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

Dear Ana,
Today you turn seventeen months old. We have been so busy having fun I don’t even know where to begin. I guess first off, we have to start with your packed social calendar. The other day I tried to set up a playdate and realized you were booked up weeks in advance. Not me: YOU. Monday and Tuesday you have MOMS Club playgroups, Wednesday is Mommy & Me, Thursday and Saturday you have Gymboree. With the exception of Sunday, Friday is your only real day off, and that is only until summer when you start swimming lessons. But you know what? You thrive off of our schedule. You love going places, seeing new things, and playing with your friends. Every day you wake up from your morning nap and say, “Go go?” And we do: we go go.


Somehow amidst all of our running around, you have managed to maintain an interest in potty training. (I know, I know. Here I am talking about the potty again. But this stuff is important. We are talking about LIFE SKILLS here!) We got you the “Once Upon a Potty” kit, which came with a potty for you, a potty-training doll (anatomically correct, no less!) named Prudence, a tiny potty for Prudence, and a little storybook. The story is just specific enough about the details of potty training, but it explains things in a way that you really related to. I think it finally helped you understand the potty is more than a funky shaped chair. You love bringing Prudence with you to the bathroom to sit on the potty together. However you don’t like Prudence to have to use the little potty and more often than not, end up setting her on the little potty INSIDE of your potty.




But something about it has suddenly clicked and in the last week you have peed on the potty FOUR times. Until this week, the only thing I could get you to do was poop on the potty. And that was only because you and I could both tell when you needed to go. You would give me a look, say “potty!” and I would grab you and run to the potty. But I was beginning to think peeing was out of the questions. By time you realized you had to go, you had already gone. Whoops! Too late. Then out of no where you said you had to go, we set you on the potty and low and behold! Pee! Goes to prove all I have to do is doubt you and you will do your darndest to prove me wrong. Good job, kiddo!


Suddenly this month you have become obsessed with bikes. You love to climb on them, walk them, push them, you name it. Luckily this month was also the MOMS Club garage sale and I scored two great finds: a little Radio Flyer trike and a battery powered ATV. We keep the trike inside because its much smaller and just so darn cute, but the ATV requires room for you to drive. We strap on your helmet and you are off! Well, that is until you drive into something. See, you haven’t quite grasped the concept of steering yet. Oh well, I am sure that will come in time.



Along the same lines as bikes, you like anything that moves. The quicker the better. It started with me pushing you in the stroller, then your Daddy hauling you in the bike trailer, and our latest obsessions: swings and slides. You are totally going to be my amusement park ride buddy, because man, do you love to go fast, spin, twist, and turn. You father would prefer to wait on the sidelines while I ride the rollercoasters and so I know you got this from me! Oh we are gonna have so much fun when you are finally tall enough to “ride this ride.”



This last weekend was not only a huge milestone for you, but for you daddy as well. He took care of you for an ENTIRE WEEKEND. I went off on the MOMS Club Spring Retreat, while you got to have an amazing Daddy-Daughter weekend. I prepped your daddy for everything: packed snacks, loaded the diaper bag, I even set out outfits for each day I would be gone. Everything I could do to make the weekend go as smoothly as possible. And boy did it work! You guys both did great. You had so much fun that your father is already trying to figure out where he can send me next so you two can spend more time alone together!


The most wonderful thing about spending so much time with you is the fact that I get to see the world through your eyes. Everything is new and fascinating. Every surface is another obstacle to conquer. Grass isn’t just grass. It’s spiky, it’s uneven, it’s green, it’s GRASS! It is so refreshing to be forced to appreciate all the things I have come to take for granted. Thank you for helping me get some much needed perspective and making everything in my world that much better.


All my love,
Mama