Dear Ana,
Today you turn eighteen months old. One could also say you are now one and a half, which is SO much more impressive than telling your age in terms of simply months. As we embark on the latter half of your second year of life, you are really developing your personality and mastering your independence. In fact just the other day as we were walking down the stairs instead of saying, “help” and asking for my hand like you normally do, you pushed away my hand and said, “self.” That pretty much sums you up right now: Little Miss Independent.
Your physical ability is now suddenly matched with your mental cunningness. Meaning you are now able to figure out ways to climb to get what you want. You climb everything: chairs, couches, stools, beds. You dad and I understand we shouldn’t stop you from climbing, as this is your way of dealing with a world so much bigger than yourself. However, we want you to be safe. We are constantly reminding you to “sit on your bottom.” So you sit on the back of the chair…on your bottom.
A pleasant result of all this climbing is that your baby alarm is now back: you say “down” when you are climbing on something you shouldn’t be or you say “bottom” when you are standing on a chair when you are suppose to be sitting. So I just listen for you to set off the baby alarm and I say, “that’s right. You need to get down or sit on your bottom.” Man, you sure do make it easy for me to parent.
Several months back, when your language was just starting to develop we sometimes had a hard time understanding what you were trying to tell us. Eventually we started asking you to show us what you wanted. As a result, even now that your language is booming, you walk up to us and say, “hand” then while leading us by the hand you say, “show” and take us to see whatever it is you want to see or do.
Most of the other children you play with are older than you, and I think this has really helped you to understand the concept of taking turns and sharing. You have started saying “turn” when you either want us to help feed you or more frequently, when you want to feed yourself. Sharing can be a little tricky, but you definitely understand the concept when it comes to something you want; you are quick to tell us to “share” when you want some of what we have!
Anyone who has met your father and I knows that computers are very important to our household. And you are following quite nicely in our footsteps. You ask to “type” when you want to play on the computer. You love it so much we had to set up your own “computer system” at the dining room table with a mouse and keyboard just for you. Now you climb up on the chair at the kitchen table and pound away any time you want.
Another aspect of your ever expanding vocabulary is that you now like to name everything: animals, toys, people. You even point to yourself and say “Ana.” One of your favorite games to play is the body part game where you point to and name all of your body parts. You sometimes get confused by knee and elbow, thinking they should just be leg and arm. Quite frankly, I agree.
Another huge milestone this month is that you have started swinging like a big girl, that is to say you no longer require the full “bucket” seat. When we knew you were fine to swing on a normal swing, we took you to play on the swing set in our back yard. Once you found out you had your very own swings, you suddenly understood that it is no longer necessary to reserve swinging for special trips to the park. No, now you can swing anytime or all the time. And you definitely prefer the latter, as you would swing all day long if it were up to you.
A few weeks back we had some very hot weather and on one of those days we had a playdate with your friend Elliot. He has a great little kiddie pool so we covered you both in sunscreen and let you loose in the back yard to play. You LOVED the pool. So much in fact, that I went out the following day to get you one of your very own. You played in it every single day the weather was nice and were very distraught when it started raining again and we had to put the pool away for awhile. But don’t worry; when the sun comes back out, so will your pool.
Ana, I have dreamed of being a mom for as long as I can remember. It’s not very often the actuality of a dream is better than the dream itself. But the time you and I spend together is more amazing than I could ever have imagined. I would never have thought that the sound of your laugh would turn my world around, that a smile from you could erase all the troubles of my day, or the intense happiness I feel when you run across the room to wrap your arms around me. I could not have asked for a better daughter to make me a mom. Thank you.
All my love,
Mama
