A letter: 19 months

Posted on | September 16, 2013 | 1 Comment

My sweet baby Hazel,

My oh my, how is it your over a year and a half old? I look back at your previous letters from time to time, and it truly is amazing how quickly time flies.

You've had quite the summer, and now it's heading into fall. Throughout the summer you camped quite a bit - in the high cascades, on the high desert Metolius river, on the foothills on the Mckenzie River, and on the coast. You are still happiest in nature my love. You also took a trip to Michigan to visit grandma and your Aunt Jamie over the 4th of July, spending every single day being a beach bum. It reminded me of my childhood. All in all you've been on 12 plane rides since birth!

Your last letter mentioned you were walking everywhere. Well now, you're running everywhere, and climbing everything. You're still kind of clumsy (ahem, not a trait of your mothers I swear) and fall down or bonk your head often. Your pediatrician assured me "we worry about the kids without bruises on their legs!' That made me feel a lot better. You got a tricyle from you nana & grandpa last week, and you're already learning to push the pedals with your feet, despite your legs being just a bit short to move the bike very far. My oh my how you change everyday!

Your talking a bit, although you still prefer sign language over verbal language. You have a good dozen or more verbal words you use frequently, but you probably say at least 20-30 signs. You also love to make animal noises, fart noises (!), and copy us when we cough, sneeze, laugh, etc. You do a lot of babbling, having full-blown conversations using your own little language. Oh how I wish I knew what you were saying.

You absolutely love the animals. Each morning when we let out the dogs and collect eggs, you say "hiii!" and "thank you" to the chickens for their eggs, unprompted - & each time, I melt. You constantly hug & kiss the dogs, and try to love on the antisocial cats as well. You don't have a 'lovey' per se, but some of your favorite toys are balls, your wooden kitchen, a stuffed monkey, and a giant pooh bear. You also LOVE reading - some nights we read a dozen books before bed! Music is still another fav of yours as well. You're constantly rocking your head and dancing. This week you've discovered 'the hokey pokey' and love sticking your belly in and out, then go in circles while giggling uncontrollably. It's the best thing to witness ever!

You are still a little squirt for your age. I believe you were 23 lbs at your 18 month well visit, and 31 inches tall. I think sometimes you look younger than you are, hence the reason you get so many "awwww" and "oh my goodness!" when we're out and about and you're walking, talking, etc (plus you're cute, duh!).

You're eating three meals a day, with plenty of snacks in between. You got out of your meat phase at about 14 months, and now are loving the carbs (another mom trait). I still try to give you nourishing food for each meal, but sometimes you just won't have it - I swear your food preferences change day by day! Some of your favorites are blueberry, corn, banana, pasta, toast, plain yogurt, kefir, chicken, and every so often you'll surprise me by eating veggies. I will always be there to push the veggies, my love. ;) You're also nursing still, and show no signs of quitting (nor do you like any other forms of milk).

Sleep. Oh dear sleep! You aren't so fond of sleeping soundly since about 18 months. I think you're a bit frustrated with my low milk supply these days, and you're not filling up your belly as much before bed. So of course now you want to nurse, nurse, nurse all night long. I try late dinners, lots of liquids but you're still just wanting mom. I'm happy to be here for you but want you to get a good nights rest (and me too!). I think after we get back from Europe next month we'll work together to get you to wean from the boob at night, so we can all be more rested during the day. Hopefully by the next letter you're sleeping like a baby (ha, ha).

In other news - you're going to be a big sister in April if all continues well! Tonight you came up to me after your bath and said 'baby' while doing the sign for baby (cradling the arms). That's the first time you've ever said it, and we haven't even really talked it much with you yet. I took that as a sign. You're going to be the best big sister, I know it. You are always so content and happy around other children, and you'll be such a good role model. However I now know my mom was right - you'll always be my baby, even after the next comes along, even after you graduate high school and college, get married & have your own babies. And I feel eternally blessed for that.