Week 31 Year 1

Hello baby,

I wish there was a way to slow time down. I know every one thinks that and wants that too. It's so hard to believe you are 19 months old now! You are growing and changing so quickly! Some of your new things are coloring with markers (not a huge fan of the crayon), you are attached to your giraffe blanket and white kitty cat (you try to take the where ever you go), you say "sorry" all the time and "oh no" or "uh oh", signing all kinds of new words like gentle, help, water, please, milk, sorry and up. You are starting to want to sit in a big chair but still sit in your highchair for most meals, you love your rocking chair and your sparkle shoes. Those are pretty much the only ones you'll wear lately. You have had a runny nose and cough far too long now! I think that is the cause of your rosy cheeks too! You love to snuggle and rock before I put you to bed and as soon as you get up! Drop offs at school have been flawless this week, also no behavior problems! Nice work! You have been learning so much!

 Mimi drove our new van from New York to Nashville this week!!! We have a new van!! Woo hoo! So exciting! It was their van and they are ready for a new one. It is so very generous and kind of them! It was also a great visit! She was going to meet me at your school for pick up and got there about an hour and a half early and they invited her in to watch you all play and work! How cool is that!? She really enjoyed it!

Spying through the window!

The next morning we lounged around a bit and then got rolling to the Dog Day Festival. We took Stella of course and had such a nice time. It was gorgeous outside, so we walked around and saw so many dogs and puppies and then finally settled in the shade for a bite to eat and to relax a bit!

Later than night Ian & Averie came over for a while and we made pizzas, had tea parties, took baths and did a lot of playing. Maybe a little too much because after about an hour after you went to bed you started to do some coughing and I think one caught you off guard and you threw up. It was scary for you because I don't think you knew what was going on or even how to just let it go. But eventually we got you all cleaned up, settled down and back to sleep. Throwing up is no fun and it's something you'll never get used to!

Sorry I couldn't resist!

The next afternoon we went to Honeysuckle Hill Farms!! Whoa was this place cool! It had all kinds of animals like pigs, chickens, goats, bunnies, cows and ducks! We started to walk through a corn maze and got about five minutes into when you all of a sudden stopped and very "matter of fact" like said, "no" in a very sweet voice and decided to go the other way. We all got a big chuckle out of that and headed back! Then we found the box of corn! Oh what fun! You probably could have stayed there all day and were very upset when it was time to leave! We'll go back some day for sure!

The rest of the week has been sort of quiet. You've had some nice nights with daddy because I have had to work. I'm glad you get some alone time together though! You need that too!

 

I love you oh so very much,
Mommy

Week 30 Year 1

Hey baby girl,

So I feel bad for sort of chastising you in the last letter. Let me just clarify that you are doing what every other (almost) 19 month old does! It's totally normal and incredibly fascinating! I want you to test your boundaries, ask questions, buck the system and find your path. Of course, I'd rather you not cause harm to others or yourself while doing so! For the record, you are vibrant, funny, a little shy, very curious, so bright, a quick learner, you have an infectious laugh and a smile that brightens a room! You are so loved and everyone that knows you is excited to watch you grow and be a part of your life!

Okay, so we had a sort of mellow weekend. You and I chilled out Saturday morning while daddy had to go to work. We snuggled in bed for awhile and then decided to lounge around in our PJs, watching some Elmo, having some breakfast, dancing like chickens, playing and making our shopping list!

You LOVE your new rocking chair that G Poppa mad you!

Who needs a spoon right?

Then we were off to the store! First Target and then Trader Joe's. It was a long morning and you were SO exhausted at TJ and it was packed! We had to practically wait in line to get to sections of the store! A madhouse! But you stayed strong and didn't melt down although you were on the verge a couple of times. You passed out as soon as we got it in the car! So sweet!

A girl and her purse!

 

Oh shopping is fun!

 

The first 2 hours!!

 And I'm out! 

You took a nice long well deserved 2 hour nap and then we were off for some football! We went to the Golden's house with the Murdocks and cheered on UT! It was fun! And orange! 

You girls better get used to those tutus because the mommas may be obsessed! We're thinking tutus, Converse and naked butts for our next photo op!

Sunday was a mommy & daddy day date for a Titans football game. Sweet Angie (GiGi) came to play with you for the day. You ladies were busy! You played outside, colored, danced, snacked, watched some football and camped out in your room (since you wouldn't take a nap)! We love Angie and are so grateful that she takes such great care of you!

 

You weren't feeling well at school and they needed a doctors notes for you to come back, so Monday we made a trip to see Dr. Ros. She said you probably have allergies or a cold. She wasn't worried at all. As a matter of fact you have been fine, other than a bit of a cough and a runny nose. No fever and you're your normal silly, loving self! 

 

Yes, believe it or not, we went to the grocery store...again! This is the first time you wanted to ride in the "car cart"! You were so excited but were very upset when it was time to leave! Now I know and I promise we will get the car cart always! 

 I am loving the new daily reports from school!

 

I hope you get to feeling 100% soon! Fall is here and there is so much to do!

I love you more than all the Converse shoes in the world!

Mommy

 CHEESE!

Week 29 Year 1

Alright now little missy...

We'll just call this sassy week! A couple of things have happened, you are being sassy in a lot of different subtle and sometimes not so subtle ways AND you've been "getting in trouble" at school! I put that in quotes because you're 1 1/2 years old and you don't ever really get in trouble. We either redirect your behavior, discuss it or ignore it. Apparently there is (was) a book at school called 100 Animals that you just love, I mean really love and you are very protective of this book! So much so that you tried biting a friend that was pointing at it one day, tried biting a different friend (maybe-they don't ever tell us exactly which friend it was) for again trying to touch the book you hold so sacred and then finally you actually got your teeth into someone over that obviously extremely amazing book! That very same day, while having a snack you tried to grab a friend's food and that friend bit you! Geez, what's the deal toddlers!?!? Your teachers are handling very well and I'm so appreciative of the way they are communicating with me! We are acknowledging the issue and trying to resolve it as best as we can. But that's not all! You have also decided to help yourself to everyone's food whenever you feel like it. It seems to only happen at lunch time and at first we thought it might be because of a certain food but nope, it's all food and you even raided the refrigerator! So are you hungry my love? Do you feel like you just want to have what the other kids are having? What's this all about? I wish you could tell me! It's not that "big" of a deal and I bet you'll be over it before we (teachers, me, your dad, etc) have time to over think it but it's still so perplexing!

 

Other than that, it's been a pretty chill week! We went to the Tennessee State Fair this weekend! It was a lot of the same from the other fairs but we took it really relaxed and slow and just did whatever we wanted and took our time doing it! It was fun, relaxing in a weird way, calming even...hard to explain! We all loved the quality family time together!

 This was a Fun House of Mirrors! You may have bumped your face/head several times and might have laughed out loud every time! It was truly a "fun house"! 

We started another round of Kindermusik on Tuesdays! You sure do love to play the drums!! 

I sure do love you,

Momma duck