two thirds

Dear lia,

Eight months here and gone! Holy cow. It's like you've always been just a little baby in the house. One blink and I realize you're turning into another little kid. My little baby chubalub, growing up in a blink!

You have quite the personality now. It is so much fun to watch you wander around the house exploring (still getting stuck backwards). You of course love the tv and all its bright shiny buttons. Growling has reached a new level. Sometimes it's for attention, but mostly it's when you're concentrating or engaging in a great physical feat (such as standing up). We're pretty sure you might be a gremlin, and thus feeding you after midnight might prove to be a bad idea.

You scream when you're standing up and lose balance, or when you're tired or cranky or just want Bella to pay attention to you. You love whatever Bella has and fight vehemently when she takes anything away from you. And yet, she is your mini idol. You guys could spend an hour just giggling at each other (when she's not attack hugging you).

As for us, our conversations usually consist of Heh. Heh heh. When you're on my hip you lean over and sway your head into my line of sight and stare at me until you catch my attention. You spend the rest of your day growling, whether you're playing alone, goofing off with Bella, or on a mission to find a new toy (or raid the dishwasher... I mean, really. Who can resist all those shiny little spoons?).

Dinner time is so much fun. You get to join Bella in your own eat seat now, gnawing on bread, gagging on bits, and sprinkling it all over the floor. Bella does her best to get you growling, shrieking and giggling through dinner. I thought for sure you'd be my child that eats, but no such luck. You refuse most foods, but seem to enjoy paper and bits of lint from the floor. We're going to have to work on your taste, methinks.

My darling, after our first few months together i dreamed of the time that we would finally fall into a rhythm and learn to speak each others language. I just never imagined that it would be a language I already knew. How is it that you do it so well? When you need to reconnect, you press your forehead against mind. There is nothing sweeter in the world than that feeling. It is exactly what I did the entire time I labored with you- the counter, the cabinets, my hands. Strange little world, huh?

You made it through all our colds, too. You have become the Queen of Snot Bubbles. You were a superstar at the ER and even made it through a chest xray with...minimal screaming (and no vomiting for once!) To verify your tubalubitude, you've got 22lb on that little 28" frame of yours... It's no wonder I can't get pants to fit over your thighs.

Let's just say you have made quite a mark on this family and we love having you here.

You are my squishy ray of sunshine.

Love,

mama

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Another Month of Bella

Dear Bella,

Okay, so let the crazy times begin. Let's just say that this new schedule we're on might be wearing us a bit thin. You're sick of seeing me 24-7, I'm sick of being cooped up with kids week after week, and we're all sick of being sick. The weather is not helping us recover one little bit.

You actually had your worst illness to date this month. You and Lia were back and forth puking then happy every other day until finally you spiked a fever of 104 on the holiday weekend and you got your first trip to the ER and your first round of antibiotics for a craptastic ear infection.

You were such a trooper with the hours of waiting and the doctors. I could go on for days about stupid medical rules in this country, but I'll spare you because at least now we know how big you are: 37" and 28lb. Next time it will just be easier if we measure you ourselves. :0)

You're learning in giant leaps and bounds now. It's so much fun to watch, and I really need to get my butt in gear and organize school time each day. You can draw for ages (now you draw arms and legs on your smiley snowmen - people!)

You can't possibly learn enough to fill your brain each day. Right now you've mastered concepts like big and little and are working on soft and hard. Your days are spent mothering and doting upon your friends, making sure they are well read and well fed at all times. At night I often find stuffies already snoozing on my pillow for the night. You might not nap, but they sure do.

Grandma came for a surprise visit and you wanted song after song.

What song would you like, Bella? A new song!

She's good at that stuff.

Your responses crack us up every day. Instead of yeah, you reply with a long contemplative Yeyyys. Sometimes you really just want to say No! (because it's your right) so you say, No! ...But yes.

And the sibling shenanigans have begun. You like to tell Lillia when she's in the wrong by shouting, Nonono, Lia! Your mom said no! You have started shoving her when she gets to close (much to her shrieking dismay) and if I leave you alone for more than a minute I often return to Lia's cries because once again you have her in a hug headlock or you are trying to ride her.

Your current favorite things? My new kimper, the ipad (drawing with no mess ....and videos at bedtime!!), and staying in your jammies all day long. I suppose there are quite a few benefits to getting very sick.

What else is there to say? You're quickly approaching three in all the attitude it brings. This month has been countless sleep struggles with you being sick, and you have now started peeking at bedtime in defiance of the bedtime authorities. That's a pretty good metaphor for the entire month. Three is on its way (well, in real time it's already here, but shhhh, don't tell this post) and I have a feeling it will be a new level of adventure.

Love,

mama

P.S. Where would I be today without my attitude? As hard as you can be to live with, I wouldn't dream of any other personality for you.

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January...ish

Dear Bella,

What a fun month January was. I won't even try to pretend that I'm writing this letter on time.

Your language is a source of daily amusement and bewilderment. Half the time we don't even realize that we use an expression until it shows up in your vocabulary with body language to match. First you started with whatever. You spared no expense and dished it out with the eye roll and exasperated sigh. Lucky for me, all I had to do was ask you to say Okay, mommy instead and it has faded out of your vocabulary. That was a rough few weeks when daddy was around that attitude, though!

From there you moved on to try out a few of my choice swear words, which we were quick to replace for the sake of company. (whew.) Now you are stuck commenting on the obvious, which puts into light just how often we do that to you. We try to talk to you like we would talk to anyone else, but when you regurgitate our conversation back to us (since it is the only kind of conversation you know and you are trying so hard to engage us) it becomes apparent how different it still is.

You say with such pride to me, Did you make a *sandwich*, mama?? In the same way I say, Wow, Bella, are you drawing a snowman? (To which you reply, Yes I'm are!) We take interest in so many tiny things in your day and as adults we overlook our tiny successes. It's rather refreshing to have you here narrating the mundane with fresh excitement.

You learned what skin was this month. For some reason or another it came up, and now whenever you are itchy or get a bump, you shout, My skin!! Actually, you will go out of your way to find a reason to use that phrase...that and vamella. All you wanted was vamella milk and Cookies! With vammmmellla!

You're getting more independent every day. Your new favorite thing is to wash your hands all by yourself. The living room is always in some form of disarray between your colored pencils and your friends in various stages of dining and napping.

This was the first time that you really started to include miming in your pretend play. You set out imaginary feasts ( your friends are very well fed here) and when driving your car you make sure to strap your baby to your back and get out at least twice to get your keys and glasses before you can drive away.

You're taking quite the interest in Lia. You like to join her in her baby talk and translate for her. All it takes is a few moments together and you erupt into laughter. Or bath time screaming contests. Aren't acoustics wonderful?

Watching you enjoy life so much can't get much better than this. When you go anywhere you run with high steps. It's my favorite thing to watch in the world. All the better when you punctuate them with happy little leaps.

Sigh, these days are the best.

Love, mama

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