Month Nineteen

Dear Amelia,

Today you are nineteen months old. You are growing up so fast! You’re the friendliest little girl I have ever met. You wave at everyone and everything you see! When you wake up in the mornings you wave at all of your toys. You wave at Curious George and Pingu when they come on the TV, you wave at anybody you see when we are out and about and you even wave at the trash after you throw it into the trash can!

You and I took an unexpected trip to Florida this month when Grandpa D had a heart attack. He’s fine now, don’t worry – but it was very scary for a bit. You are such a caring little girl, and you are very concerned with boo-boos. When you see a boo boo (like a small scratch on my leg) you will kiss it and then pat it and say “hyeah”. Long after my scratch healed you kept coming up and looking for my boo boo so that you could kiss it and make it better. After I heard about Grandpa D’s heart attack I told you that Grandpa had a boo boo in his heart and that we needed to pray for him. Once we were in Florida and getting ready to go to the hospital to see him, Grandma asked you where Grandpa’s boo boo was and you pointed to your heart. It was such a sweet moment, and we could both tell that you really wanted to make sure his boo boo was all better. You have been blessed with such a tender spirit, Amelia!

We have had quite a busy month. Besides our trip to Florida, Daddy got a new job and we moved to a new town! You love your big new room as well as all of the carpet throughout our apartment – you seem like such a different girl here! You and I are finding our way around our new town, and I am trying to get together with some other moms in the area. These days you don’t like for me to have any time to myself – you don’t even want me to sit down when you’re awake! You follow me everywhere and love to help with anything you can. While I truly enjoy being such an important part of your life, I think it would be wonderful if we could meet some other moms and kids in the area so that you can broaden your horizons and realize that there is more to life than Mommy.

You aren’t saying many words yet, but you answer questions with “hyeah”. Would you like some milk? Hyeah. Would you like to take a bath? Hyeah. I’ve thought about trying to get you to say “yes” instead, but your little yeah is just too cute! There are some things that you do that I know I will miss as you grow up – I am trying to document them all on this blog. One of those things is that you scrunch up your eyes & nose when you say Dada. You don’t scrunch your face when you babble about anything else – only when you say Dada. I know it makes Daddy feel extra special when he sees you calling for him.

These days you are a bit of a picky eater, although I’m sure it’s just part of being a toddler. You LOVE fruit and would eat it all day long if I let you. Bananas, strawberries, blueberries, nectarines, apricots, cherries – you like it all! The only problem is that you don’t want to eat anything BUT fruit. I’ll make you a yummy plate of breakfast, lunch or supper (something I know you like) and you’ll take a few bites and then point at the fridge or the counter and whine, asking for some fruit! I give you fruit with every meal – it is always the first thing gone and you are always asking for more. I guess I’m fortunate that your vice is something healthy instead of cookies or candy!

When you were younger, you and Daddy used to play with feathers. We have a down blanket that leaks feathers every once in a while, and Daddy would blow them up into the air and let them float down onto your head. You would laugh and laugh – you though it was a really fun game! Daddy decided to play the feather game the other day and you started screaming at that little feather. The same thing happened with a napkin that you tore up at supper a few days ago. One of the napkin pieces was sitting on the table and then the air conditioner kicked in. The piece of napkin started moving a little bit in the breeze and you started shaking and screaming. There have also been quite a few times lately when you wake up screaming in the middle of the night. Maybe you are starting to have bad dreams? I wish I could take all of that fear and anxiety away from you, but I think it’s something you have to work out on your own. All I can do is tell you that there is nothing to be afraid of and that Daddy and I will always be there to hold you when you’re scared. We will always be here for you, and there is nothing that you can do that will change that.

Love, Mama