Actually she's 2.5 lol, but I never added her birthday video to my blog so I thought I'd do so now. Better late than never right? If you remember, It is a goal of mine to video my kids throughout the year and make a short video of them every year on their birthday. I am no videographer by any means, but these little clips are so so incredibly special to me. They help me remember her in all the different stages so perfectly. If you missed her one year old video, you can press here and watch that one too!
My darling girl,
Watching you grow has been my greatest joy. I wasn't prepared for all the ways you'd make me smile this year, and all the ways you'd challenge me. You continue to be the funniest, silliest, incredibly gifted, and most beautiful little girl around. Your baby sister is just around the corner and I know you will shine at being a big sister too. I am so proud to be your mommy.
I love writing these letters to you on your milestone months, and 18 months a.k.a. 1.5 years old seems like a good time to write to you. You sure are something special little one. There isn't a person that meets you that doesn't tell me that. Your personality has bloomed these last few months, and oh boy you sure do like to test your mommy and daddy. But it's ok, we always like a good challenge. In a few adjectives you are best described as unbelievably funny, eager, assertive, and joyful.
You still love music, but are super demanding about what is allowed to be playing. Your current faves are Taylor Swift (but only her newest album), Love is an Open Door from the Frozen soundtrack, and good ole Justin Bieber's Baby song. You dance just about anytime you hear music, you can't even help it. And you sing in the shower, all on your own, without anyone telling you to (and yes you prefer a shower over a bath now).
You are finally napping like a champ. It only took you 17 months to figure that out. But in order for you to nap well, mommy has to climb into the crib with you and rub your feet and back till you fall asleep. But then you fall asleep, and you are perfect, snuggling up to your Clifford and Buzz lightyear stuffed animals.
You looooove watching Tangled right now, and I'm pretty sure you have a crush on Flynn Ryder. You basically would request to watch that 24/7 if I let you. Grapes are your favorite snack, but you call them "apes". Mac and Cheese is your favorite food, and you'd probably bathe in it if you could. You basically devour fruit, and don't touch vegetables except cucumbers and pea snacks. You love making animal sounds, and calling every dog a "bubba". You are VERY vocal, but "NO" and "MORE" are your current favorite words. You've also started calling me "Mommy" instead of "Mama" and it melts my heart every time. We love to read together, in your rocking chair, where you usually request something with animals or Clifford. You love going to the park, and just being outside in general. You always pick me a flower or ten. And you've discovered bugs, and want to touch them and say "hi" to them. You notice ANYTHING out of place, and are super bothered as you say "uh-oh" until someone decides to fix it.
We are working on saying sorry when we do something naughty. And not hitting when we are mad. Your newest book called No Hitting, is a new favorite around here. You love to throw your whole body to the floor when you don't get your way, and scream. While you can be stubborn, you sure can be nice. You love to share, especially the food that you don't really want. You love to give hugs and kisses to the people you love. You say hi to EVERY single person in a store. All the old ladies tell me, "Wow, she sure is friendly!" You do this funny thing where you close your eyes when you don't want to see someone, as if closing your eyes makes them disappear.
You are incredibly beautiful. You have the most gorgeous head of thick honey/blonde colored hair. With the cutest bangs that just keep growing forward, just like mine did as a kid. Your hair just keeps growing, but your mommy only knows how to do two hairstyles on you - pigtails, and a cindy lou-who-ish pony on top of your head. Your eyes are striking in the light, and you have the cutest little short asian blonde eyelashes to go with them. You squint so much when you smile, that your eyes disappear into a little line. And your smile, it shows all your teeth, and your cute little dimple on your right side. Your smile matches your laugh that's always changing, it's like you are trying out new laughs to see which one you like best.
Today you are one! I really don't know how that's possible, since it was just yesterday I heard your first cries. While you won't remember your first year of life, I hope to remember as much as I can. So I'm writing it down, because I know with time I'll forget the little things you did this year that made you so special.
I'll never forget holding you for the first time, the way we locked eyes, and your perfect little face. Your tiny little hands attached to your wrinkly body. When I snuck out of my hospital bed on the 3rd night and got you out of your bassinet in the middle of the night, just so I could hold you without being interrupted. The drive home from the hospital, how slow your daddy drove, how nervous I was. When we introduced you to your brother Mowgli, how he smothered you in doggy kisses, he loved you immediately. Your intoxicating baby smell and baby breath, I'm convinced that nothing smells better. Your first bath, how you were so comfortable in the water. Your first poop explosion, all over daddy, the changing table, and the floor. The first night I cried, because I was just. so. tired. and you wouldn't sleep. Our nursing journey together, all the pain and rewards. The time your grandma made me nurse you in public, just for practice, on a bench in front of Nordstrom Rack, because I was so scared to nurse you anywhere but home. Your bassinet next to my bed, the comfort of always knowing you were breathing and the constant checking up on you. The way you hated being swaddled, because you run warm like your daddy.
I'll never forget your first smiles, how rewarding that was to know you were smiling because you were happy. The time your daddy teared up because you smiled at him. The moment I realized that your hair was really blonde and your blue eyes were here to stay. Your chubbiness and ALL those rolls. How I'd lift up your chin just to clean the goop out from under your neck. When you started blowing bubbles and how we thought it was so funny. How you loved blowing and receiving raspberries on your tummy.
All the naps we took together. How you always want to nap in my bed next to me. All the times I just laid there and stared at you, and studied you, instead of sleeping myself. All the times I nursed you to sleep, and you would just rest in my arms. Allllll the sleepless nights, because of growing or your teeth cutting. The countless times I rocked you in your glider, with Mowgli at our feet. All the nights we co-slept, because it was easier than constantly fighting you to sleep in your crib. The week we taught you to sleep in your crib, and how it was harder on me than on you. The nights before both of my surgeries, how I left you for 5 days both times. How quickly you adapted without me.
When you discovered your voice and all you wanted to do was scream. How you started talking at 6 months, and your first word was "mama". How you'd only say "mama" when you were mad and crying. Then you learned, "baba", which soon became "dada". When you learned the word "baby", and everything became your "baby". How you like to sing, and hum to music. Your giftedness with music. How you dance like crazy. The way you put your hand in the air and shake your butt to the beat. How much you LOVE Moana, and how you could listen to "You're Welcome" a hundred times in a row. The ocean sounds playing before bed every night.
When you started rolling over, and how long it took because you were so chubby. How once you rolled, you never stopped moving from there. How you'd roll across the floor to get to what you wanted. When you started crawling and getting into everything. How you'd find every crumb on the floor and try to eat it. When you started standing, and then falling down on everything. How you always wanted to go on a walk with daddy and hold his hand. The day you let go, and started walking by yourself.
How you'd always run me over in your walker. How you loved carrying your baby doll around the house. How you would point at the pictures of you up the stairs and laugh. How you loved looking at the picture of you on my lock screen on my phone. How you loved standing on my bed and falling on the pillows. How you love banging on the end table at Grandma's because it sounds like a drum. How you light up when Grandma comes to see you, and how you love to Facetime your Lolo. How you bark when Mowgli barks at the door. Your first tantrum in the store, because I took away my bracelet. How you "pat" Mowgli. All the times I read you, "Goodnight Baby", and "Where is Baby's Belly Button?". How you point the remotes at the TV and record all kinds of odd shows. The time you learned peek-a-boo with the couch blanket. How you jumped like a wild man in your bouncer.
The way you scrunch your nose when you smile. How your blonde hair always gets in your eyes. The space between your two front teeth. The crease between your wrist and hand, and the crease on your thigh. Your square chubby feet. Your rosey red cheeks when you get too hot. Your pale white skin. The tan lines on your arms. Your oh so beautiful smile with your squinty eyes.
The way you chew your food with your front teeth. How you throw your food off the tray when you're done eating and feed the dog. How you think it's so funny when you spit out your water after drinking from your sippy cup. How you stomp on every twig outside when you're walking. When you loved to eat your toes. Your big wet sloppy kisses. How you are a social butterfly and want to talk to everyone you meet. The way you are so incredibly trusting to complete strangers.
I love you sweet girl. I can't wait to see what this year brings with you! You make this world such a happier place.
It's our first Mother's Day together tomorrow. My first Mother's Day as a MOM. I still can't believe I'm the one that was called to be your mommy. Today started out with me trying to make my morning coffee, while you continued to run me over in the kitchen in your walker. Ramming into my legs every chance you got and me seriously considering glueing some padding to the base of that darn thing. Then, our morning continued with me finding green poop looking splotches all over the butt part of your WHITE nightie only to find out it wasn't in fact poop, but instead some blueberry mush you sat on (that I still can't find in the house).
Today we made an impromptu run to the beach. We didn't even have a beach towel or a swimsuit, but I just wanted you to feel the sand between your toes. You loved every second of the beach and squealed in delight every time your daddy let you put your feet in the ocean. I think I want this to be our Mother's Day tradition (mine was going to the park with your Grandma).
Tomorrow I'm going to soak up every second of you being little. I am going to hold you a little longer before putting you on the ground to play, I am going to sing you one more silly song, let you eat a few more puffs (your current fave), and rock you to sleep a little bit longer than usual.
You my darling are wild, daring, adventurous, and incredibly funny. You are everything I am not, adding to the list of reasons why I love you. I never knew how much I would love you till I met you. I think my heart has doubled in size in these last 9 months of your life. I am so thankful for you my girl. While I may have made you, you are the one who made ME a mother.
