Twenty-one Months

My dear Amalia,

My sweet baby, no longer a baby, you are a big girl toddler, complete with big-girl independence, a strong will, tantrums, silliness and love.  Twenty-one months now, and what a twenty-one months it has been.

You have been having some potty success, which is astounding to me, although we are still a ways away from being declared potty-trained.  I know I’m not supposed to use food as bribes, but you just adore M&Ms so much that the promise of getting an M&M often convinces you to try when you might otherwise have refused.  I started using chocolate chips, and now you think any kind of chip is a chocolate chip.  Now, when you ask for a tortilla chip, you say ‘chopit chip!’ 

You love to have ‘pretties’ in your hair, mostly because your sister requires one in her hair at nighttime to keep her hair from being tangled, so you want one, too.  Your hair definitely needs something during the day.  I have a hard time knowing what to do with your hair.  It is getting long, but constantly falls in your face from way back on your head.  You also have several curls, but only right in the back, which makes a little bit of a rat’s nest if I’m not careful.  We usually put a barrette in to hold the hair off your forehead.  I’ve tried little pony tails on the top of your head, as well as piggy tails, though you aren’t very patient getting them put in and think it hurts a lot.  It is adorable, though!

We went to the zoo the other day, and you had a wonderful time.  You loved watching the animals, and spent 20 minutes chasing a tortoise around that the zookeepers had brought out for kids to touch.  You loved that tortoise, and endeared yourself to the zookeepers and even were able to say ‘tortoise’ and ‘Tobin’, the tortoise’s name.  You also fed kibble, one at a time, to a zebu, a type of domesticated African cow.  It stuck out its long, slobbery tongue to lick the kibble out of your hand each time, and you thought that was so wonderful.  The other kids wouldn’t go near it, but you had a great time.  You fed a giraffe, watched the lions, asked for ‘more otter’ and helped feed pelicans. 

You still love other people, and get so coy and happy when entertaining others or meeting new people.  You love to be the center of attention, and are so silly.

You have also gotten really clingy to mama, even though you really love other people.  You want me to be with you whenever possible, and will say ‘Mama’s turn’ when somebody else tries to help you with something.  Apparently, when you get home from daycare and are waiting for me, you sit by the door and say, ‘Mama’s coming.’  You clutch onto my shirt, grabbing ahold of the fabric and not letting go.  When we rock to sleep at night, you try to pull my shirt away from my chest so you can lay your cheek on me skin to skin. If I try to put you in your crib before you are ready you say, ‘Rock a minute’ to try to get me to hold you some more.

I love you so much, my sweet baby girl.  You are so incredibly amazing, and I am so excited to watch you grow. 

Loveyouforeverandalways,

Mama