in one of your books. Speaking of monkeys, you have become a pro at all of your animal noises. You can make the noise for each animal as we turn the pages of your barnyard book without me prompting you. You oink, neigh, quack, bark, meow as well as "ee ee, ah ah" like a monkey, rawr like a lion and growl like a bear. You can identify Cookie Monster (cookie) and Elmo (Ehmo) when you see them. You are able to find all of the pictures in the "First 100 Words" book when I say the word and ask you to point. However, you are a bit confused when I ask you to point to the tv. When I finally help you find it you usually have this puzzled look on your face like "that big box thing is NOT a tv mom!" and you proceed to point to our tv on the wall. I guess they need to update their book, huh?
You still get a thrill out of bossing around your doggie friends. You tell them to "go!" and "no!" quite often. I've had to run interference on a few occasions when you were kicking them and laughing. Not really the sweetest behavior I've seen and not something I really want to become a habit. The good news is that they must be very forgiving because they don't seem to mind you at all. Either that or they have just accepted that you are, in fact, in charge of this house.
Giving Emmi hugs
Your sleeping habits haven't changed much which is a blessing as usual. Since daylight savings time you have been trying to get back on track with your bedtime routine. I think we've got it figured out now and your new bedtime is usually right around 8:30. Hallelujah God almighty, you even like to sleep in now! This means I am able to shower and get myself dressed and ready in the morning before you even stir! On weekends you have started a trend of sleeping in until 8:30. Your dad and I had no trouble following your lead. You keep on getting up later, alright girl??? ;) One of my favorite parts of the day is when I go to your room to open the door before I go to bed. I usually shine my phone light on your to see what crazy position you have yourself in and what toy you are curling up with each night. I have to fight the urge to pick you up and hold you while you're sleeping. But of course I don't because every mom knows not to wake a sleeping bear. ;) I do have one sleeping question for you though.......I see other children who pass out on the floor, randomly fall asleep on the couch or just fall alseep while reading a book at night......will you ever do this? I really don't think so. Your energy is endless. When you aren't running in circles you are bouncing from seat to seat on the couch or climbing up to the table or chasing the dogs around or climbing up on our bed or.....well, you get the picture. Some mornings are more chipper than others. Here's one of your non-so-chipper a.m. wake up calls...
All this talk of monkeys reminds me of just how accurate the saying "monkey see, monkey do" is. I think I've mentioned before how you were trying to swipe my card at the grocery store one day by yourself while I was holding you at the checkout. That made me scared for our future. ;) Now you can be found pretending to slide my card, press the buttons on the pad and then use the electronic pen to "sign" the screen. Very scary. ;) You remember everything! You know which bathroom drawers items belong in, you know where everything belongs in your room and you try your best to help me put laundry away. Sweet girl....you have no idea how much I'm going to take advantage of this when you are older. You shall be my laundry helper.
You are adventurous. Some would call you brave. And tough. When you fall you get right back up and take off again. You don't back down from a challenge. You love to climb, crawl, run and lately we've been practicing jumping. This may be the highlight of the month for me....watching you jump, that is. Oh my, it's a riot. Well maybe it just is to me since I'm your momma. I stand up and show you how to jump on the count of three and then tell you it's your turn. "One, two, three...jump!" Your little feet can't actually leave the ground yet but it's hilarious watching you try. I clap and you are proud. It's a good balance like that. ;) Here is one of your dare-devilish stunts you've been pulling a lot lately when you aren't bouncing up and down on your seat while I'm pulling the wagon.....
"Baby overboard!"
A girl that loves nature
Climbin' cutie
You are the queen of the grazers. By that I mean that you like to eat snacks all day but are uninterested in actual meals. Grapes, fruit snacks, strawberries, goldfish, cheese sticks and kiwi are your favorite snacks. When it comes to dinnertime I have found myself having to trick you. Here is one of my sneaky "you better eat this because it has mac n cheese in it" meals......
Tuna, peas and mac n cheese. You just picked the pasta out and ate it. Greeeaaaat.
"Nothin' better!"
So now it's time to share all of those boring tidbits that you probably won't care to read about someday. You are wearing 18 month size pants and pajamas, 2T t-shirts and tops, size 4-5 shoes and 2T dresses. You are still in a size 5 diaper. The last time you officially weighed at the doc was over a month ago so I'm not too sure about your weight but I'd guess that you are nearing the 30 pound mark seeing as how you've shot up vertically this past month. You've gotten a few comments about looking "taller." Hehe. You keep on dreamin' girl...you were destined to live life as a shorty!
Weird ALERT!! I'm tellin' ya girl, you do this incredibly strange thing when your dad comes home from work. We are usually either playing in the living room or in the kitchen getting ready for dinner when he pulls in. I always announce loudly "Daaaaad's home!!!!" Here's the weird part. 99% of the time you let out a ear curdling scream and run to me to pick you up. And I don't mean scream in a good way. You continue to scream and act sad until he walks in the door and calls your name.....then all is well. I guess I'll never know what that is all about. But for now it secretly makes me giggle. ;) You seem to bounce back and forth each month between being mommy's sweetheart and daddy's tomboy. This month I would definitely characterize as mommy's little diva, er, I mean sweetheart. ;) Of course with a little bit of that tomboy stuff thrown in the mix as well.......
Taking the ol' Stang for a spin
Lady-like just went right out the window here
So here's the deal. You are loud. You do and say things you shouldn't. You make messes. But all of those things make you a toddler. And you are my toddler. My baby. At the end of the day you come running into my lap and lay your head on my shoulder and listen as I read to you. You smile at me when I'm getting you dressed and when we read your favorite part of a book. You love to be tickled and have your hair played with. You look at me when you want answers to questions about your surroundings. You come to me when you are scared and let me hug you. You let me do all of these things because you're mine. I've been comtemplating lately what it really means to be a parent. What is the best way to raise a child? Do I follow a book? Do I follow my instinct? It's my job to teach you right from wrong and good from bad. And what a job that is! God has bestowed upon me a huge task in rearing you in his way. He created you in his likeness and now it's my responsibility to continue his creation the way he had planned. A tough job but I'm up for the challenge. Just one more thing....go a little easier on me this next month, will ya baby girl? ;)
I love you x 1,000,000!!
Love,
Your dear ol' mom
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