23 Months

Mia

Dad and I were choking back tears last night as we realized that today would officially begin the one month count down until you are two. Where did this year go? Where?? There will always be a part of us that will know you are our baby but as we look at you, play with you, and love you, we can clearly see you are no longer our baby girl. You are our smart, courageous, funny, inquisitive, fun-loving, quick to laugh, prankster, daring, sweet and loving toddler.

When I picked you up from daycare about two weeks ago the teachers immediately came up to me, obviously eager to tell me something. Your main teacher, Sierra, said that they had read a Dinosaur book to all you kids. As soon as the part came in the book where you roar along with the dinosaur in the book, you jumped up and ROARED louder than anyone else! You had the best roar! You had all your teachers laughing so hard they thought it was incredible that such a dino-roar could come from someone so small and cute! I laughed as they recounted the event and said, yup, that's her Dad's teaching! He will be so proud!

Speaking of Daddy, my goodness, you are a Daddy's girl suddenly. I still have the special spot of diaper duty and bedtime singing but other than that, if Dad is here, he has your full attention. You ask for him in the morning and when I drop you off and when I pick you up. Daddy is working a LOT this month at the hospital so the only time we get to see him is if he has a free moment around the time I am picking you up from daycare. It's always a rushed event, going to see him, but it's all we can manage so we do what we can. You love it, though. He gives you treats from the cafe and you run around the cafeteria seating area, which is quite large and has lots of little places to hide as you chase each other. We went today, in fact. You got to eat applesauce from a squeeze packet (your favorite) and run around to your heart's content until he got called away urgently. You two adore each other and it makes my heart happy to see you together. As hard as some of these months are, that's all they are- four weeks here, or there, and then a change and it's a totally different schedule. Then we mold our lives around it and make it work. That's what being a family and being committed to each other is about and we are living the dream!

Also speaking of Daddy and time off, we had such a treat and got to have him home with us for two whole days- Conference weekend and Easter Sunday! We couldn't believe how blessed we were. Saturday we needed to catch up on quite a few things so we didn't get to watch conference but we will next weekend instead. Then Saturday night we hid eggs (haha with one jelly bean in them each) around the living room and we set up your basket and things on the chair in the living room. I couldn't believe all the presents you had! Things from daycare, your birthfamily, Grandma and Grandpa, and then Daddy and I each shopped for you separately, not knowing the other already was (you lucky girl!). You had bubbles, books, beach bucket and shovel (for your upcoming birthday trip!), a ride on car, a shopping basket (I'm hoping to get you a kitchen soon), little candies like a Princess Sophia Pez, and stickers. Your birthfamily had sent you two books as well as an adorable bunny Beanie Baby. Once I saw how much you loved it and played with it, I thought bunny might like some friends so we bought you a kitty and a red cardinal bird for Easter. It's been a joy to watch you use your imagination to play with the three of them together. Oh, and we also got you sidewalk chalk in the shape of eggs. That was Daddy's idea and wow was it a hit. We were out on the back porch for a couple hours on Easter just drawing and playing outside together. It was cool out but it didn't seem to bother you so we stayed out as long as we could then we went in and had warm drinks and wound down for the night. It was fun for us to see you walk out and see all the things we had set up for you and hopefully for you to know how much everyone loves you! Sunday I got a sore throat so we weren't able to do Easter dinner with anyone but we did watch both sessions of Conference as well as FaceTime with both our parents. You love to see Grandma and Grandpa and Nana and Papa :)

You had your check up with the doctor yesterday on your ears. They look fantastic and the doctor was so nice and even let me look for myself. You were a big girl and after you passed your hearing test you got a Nemo sticker. Then the doctor looked in my throat since I've been so miserable. The Lord is good to us and is always mindful of us like that.

For the life of me, no matter how many times we've gone over it, you can't seem to repeat one-two-three. I'd guess we've tried a thousand or more times. haha. But then there are the ABC's. There are 26 letters in our alphabet and you have completely mastered the song. We were driving last week when suddenly you started way up at H and went to Z then back up again. A couple days after that and you're singing the entire song. Wow. So, I think what this is telling me is I need to make counting into a song :) Learning these little tricks with you has been such a delight.

I can't remember what started it, but I think you asked me about something and I must have said it was broken. Ohhhhh boy. If I'd only known. "Broken" is your new most favorite word. Everything is broken. You bite into a cracker- "broken, Mama?". You probably ask me if something is broken 50 times- just in the evenings when we are home from work/daycare. It really doesn't bother me I actually think it's amazing how you are figuring out this world. Once you've decided what's broken and not broken, I'm interested to see what you'll move onto next!

Mia, you are our sweetheart giving loves and being kind. You still come to us for cuddles and to be held. Lately as I have been looking down at you as you hold your arms up and plead for me to hold you, saying "Up?", for a fraction of a second my mind reminds me how much I will miss holding you when you are too big. Or when you don't want to be held anymore. You're such an independent little girl I don't feel I need to worry about "over-carrying" you so I always pick you up if you ask and if I can. I love holding you and if I can, I will jump and jog and bounce to make you laugh. It's so worth it. You'll say, "gen? gen?" (rhymes with "Ken") saying, again? again, please Mommy? You say that a lot after we tickle you, too. You are simply adorable.

Darling, I love you beyond measure. You are my pal. I hope you will always know how loved you are and how there isn't a day nor and hour nor a breath that goes by that I don't think of you and feel grateful for you. With you and Daddy at my side, eternity will be the most wonderfully blissful thing I can imagine. I want you to know I have a firm testimony that families are forever. Forever and ever- that's how long we get to love each other and grow as a family and even on to more generations as you gain and grow your own family. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Happy month-birthday my darling little one. Every time my heart beats, I love you even more.

Love
Mommy