Dear Amelia,

It is so hard for me to believe that you are TWO YEARS OLD!!! How has it already been that long? You bring such joy to my life every day, and I love watching your mind grow. These days you are much more into imaginative play, and often times I will peer down the hallway towards your room and see you looking right back at me wearing purple butterfly wings and an old silver evening purse on your shoulder.

On Tuesday night we had a little birthday party for you, and you must have served Grandpa 43 cups of tea with your new tea set – we had to coax you to offer tea to anyone but him! You also love playing with the new Duplo blocks that Grandma & Grandpa B gave you for your birthday, as well as the huge bag of foam blocks that Grandma G and Grandpa D sent up from Florida. Your grandparents know you quite well – you love building things and using your imagination to bring them to life!

During the past month the Salvation Army bell-ringers have been out in full force. You get so excited when you see one, because I always give you some coins or a $1 bill to put into the big red bucket. Nine times out of ten, the bell-ringer will hand you the bell and let you ring it a few times – you always get such a big smile when you get to help! Each time I give you money for the big red bucket I tell you why we are donating money and who it will be helping – I hope that as you grow older you will continue to understand the importance of helping those who are less fortunate than you.

Thank you so much, Sweet Girl, for the past two years. Being your mother is a new experience each and every day, and I am incredibly thankful that I get to see the world fresh and new through your eyes. You are so exuberant in all that you do, and I am proud that you are growing into such a kind, loving, thoughtful, patient (at times), fun-loving, joyful, considerate, smart, sensitive, polite, beautiful, helpful and mischievous little girl!

Love, Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are twenty three months old. You are such a fun little girl, and you are growing up so quickly. You have many mannerisms that seem more suited to an adult than a toddler . . . sometimes when we hug or when I cuddle you before bed you wrap your arms around me and pat/rub my back, just like I do to you. It is such a grown-up gesture, and is so sweet! I just love when you give me hugs and kisses!

You are also very considerate, and are always making sure something is “OK” before you act. You ask if you’re allowed to play under the table, if you’re allowed to eat your goldfish, if you can take your blankie out of your crib, etc. When you ask about something, you shrug your shoulders, hold your hands palm up and furrow your brow – your gesture says “Is this OK?” – so cute! You are developing such a great imagination these days – you like putting your sunglasses on your bears and playing with foam dinosaurs in the bathtub. You share snacks with your toys and with Shelby, and you love giving a bottle to your baby doll. You have recently started noticing that your shadow follows you everywhere, and oftentimes I have to pick you up and carry you inside when we get home from our errands because all you want to do is chase your shadow. You stand and wave, turn your head, stomp and twirl, always keeping one eye on that shadow of yours.

Along with developing a big imagination, you are also developing quite a temper. I hesitate to say that you have entered the “terrible twos”, but you definitely have an attitude! This past month you threw a tantrum in the grocery store because you didn’t want to get out of the kiddie shopping cart (you know, the one with the little car on the front of the cart that lets you “drive” around the store). You literally threw yourself down onto the ground in front of the cash registers and started screaming when I told you it was time for us to leave. I had to carry you out to the car (along with our groceries) – you were kicking and flailing around so much I thought I was going to drop you. It took you quite a while to calm down – you cried/screamed all the way home. Once I parked the car I sat in the back seat and just held you – once you settled down we had a talk about how it is human nature to be angry and upset about things, (especially when you don’t get your way) but that you need to learn how to get a handle on you emotions and realize that screaming and kicking is not the right way to behave. This is such hard lesson to learn, Sweet Girl, and I wish I could make things easier for you. All I can do though is guide your spirit in the right direction, and let God take care of the rest.

Lately you have started asking for Daddy to put you to bed in the evenings. He used to think you would NEVER want him to put you to bed! I know it makes him incredibly happy when you ask to cuddle with him and read your bedtime story – it warms my heart to listen to the two of you talk about your day and say your good-nights. Daddy and I have so much love for you, Amelia, and just when we think our hearts can’t hold any more love, space just opens up and we find more and more ways to love and cherish you.

I love you,

Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are twenty two months old. I am finding it harder and harder to believe that you are almost TWO! Even though you are far from that helpless infant you once were, you will always be my baby. I am happy and sad that time is passing so quickly – happy because I love watching you grow and develop into such a wonderful little girl, and sad because you are needing me less and less each day. It is amazing how fast the days and months go by.

Every day you get pickier and pickier about your food – when you won’t eat what I make for supper (which is more often than not) you get a bowl of greek yogurt with peanut butter, cinnamon and ground flax seeds. You almost always eat that – it’s like dessert! At least I know it is full of good fats and protein, as well as lots of good fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids. Since you won’t voluntarily eat any veggies (although you devour most fruits) I make you a green smoothie most mornings. I blend greek yogurt, milk, a banana, ground flax seeds, blueberries/raspberries/strawberries and spinach/kale/swiss chard/romaine lettuce – you love these smoothies and think they are a treat! I love the smoothies because I know they are giving you the vitamins and minerals you need to grow.

You have perfected a constant whine of “mama”, except that you scrunch up your nose when you say it and it sounds like you are saying “muh-muh”. Your Grandma G was up here visiting a few days ago, and I told her that the hardest thing about parenting (so far) is to keep a straight face when you are acting up! Amelia, you do the silliest things and at times I have to literally bite my tongue to keep from laughing. I have to stop myself from laughing because then you will keep repeating that behavior to get a rise out of me. Of course, now that I am writing your letter I can’t think of a single example – maybe I’ll come back and edit this later to put in some of your funny antics.

You are a great big drama queen, Amelia! Often times you will throw yourself onto the floor and cry and kick as if it is the end of the world simply because I gave you the wrong color sippy cup, or wouldn’t take the rubber mouthpiece off of your water bottle. I always thought that other parents were exaggerating with they talked about their kids kicking and screaming on the floor, but now I know that they were being completely honest! My gut reaction is to either laugh or cry, and of course I choose to laugh. I laugh to myself, though, because I don’t want you to ever think that I am making fun of you. I want you to know that you are allowed to have those feelings; I want you to feel comfortable enough to express yourself around me and Daddy without fearing that we are going to make fun of you. When you have kids of your own someday you will understand exactly what I am talking about!

For a few weeks this past month I had to stop checking on you at night before I went to bed. It broke my heart to do it (and the first time I did it I worried about you all night long) but you have become SUCH a light sleeper that you would wake up when I would check on you before going to sleep myself. Waking up like that would cause you to cry for what seemed like HOURS before we could get you back to sleep, and once you woke up and cried for so long, you would keep waking up throughout the night – sometimes 4 or 5 times between 11PM and 7AM! You were walking around with big purple bags under your eyes, and you were a cranky mess all day because you were so tired. After I stopped checking on you before I went to bed it took you a week or so to stop waking up at night, and now you are sleeping much better (most of the time). I have started checking on you again since you’ve gotten better at putting yourself back to sleep – all I can tell you is that I sleep much better after I’ve checked on you and know that you are OK!

Lately you have started getting my wallet out of the diaper bag and getting all of the coins out to put into your piggy bank. One afternoon you weren’t satisfied with the contents of my wallet, so we went searching around Daddy’s drawers and we found a few more coins. When Grandma and Grandpa were up here earlier in the week you emptied Grandma’s wallet as well!

You are growing up so quickly and are becoming more sure of yourself. You express your opinions without reservations, and you have learned how to use selective hearing. You always hear me when I’m telling you to come get a snack or to come outside for a walk with me, but when I ask you to get your toothbrush & brush your teeth or pick up your toys you will pretend not to hear me. Goodness, sometimes I get so frustrated when you ignore me, but I try to keep in mind that you are just learning where your boundaries are and learning how far you can push me before getting in trouble. You are maturing as well, though – twice so far you have said thank you without prompting! Daddy and I are trying to teach you how important it is to be polite, and you always get a big smile on your face when you use your manners correctly. You should be proud of yourself, because we are certainly proud of our little girl!

Love, Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are twenty one months old. You have such a fun and joyous spirit! Every day with you is an adventure, and I love watching you discover the world. You have recently started enjoying the game of hide and seek. I can always get a huge laugh out of you by running away to hide and then jumping out to say “boo!” when you come looking for me. When it’s your turn to hide you always pick the same place – behind your bedroom door. I always pretend to have a hard time finding you, and when I finally find you we both burst into a fit of giggles. It never gets old!

This past month we started taking a Kindermusik class together. We’ve been to three classes so far, and you are really enjoying them! Your favorite part of the class is when you get a stamp on your hand. Whenever Daddy or I talk to you about your music class, you always point to the back of your hand, where your teacher gives you the stamp. You’re too cute!

You are such a great helper, Amelia. When we are out running errands you help me push the cart. I wish I could get a picture of you doing it – you walk directly in front of me, holding onto the cart and pushing with all your might. You like to help me fold clothes, and you get angry if I don’t let you “fold” all of Daddy’s undershirts! You also like to help in the kitchen. You’ll drag a chair into the kitchen and start emptying the silverware drawer – it makes a huge mess and I have to wash everything you play with (because you like to pretend to eat with them) but it’s worth it for you to have fun! Speaking of pretending, every morning you take the hand lotion from my bedside table and pretend to put on your “deodorant”. In the mornings when Daddy and I are getting ready, you just sit and observe us. When Daddy noticed you watching him put on deodorant, he pretended to put some on you as well. Now the first thing you do when you come into our room is grab that bottle of lotion and put on your deodorant (and of course you offer to put some on me and Daddy as well).

These days you are having a lot of separation anxiety, especially with me. I’m not even sure that it’s separation anxiety – you just don’t want anyone but me! While I know I should enjoy the fact that you love me so much, it breaks my heart when you turn away from your Daddy. The funny thing is that you talk about Daddy all day long and you start going from the window to the front door and back again when I tell you that he is on his way home from work. When he walks in the door and wants to hug/hold/play with you, though, you run to me saying Mama. You seem to be better with him on the weekends, especially when he is the one to get you out of your crib in the mornings. We just don’t know what to do to make things better. Hopefully you’ll pass through this stage soon – normally you and your Daddy are the best of friends!

Everyday I pray that you will keep growing and learning, Sweet Girl – I’ll be there every step of the way!

Love, Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are twenty months old. You’re no longer a “teenager”! You have grown so much this month, and you literally make me laugh every day. You have such a unique and fun personality, and I know I am incredibly blessed to watch you grow and learn.

When Daddy or I ask you for a hug, you will turn around and back up into our arms for a big bear hug. I think you like the security of me or Daddy at your back with our arms wrapped around you. It is so sweet, and it gives me the opportunity to smell that sweet head of yours. Your skin is baby-soft and your fine & wispy hair tickles my nose. Oh, if I could only bottle up that smell – it’s more than your baby shampoo, and it’s almost indescribable – you smell like sunshine and warmth and love. You smell like my baby girl, and it is the best smell in the world.

Whenever I am sitting on the ground you will always come up and sit in my lap – you fit perfectly! When you hear the neighbors outside you run over to the front door and knock – I think you want them to open the door and come in. You also do this when I tell you that Daddy is on his way home from work. You like to spin in slow circles and also walk backwards. You are getting more confident when you run, and you love having pillow fights on the living room floor. You will grab the couch pillows and just run towards us – we pretend that you really hit us hard and you collapse onto the floor in a fit of giggles.

You picked out a new potty this month, and a few nights ago you asked to sit on it after your bath. You sat there for about 30 minutes talking with Daddy and me and even reading a few books. You didn’t end up doing anything in the potty, but you kept asking for toilet paper and showing us that you know how to use it. Yesterday you told us you needed to go #2, so we hurried into the bathroom and took your diaper off. You didn’t really want to sit on the potty – you kept standing up and walking towards the bathtub. When you finally went, it was right on the bathroom floor – we got you to sit back on the potty, but you were so scared and bothered by the mess you made on the floor that you just kept pointing at it and crying. After we got you cleaned up you were fine, but you didn’t ask to get back on the potty for the rest of the day. This morning you went into your bathroom instead of your room when I told you that you needed to get dressed. I am fairly certain that you would have gone #1 on the potty if I had been faster about getting your diaper off. You were already going when I was undoing your diaper – I caught most of it in the diaper and then you sat on the potty for a while. I’m not sure that you’re ready to get rid of diapers yet, but we’ll keep the potty in the bathroom so that you can use it whenever you feel ready. You’re off to a good start, though, since you seem to realize when you need to go!

This month you started saying several new words. I have to listen very closely and of course you NEVER say them on command but I have heard you say trash (when you want to throw something away), dirty (for dirty clothes that need to go into the hamper), umbrella, yes, this, supper, Shelby, bath and a whole slew of others that I can’t bring to mind. It is so fun to see you expressing yourself verbally – I just need to learn to listen more closely to what you are saying. I’m sure there are many more words in your vocabulary that I just haven’t deciphered yet!

Sweet Girl, your favorite book now is Goodnight Moon. Your favorite part of the book is “the quiet old lady who was whispering hush” – you squeal and point whenever you see her. You touch the pages as if you are petting her head – so sweet! If you wake up at night (from growing pains, teeth or just a bad dream), you ask for Goodnight Moon, which is always sitting next to the rocking chair. Reading that book will calm you down enough to go back to sleep. I am so glad to see you developing a love for reading so early in your life, and I love watching the stories come alive in your eyes.

Love, Mama

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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

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are eighteen months old! Happy half-birthday! We celebrated by eating strawberry popsicles for our mid-morning snack, and later we are going to bake some brownies to enjoy after we eat salmon for supper. You are such a fun little girl these days, and you are starting to use many different sounds. No longer is everything a variation of “ba” – you have started making “loy bloy dju bljdu” sounds, among many other new sounds. I can tell that you are going to have a language explosion very soon!

These days you are a champion whiner & face crier. You have become very attached to me, and often times will whine/fuss/cry until I get right down on the floor to ask you what’s bothering you. As soon as I do that, though, you’re running off to get a toy or a book, leaving me in the dust. I know you are just trying to express yourself, and since you don’t have many words yet everything seems a bit more difficult. You’ll get there in your own time, though – of that I’m sure. You make the funniest faces when you are whining – sometimes the only thing for me and Daddy to do is whine and make funny faces back at you, which always makes you smile.

You are enjoying a variety of music these days, and you have a few new dance moves! You have started swaying back and forth and stomping your feet (like you’re running in place) in addition to bouncing up and down. Lately we’ve been listening to a lot of music from the first season of the TV show Glee – it’s a lot of fun for both of us! Another thing you enjoy is playing pretend – you “feed” your toys, and sometimes you even try to feed me and Daddy! You think it is so funny to share your milk and throw tea parties! Your weight seems to be slowly creeping up – I’m hoping that you’ll be at least 20 pounds at your 18-month checkup on Friday. You have the cutest little dimples on your elbows and knees, and you’ve always got a big belly stuffed with food. You’re finally starting to fit into 12-month pants!

Amelia, you have a very sensitive spirit – if you sense that someone is upset with someone else, or see someone getting ‘hurt’ on TV  (the mean dogs in the movie Up or someone falling into a lake on Curious George) you start to cry like it’s YOU that is being hurt or fussed at. You are so sensitive, and that makes disciplining you very hard. We have been trying to teach you not to throw things. What you really do is just toss your toys to the side when you’re done playing with them (or when you get too excited). Often times you are playing with something hard, and it hurts when you toss it aside! You actually gave me a goose egg one day by carelessly tossing a ball. You get SO UPSET when we are stern with you. We get down on the floor with you and make you look us in the eye, and then we tell you what you did wrong, why it was wrong and what you need to do to fix it. I hate seeing you upset and my heart breaks when you cry because you are being disciplined. Even though I know it is for your own good, I still hate to make you upset. Thankfully you also have a very forgiving spirit, so you never stay upset for very long.

I can’t believe I’ve been your mom for a year and a half. It seems like so much time, but it has gone by very quickly. Everyone says that time passes faster as you get older, but I never realized how true it was until you came into my life. Daddy remarked the other day that he can’t believe you are standing up during your baths and trying to climb out of the tub – he was remembering the days when he had to lean halfway into the tub to keep you from slipping around in your little baby bathtub. You’re growing up so quickly, Sweet Girl, and Daddy and I are so blessed to be along for the ride!

Love, Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are seventeen months old – almost a year and a half! You are incredibly independent and smart, and you’re very friendly. You still smile and wave at just about everyone we meet! You are much more confident at walking now, and you reach for my hand less and less. It makes me sad to think that you are slowly growing out of your need for me, but I am also that much more grateful when you do reach for me.

You are such a funny girl. When I ask if you need a new diaper you grab my hand and walk me back to your room. Once we get there you wrench your hand out of my grasp and run back down the hallway while giggling, pausing just long enough to make sure I’m chasing after you! You really like hiding behind closed doors – I’ve had to tape the latches down on the bedroom doors so that you don’t get stuck. Your favorite TV show (not that you get to watch a lot of TV) is Curious George. Whenever you hear the theme song you stop whatever you’re going and say “Ba-ba?” and rush to the TV so that you can dance along with the music. Because of Curious George, you absolutely love your footed monkey pajamas, and you will get them out of the hamper (dirty OR clean) and drag them all over the house.

Amelia, you are getting much better at expressing yourself, even though you aren’t saying many words. One day this month we asked you if you were sleepy, and you put your hand to your ear and tilted your head towards your shoulder, as if you were using your hand as a pillow. We never taught you that – you figured it out all by yourself! You have also started giving great big slobbery kisses right on the mouth – I guess you’ve seen me and Daddy kiss, and you decided to copy us. It is absolutely  adorable, and we can tell that you are very proud of yourself for figuring it out! A few weeks ago Daddy was hugging you and saying good night – he said “I love you, Amelia” and you said “ah oo” back to him. Even though you haven’t said it more than once (so far), you know how to say I love you, and you said it to Daddy first. You definitely have him wrapped around your little finger!

In some ways you are turning into a typical toddler. You have become very opinionated about meals, and you seem to be getting picky about your food. You do funny things like lick all of the peanut butter off of your bread and then tear the bread up into tiny pieces to feed to Shelby. The next day I’ll give you something different (like a veggie pancake) and you throw a fit because I didn’t give you a peanut butter sandwich! One trick that I have found is that you eat a bigger variety of things if you have a dipping sauce. You like dipping food in yogurt, applesauce, peanut butter, hummus or a yummy homemade ranch flavored dip. When I give you soup or stew for supper, I give you a piece of bread to dip in it. Since it’s been harder and harder to get healthy food into your belly, you’ve been getting a smoothie every day! I just toss some milk, a banana, some frozen berries and a handful of spinach leaves into the blender and you will guzzle it down in under three minutes. Another of your favorites (and one of mine as well) is orange juice, banana and frozen mango pieces. Yum! Whenever you see me get the blender ready, you say “woooooooo” in imitation of the noise it makes.

You are such a big helper, and you are always elated when I ask you to help me with something. You could be throwing the biggest fit of your life and if I asked you to help me carry the laundry hamper to the bedroom you would turn into the happiest girl in the world. I can tell that you like having a job to do – some days you go into the corner where we keep the vacuum, point to it and say “wooooooo” (yes, the vacuum makes the same sound as the blender). You’re telling me that you are ready to sweep the floors! I get the vacuum and you get your Swiffer and we get to work.

Amelia, I hope I’m doing a good job raising you. At times it is so overwhelming to think that Daddy and I are responsible for teaching you everything you need to know! I know I could get easily bogged down thinking of all of the things that I need to do with you and for you, but I have decided to let you be my guide. When you want to sweep the floors, we sweep and I tell you what we are doing and why we are doing it. The same goes for when we take a walk. If you want to stop and explore the grass and the flowers, we do just that. If every day you want to pick up a rock at the same point in our walk and carry it all the way home, we’ll do that, and make a pile next to the front door. I want to do all I can to help you grow into the wonderful person you are meant to be.

Love, Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are sixteen months old. I know I say this all of the time, but you are at such a fun age. There is so much personality stuffed into your tiny little body, and you are a lot of fun to be around! This past month the fourth of your first molars came in, along with all four of your canine teeth – now you have all but your 2nd year molars. I know we’ll both be glad to get all of this teething over and done with.

These days you are walking and running all over the place. You are getting very independent, but you still reach for my hand a lot – I love it! When we are out running errands we hold hands and ‘race’ into the store – you laugh and yell as if it’s the most fun you’ve ever had. I’m sure a lot of people see us in the parking lot and think we’re crazy, but I don’t care – I love making you laugh!

Amelia, you give great hugs and kisses. When you give a hug, it’s more of a cuddle – you put your arms around me and rest your head on my shoulder or chest – I love it! You give Daddy hugs before he leaves for work every morning, and sometimes you pat him on the back while you’re hugging him goodbye – just like he does to you! You are so observant and it is so fun watching you grow and learn about the world around you. Lately you’ve started showing some anger and frustration when we tell you not to do something. You definitely understand the word “no”, and you enjoy testing your limits – you’re not afraid of showing your temper. You scrunch up your nose and lips and stomp around – it is so hard not to laugh! I love seeing you assert your independence though, and it makes me very proud even though you can be quite frustrating at times.

When we get home from errands and I get you out of the car, I tell you that we’re going inside to see Shelby – you start yelling “Bee! Bee!”, calling out for your puppy. You have gotten a lot better about playing independently. Often I’ll go into your room and you’re quietly reading one of your books or playing with your toys. You have recently started saying “baby” – all of your stuffed animals are “baby” and you will hold them and sway (or just shake them back and forth) when we ask if you’re rocking the baby to sleep.

A few months ago you commandeered a snowman spatula that Grandpa B gave me for Christmas. You carry it around as if it is your scepter, and you love using it to mix things. Any open container will get mixed and stirred – I think you’re pretending to cook & bake like your Mama! You’ve got a big pink bowl that you carry around the house and you love mixing up pretend soups for me and Daddy to taste. You get the biggest smile on your face when we ask if we can have a bite! We had a little photo shoot yesterday so that I could get a picture to post with this letter, and you wouldn’t take that pink bowl off of your head!

You love Daddy and say “dat” ALL THE TIME – that’s your special name for him! Whenever you hear my phone make noise you run over and say “Dat!”, thinking it’s Daddy calling for you. His name is the first thing out of your mouth in the mornings, and you always get the biggest smile on your face when he walks in the door after work. When the two of you play together he makes up the most grandiose stories and songs I have ever heard! He is such a great Daddy, and my heart overflows when I look at the two of you and realize how incredibly blessed we are by your presence in our lives.

Love, Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are fifteen months old. Today is also your Grandpa D’s birthday! You are going to see him (and Grandma G) in just a few days – they are flying up here for the weekend, and we are all going to have so much fun together! You are such a funny girl these days, and I am excited to see you share that with your grandparents!

This month you got your second and third molars, and your fourth one is just below the surface – hopefully it will make its appearance soon. You are a champ at this teething business – these molars have hardly seemed to bother you at all! You are such a loving little girl – you often stop whatever you are doing to rush over and give me a big hug. I can’t tell you how much that melts my heart! You also have started blowing kisses more often – you put your palm on your mouth and blow on it – pbttttttt – so cute!

According to you, “booooo” is what a cow says and “buh buh buh buh” is what a dog says (and also what a bird says)! When we ask you what your stuffed puppy Violet says, you will do a little dance because Violet plays music when you press her paws. It makes me smile every time! You know where your head is, and will grab it and laugh every time I ask “where is Amelia’s head?” You and Daddy were playing last night, and you showed him again and again where your ears are. When I ask you where your nose is, you first grab your head and then point at MY nose – we’ll keep working on that! When we are all eating supper, you will ask for a napkin and “wipe” your face, because you see us using napkins. Sometimes you seem like such a grown up, Amelia!

You are walking all over the place now, and sometimes you even run! I can’t believe how good of a walker you have become in such a short time. You love your routine – after breakfast and lunch you walk right back to your room because you know it’s time for a nap, even though a lot of the time you aren’t sleepy yet. You’ll just play in your crib until you fall asleep, and sometimes you won’t sleep at all. A few times you have even done it at night – you turn on your nighttime music by pushing one of Violet’s paws, walk out to the living room to get one last sip of water from my water bottle, and then toddle back to stand by your crib, waiting for me or Daddy to put you to bed. Sometimes you’ll even stand in the hallway and point to your bedroom to tell us that you want to go to bed. Once we put you down, we’ll hear you back in your crib for 30 minutes or more, just babbling away!

This morning was our last nursing session. I have been dealing with some minor health issues lately and am trying a few different medications – the doctors say they are safe while breastfeeding, but I don’t like the fact that you getting them (even in trace amounts) through my breast milk. You have only been nursing once a day for a few weeks now and it’s more out of comfort than anything else; while I am definitely going to miss nursing you, I’m sure that you’ll be fine once we stop. I’m very sad to see this phase in our lives end – I have enjoyed nursing you so much, and I am incredibly proud of the both of us for sticking with it for fifteen months. I already miss the connection we have when you’re nursing, but like your Daddy told me a few days ago, I’ve nourished you and taken care of you (through nursing) for the past fifteen months and now I need to take care of myself. Since I am not nursing you anymore, the doctors will be able to give me some stronger medications so I can get back into tip-top shape!

Sweet girl, you are such a joy. You love love LOVE birds and always want to play outside and look for them when you get up from your afternoon nap. When we run errands, you smile and wave at everyone we see. I am so proud of you Amelia, and I realize every day how blessed I am to be able to watch you grow and learn.

Love, Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are fourteen months old, and you are such an amazing little girl! You fill my days with joy and I am so thankful that I have been blessed with such a wonderful daughter. You have such a great personality, and it is so fun to watch you grow and develop into such a unique and independent little girl. Watching you explore the world is a staggering reminder of how often I take the littlest things for granted.

I took you to the doctor today – you are acting just like your normal self, but you have a pretty nasty cough. It turns out that you have an infection called RSV. We left the doctor with a really neat nebulizer that looks like a penguin, and Daddy and I will be giving you breathing treatments every 6 – 8 hours for the next few days. Hopefully you will start to feel better soon!

You are a very attentive little girl – you tell us when something beeps (phone, oven, microwave, etc.) and you alert us to any strange noise that you hear. You fuss and start to cry if we don’t tend to it right away! You also love puppies – if you see a magazine with a picture of a dog or a bag of dog food (or really anything with a picture of a dog) you point and say “Puh/pup”! We also have a calender in the kitchen that has puppies on it and you love looking at them. In the mornings when you are nursing you’ll stop and call for your puppy, and then giggle when Shelby comes prancing in.

You love crawling around with treasures in your hands. Grandma B gave you some small books that fit perfectly in your hand, and you almost always have one of them nearby. This month you learned how much fun it is to push the dining room chairs all over the house, and how much fun it is to sit in the glider all by yourself. Daddy installed childproof latches on almost of the cabinets in the kitchen, because you found out how fun it was to open the doors and get into the garbage can. He left one cabinet open, though,  just for you – it will soon be filled with all sorts of non-breakable kitchenware so you can help me cook and bake!

You have a lot of fun putting things inside of other things these days. You empty and fill your toy baskets all the time! The basket you empty most of all is your shoe basket – you LOVE your shoes, especially the gold shoes Grandpa B gave you for Christmas. We keep your shoe basket in your room and you will crawl all the way back there and grab a pair of shoes, then bring them out to the living room so I can put them on your feet.

Your eighth and ninth teeth popped through this month, and the most exciting thing of all is that you took your first steps! Two days ago we were at Grandma and Grandpa B’s house, and you walked from Daddy to me. We were incredibly excited and are very proud of you – our baby girl is growing up, and is now officially a toddler!

You are incredibly energetic, and hardly stop moving all day long. I love chasing after you and making you laugh. What touches my heart even more, though, is when you calm down and cuddle close to me. I treasure those still times with you, and savor the soft feel of your hair against my cheek.

I love you,

Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are thirteen months old. You are developing into such a joyful little girl, and I couldn’t be more proud of you. We went for your one year checkup on January 4th – you were 28 1/4 inches long and you weighed 16 pounds. Your doctor isn’t really worried about your weight (which has almost fallen off of the charts again) because your height and head circumference are increasing right on track (25th percentile). He just says that you are just a very petite little girl! You have started sleeping through the night with increasing regularity – you haven’t nursed at night for a few weeks now, and you only nurse three times a day (first thing in the morning, at lunchtime and right before bed). Some days I think you are ready to give up the lunchtime feeding, but other days I’m not so sure. I think I’m going to try to keep up that feeding until flu season is over, and then we’ll go down to just two nursing sessions per day. I’m hoping to keep those two sessions as long as you’ll let me – I just love having that special time with you.

You are getting much more mischievous these days – a few weeks ago I stopped you just as you were about to throw an entire deck of cards into the toilet! You know you aren’t allowed to play with the power cord for my laptop, but you will still cruise over to grab it . . . once you get your hands on it, you’ll look up at me and shake your head “no”, because you know that’s exactly what I am going to tell you. We have a sideboard behind the dining room table and you know you aren’t allowed to play in it (it holds some of our extra dishes). Often times though, when I am working in the kitchen you’ll head over to it and start opening the doors. I stop what I’m doing and just watch you play – as soon as you turn around and see me looking at you, your eyes get really big and you plop down onto your bottom. A few times you even started crying because you know I’m going to fuss at you for playing where you aren’t supposed to.

It still surprises me when you do what I ask – you comprehend so much of what I say! I can ask you to hand me a ball, put your paci back in your crib, or bring me a book and you will do just that! You love helping, and will do so every chance you get. One thing in particular you like to help me do is clean up the floor. Shelby has a few toys that leave little bits of fuzz everywhere. You like to crawl around to gather the pieces and bring them to me so I can throw them away. You’re such a great little helper!

Daddy and I are trying to teach you different parts of the body (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, arms, legs etc.). So far you can’t tell us what/where things are, but you sure are showing an interest! You notice when I am wearing my glasses, and point to them often. When you are nursing you will gently touch/point to my eyes, and when you do I say “those are my eyes” and then I’ll point to yours and say “and these are your eyes” -  I can almost see the cogs in your brain working to process the information. It is so amazing to watch you learn new things! One morning I put some cheerios on your highchair tray, poured myself a bowl of cereal and sat down to eat with you. You fussed and whined until I put your cereal in a bowl and gave you a spoon of your own. You couldn’t get the cereal on the spoon and into your mouth, but you would hold the spoon in one hand, pick up a cheerio with the other hand and touch it to the spoon before putting it in your mouth. Even though you can’t use the spoon to feed yourself, you definitely know what it is for!

In the evenings when Daddy gets home from work you two have a whole lot of fun. You and Daddy have a game you like to play . . .  you crawl all over our bed and Daddy hides on the floor, popping up to surprise you. You shriek with laughter and roll all over the bed. You also like to “wrestle” with him, which is really just Daddy picking you up and gently tossing you back onto the bed – you laugh hysterically and quickly crawl back so he can do it again and again. I just love watching my two favorite people play together! Sometimes I think my heart will burst because it’s so full of love, and I wonder what I have done to deserve the two of you.

Love, Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Happy birthday! Darling baby girl, it is so hard to believe that you are already one year old! You seem so grown up, and I find it hard to remember that you were ever a tiny and helpless newborn. You are into everything these days, and I love that about you. You are inquisitive, funny, charming, independent, happy and incredibly generous. You share anything you have – your food, sippy cup, blankie, pacifier, toys . . . you want to share it all! When you give us something we always say “thank you”, and you look so proud when we accept your gift! Your favorite book is “The Going To Bed Book”, by Sandra Boynton – you want us to read it all day long, and you don’t want to go to bed unless Daddy and I have each read it at least once.

Funny girl, you have also started to play pretend. Sometimes when you are eating a snack you’ll pick up a piece of food, bring it to your mouth and then quickly hold it out to me. I’ll take it, pretend to eat it, and then hand it back – you then grab it, stuff it in your mouth and grin. It makes me laugh every time! Along the same line as pretending to share your food, when you are eating something that you don’t like, you spit it into your hand and immediately hand it to me. Also, when you drink too fast and choke a little, you bring your hand to your mouth and “give” me your cough.  There is no mistaking that for a game of pretend – we know you don’t want us to give you that cough back! You also like to imitate – when you hear somebody clear their throat, you do the same thing. Then they’ll clear their throat again just to see what you’ll do, and you imitate them again! You think it is SO funny, and so do we. When you hear a dog bark, you make a ‘woof’ sound, and when you see Shelby or want her to head your way, you woof as well – adorable!

You have started standing up on your own more and more. I can tell you are feeling more steady on your feet – that first step should come any day now! When you are standing by the coffee table or by the kitchen gate, you often lift one leg behind you and twist back and forth. You also hold one leg up high sometimes when you’re riding in the stroller. Just the other day when we were out shopping at Target, somebody remarked on your “ballerina leg”! You are eating more and more finger foods and you are so proud that you are able to feed yourself. Breakfast often includes some cheerios/toast/an English muffin, fruit & yogurt and maybe some scrambled eggs. Your favorite finger food, besides Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, is frozen blueberries. I warm them up in the microwave and toss a handful on your highchair tray – you make such a mess though, that you only get those after dinner, right before your bath.

This month you said Dada for the first time! Now you say it ALL of the time. When Daddy comes home from work and you hear the garage door open, you and Shelby rush to the kitchen gate so you can watch him come in, and you yell “HI DADA!” Right now you can say Mama, Dada, bye-bye, yes/yeah, puppy (puh), nap (aap), book (buh) and of course your multi-purpose word, ba/bau. I love hearing your sweet little voice in the back seat of the car, when you’re riding in the stroller or in the Ergo carrier, while you’re playing with your toys and when you’re singing yourself to sleep. The only sign you use with regularity is ‘milk’. When you want to nurse and you sign for milk, you furrow your brow and look accusingly at me as if I’m holding out on you. Sometimes, when I can’t nurse you right away, you sign milk with both hands held towards me, and a very angry look on your face – that’s when I know you mean business! You wave bye-bye to Daddy when he leaves for work, and I think I’ve even caught you signing ‘please’!

Do you remember when I told you that Daddy blows you kisses every night before you go to sleep? Well, you have learned to do the same! I just realized that’s what you are doing when you stop nursing, smile dreamily up at me, bring your hand to your face, and then touch my lips. Your sweetness and innocence astound me, Amelia. This past year has been without a doubt the best year of my life. You have changed me in so many ways, and I like to think that I am a better person because of you. Thank you for making me a mother.

Love, Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are eleven months old. Most mornings you are content to play in your crib with some toys for the few minutes it takes me or Daddy to come and get you. Whenever you wake up, whether it’s in the mornings or after a nap, you are always incredibly happy. In fact, on the rare occasions when I have to wake you up from a nap (or the few times I have accidentally woken you up when I check on you before I go to bed), you pop your head up and say “AH!”; it’s kind of like you’re saying, “Asleep? Me? No, I was wide awake!”

You had four new teeth pop through this month, which brings your total to six. Your newest tooth (lower left lateral incisor) showed up this morning, and I’m 95% sure that your seventh tooth (top right central incisor) will show up tonight or tomorrow. When you are laughing it sometimes takes me by surprise when I catch a glance of your mouthful of teeth! There is something I need you to do for me, Amelia. I need you to stop grinding those teeth. It is driving me crazy! What I’m hoping is that you’re only doing it because they are so new – hopefully you’ll stop soon. You have developed a funny habit/quirk . . . when you are playing on the floor, you like to spin in circles. It’s the funniest thing – you’ll be playing with a toy and will use your feet to spin yourself around and around. I don’t think you are doing it intentionally – just kind of as an afterthought. I’ve told Daddy that since you don’t have any hair to twirl you just twirl your whole body! Oh, speaking of hair, I saw your first curl this month! You are slowly getting more and more hair, and although it still looks red in the sunlight it looks strawberry-blond indoors.

You have started going to bed around 6:30 or 7, so now we are able to have dinner together as a family. It will definitely take some getting used to because you don’t like having to wait between bites. You are very impatient when it comes to your food – you want it RIGHT NOW and if you don’t get it you yell. Daddy and I are trying to teach you to be patient and sometimes we will just eat a few bites of our food and ignore you when you are yelling. Once you get quiet again, we’ll give you a few bites. Hopefully you will catch on quickly!

You are pointing at everything now – you point at things you want and you point at things you would like us to notice. When I see you pointing at something I’ll tell you what it is – I’m sure I look like I am talking to myself when we are out shopping and you are pointing at things on the shelves! This month you have started pulling yourself up to stand, and you even stood on your own for a few seconds. I was on the floor and you crawled over to me, holding a toy – you used one hand to stand up and hold on to me and your other hand kept a firm grip on your toy. Once you were standing you let go of me and grasped the toy in both hands for a few seconds before you realized what you were doing and reached out for me again. I’m wondering how much longer it will be until you are walking!

You and Shelby are becoming better friends – she shoves her toys in your face and gives you puppy kisses. You have learned to pet her gently, and earlier this month she jumped into the bathtub with you! I can tell that you two will be the best of friends. This past month you have started to talk more. You say Mama and “bau” most often. We haven’t figured out what bau means, but it definitely means something because you use it all of the time! Also, this month you started dancing. Most often you dance when there’s music playing, but sometimes you’ll just dance to a tune that’s in your head. You dance while standing and while sitting – when you’re sitting you just bounce up and down, and kind of bob your head.

It is so hard to believe that you have already been here for eleven months! You are growing up so quickly and sometimes it makes me a bit sad . . . not that you are growing up, but that time is passing so quickly. Before I know it, you’re going to be graduating from high school. Amelia, I want so much for you. I want you to live out your dreams and realize that you can do absolutely anything you set your mind to, even when someone tells you otherwise. You’ll always have me and Daddy in your corner, no matter what.

Love, Mama

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Dear Amelia,

Today you are ten months old. Every day I am seeing less of my baby and more of my little girl. I am so blessed to be able to watch you grow and discover the world – you give me a fresh perspective on things that I consider routine. When I am getting ready in the morning you sit in the hallway outside of the bathroom and keep me company – when it comes time for me to brush my teeth I give you your toothbrush as well. You study my motions and bring the toothbrush to your mouth, delighting in the feel of the bristles on your swollen gums. You have been working on two top teeth for over a month now, and one of them (your left lateral incisor) finally poked through yesterday morning. Hopefully your fourth tooth will make it’s grand appearance sooner rather than later, so we can all take a break from teething.

This past month has been quite a busy one for you! You have learned how to clap, and we love that you have a new way to express your joy. You are a master at imitation, and will clap if we clap. You have gotten better at eating finger foods – you pick up food with one hand and then use both hands to shove the food into your mouth. Your pincer grasp is developing, and you are using your index finger to point and poke at things. One thing you like to do with that finger is pick your nose. One day you were shoveling food into your mouth and your finger accidentally went up your nose. Now, every once in a while, you just stick your finger into your nostril – maybe to see if it’s still there? You also are fascinated with faces, both Daddy’s and mine. When we are holding you at night, you reach up and explore our noses and mouths. In the mornings after I finish nursing you, I’ll check your mouth for any new teeth. You put up with it only because you know I’ll let you explore my mouth when I’m done with yours.

Amelia, you are immobile no longer – you have learned to crawl! One day out of the blue you got up on your hands and knees and started rocking back and forth. The week after that you were crawling! You are very speedy, especially when you are headed towards something you’re not supposed to play with, like the dog’s water dish or some dirty shoes. When you are concentrating on crawling somewhere you purse your lips and breathe through your mouth, and when you do that, you whistle! It’s so endearing to hear you whistling around the house – I’m not even sure you realize what you’re doing. Nevertheless, it always makes me smile.

You said your first word this month . . . “up”! We are so excited that you are starting to express yourself verbally – up until now you’ve been all screeches and shrieks. While we still hear a lot of the nonsensical baby babble, you also say book (buh), bye-bye (bah-bah), and nap (aap). You say Mama, but only at night when you want to get out of your crib . . . “MAMA, UP”!

You are definitely our little water baby – bath time is your favorite time of day. Early on in the month you started leaning over in the tub to blow bubbles in the water. Now you try to crawl all over the tub and pull the shampoo bottles down. A few nights ago we had a scare – you were trying to stand up in the tub, slipped, and fell under the water. Daddy scooped you right up and held you close – you were perfectly fine, just scared. I think you took ten years off of Daddy, though – you scared him so much! Really, Amelia – no standing in the tub. I mean it.

There is a song by Plumb, “My Sweet, My Lovely” – it makes me think of you. On a particularly bad day, I played this song and you instantly calmed down. This song touches my heart, and I get tears in my eyes almost every time I listen to it.

I stare into the bluest eyes.

Time stands still in your smile.

You weren’t there, but now you’re here.

I dreamed of you, but I never knew.

How sweet and lovely. My sweet, my lovely. So sweet, so lovely.

Love, Mama

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