Dear Hadley,
Last week you turned twenty-eight months old. When I think about how little you still are, I am shocked at what a big personality fits inside such a tiny body. You are growing so fast and changing so much each day that I have to remember to sit back and enjoy you as you are today because tomorrow you will be another day older, bigger, and wiser.

I’m not sure if I have mentioned this yet, but you are totally and completely obsessed with Diego. Every morning you wake up and the first thing you want to do is cuddle on the couch with some hot chocolate and watch “Go, Diego, Go.” I think it says a lot about your personality; you are adventurous, brave, and love animals. And I’m kind of happy that you didn’t go the traditional Dora route (because I logged more than my fair share of Dora when Ana was your age). Rather than being all butterflies, princesses, and fairies, Diego is into extreme sports, exploring the world, and helping animals. I think those are wonderful things to aspire to and so I totally support your Diego habit.


I’m not sure I should admit this, but I am not a fan of “kid music.” I feel like between television theme songs and commercials we are already inundated with enough of the annoyingly-catchy music which when actually sung by children sounds like it belongs in a horror movie. Shudder. Anyway, I digress. I was able to keep this genre from you for quite awhile but last week in a desperate attempt to keep you awake in the car (lest you fall asleep and foil all hopes of a real nap) I plugged in my iPhone and played “Go, Diego, Go Live!” music. Just as I expected, your eyes lit up with delight and you shrieked with contagious glee. The good side? I managed to keep you awake til we got home. However the down side is that now every time we are in the car you tell me, “I no like THIS song. I like Diego…”

You have become quite the animal hoarder. You are very fond of a particular set of stuffed animals who are lucky enough to be permitted to reside in your crib. You have named the monkeys Dada Monkey, Mama Monkey, and Baby Monkey, and the lone cat in the bunch is called Little Brad. You are constantly trying to carry ALL of them around with you and they are always the first toys brought down to cuddle with you on the couch while you watch Diego.

But just because you like Diego and animals does not mean you aren’t still all girl. You love to accessorize like it’s your job. You spend a lot of the time we are home walking around in high heels and about half of that time you are either sporting a backpack or have a purse dangling off your arm.

You also love to draw and “do art.” The other day you were drawing on the big dry erase board in Daddy’s office, working on your latest masterpiece. I asked you what you were making and you pointed to your picture and said, “That my eye… That my other eye… That my mouth… And that my scribble.” Good to know you are keeping it real.

I am constantly amazed at what a keen observer you are. You have perfect hearing and pay attention to everything. Just this morning you wanted to pick out a movie for us to watch. After briefly debating Tangled or Puss in Boots (which for some reason you call Buttons in Beeps) we finally decided on Monsters, Inc. You quickly said, “I get it!” then without hesitating for even a second, you pulled open the third drawer of DVDs, reached between Megamind and Monsters vs. Aliens and pulled out the correct DVD case. I know I shouldn’t doubt your borderline savant memory, but I was totally floored.

You are also all about doctors lately. Whether it’s asking to go to the doctor’s office, pretending to be a doctor with one of our many doctor’s kits, or reenacting recently watched episodes of Doc McStuffins. Around here, we are all doctors, all the time. You are very aware of every single scratch, hang nail, or bruise on any member of our immediate family. You love to examine our “ouches” and “doctor us” then ask, “you feel better?” (Ed. Note: Yikes. Have you ever read a paragraph that said DOCTOR so many times? I feel like I need to add “doctor, doctor, doctor” just to make sure.)

Hadley, I know everyone always says the current phase their child is in is their favorite, and  I am not any different. Every day I marvel at how much I love this stage of development. Everything you say is adorable. Witnessing you go from saying, “It’s me turn!” to correctly declaring, “It’s MY turn!” Watching the way you walk, dance, or even sleep is mesmerizing. Even as you throw a typical two-year old temper tantrum (say that five times fast!) I watch your shockingly blue eyes fill up with tears, and your chin quiver with emotion, I just think about how I want to wrap my arms around you and just hold you close to me. And I plan to do just that…for as long as you will let me.

All my love,
Mama

Dear Hadley,
Yesterday you turned twenty-seven months old. It’s funny because sometimes you do things and I have such a hard time believing that you are only two. You seem so mature, well-behaved, and peaceful. For example, yesterday at Stroller Strides all the kiddos were circled up and the majority of the kids (who were actually awake) were either whining, begging for something, or screaming and throwing a fit. I  looked over to see you sitting calmly in your stroller, munching on your snacks, and just watching all the chaos unfold around you. I wanted to scoop you up right then and there and tell you how simply amazing you were, but I’m smart and I know not to mess with a good thing. So I just beamed with private pride and continued with my workout, motivated by your awesomeness.

But then you go ahead and do something that is very two. Very terrible twos. Temper tantrums of such monumental proportions that all I can do is simply step back… breathe… and get my camera to take pictures of you laying prostrate across the floor because I wouldn’t let you climb onto the counter to get your own snack out of the cupboard.


You are one stubborn and determined child. You don’t let much get in your way and that is obvious. I see so much of myself in you and even though at times I get so frustrated with your fight for independence I have to admit that I am secretly very proud of you. It may kill me to have to wait idly by while you climb slowly up the stairs to get your blanket (“I get it MYSELF!”) when I was already standing beside the very blanket you wanted. But I respect it because I probably would have done the exact same thing. If you know someone interested in special educational needs resources, you can send news from this article resources to keep them informed.

But it’s not all battles of will or declarations of independence. I love watching you discover and relish the simple things in life. A couple weeks ago you discovered that your jeggings had real pockets and you could put both of your hands in those tiny little pockets. You just walked around with your hands glued to your butt, shouting, “Pockets!” while I hovered close by and prayed you didn’t trip and fall (because we all know you have had more than your fair share of emergency room visits in your short existence). I just love watching you get excited about all the little things we adults take for granted. Like pockets. It just doesn’t get much better than pockets.


It’s been a slow process, but you are starting to show more of an interest in potty training. You are getting better at telling me when you want to go to the bathroom and I think a lot of that has to do with rewards. We have a jar of M&Ms that are strictly for potty rewards. You get one for trying, two for peeing, and three for pooping. It works when you want it to work. But there are still times when you go into the bathroom, hide behind the door, and fill your diaper. Like I said before, stubborn.

But the interest is there. In fact the other day in the car I heard you talking to Minnie Mouse encouraging her to use the potty. I looked back to see that you had opened up your Minnie Mouse flip phone and was letting her use it as a toilet. Clever, my dear. A little gross, but still clever. (I also like that you lifted up Minnie’s dress for her to sit on the potty. I’m just going to pretend that wasn’t an accident.)

I’ve also learned not to be truly surprised by anything you do. As you become more capable of rearranging furniture, placing toys in specific places, or setting up elaborate games that no one will understand but you. Like this. I came into the living room to find you had spread out a blanket on the couch, placed an empty diaper box on the blanket, and climbed inside of it. Why? We will never know. But you wanted it to be that way and so it was.

Over the last month you have started taking a ballet class at the Cedar Hills Rec Center. It’s different from the class you were taking before because this teacher prefers NOT to have parent participation. She likes to slowly wean the children from their mothers (or for some, I think it’s the other way around). She lets the parents participate in the first class, then sit off to the side in the second class, and by the third or fourth class the parents are sitting out in the hallway and come back in only when class is over. This has been quite a source of stress for you. Often times we will be driving in the car and out of nowhere you will say, “You no go outside.” to which I respond something like, “No, it’s cold and rainy today. I think we will stay inside.” Then you clarify, frustrated at my inability to instantly know what you are talking about, “At ballet class. You no go outside.” And then I get to explain that the class is for YOU, not for mamas. The mamas get to sit out in the hallway and wait for the girls to finish their class. I was a little shocked that this was bothering you so much. You are normally so independent, refusing even the littlest bit of help, but you really did not want me to go. I was torn between being frustrated (See all the other girls are having fun without their moms being there!) and flattered (You DO still need me!). You would do ok for the majority of the class, but about two thirds of the way through you would get upset and I would have to come back in and sit on the mats in the back of the studio. But this week you finally did it. You had fun through the entire class and I never had to even step back into the room until it was time to sign you out.

Your performing isn’t limited just to dance class. You also really like to sing but since you are still learning all the lyrics, you generally just pick one line from the song and sing it over and over. Like in Will.i.am and Britney Spears’ “Scream and Shout” you just repeat “oh wee oh wee oh!” Or Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Getting Back Together” you chant “never, ever ever, never!”

You are quite the silly little monkey. I never know what is going to come out of your mouth. Anytime I give you grapes I hear you saying “eat like apple” over and over. Then I see you taking little nibbles around the tiny grape and looking thoroughly pleased with yourself.

Hadley, you are such a wonderful little girl. I am so proud of all the things you are now able to do. While I love that you are growing up and able to do more things, I also have to make sure I don’t forget to let you be little. I treasure every time you climb up onto my lap to snuggle or read a book. I love the feel of your tiny hand in mine as we walk across the street together. I enjoy kissing your owies and making you feel better. These are just a few of the things that I only get to do for a short time, so I am going to enjoy every one I can get.

All my love,
Mama

Dear Hadley,

Last week you turned twenty-six months old. And man, are you sure coming into your own. You are quite the character. Constantly making us burst out laughing (or have to bite our tongues when you say or do something naughty that is nevertheless equally hilarious). You will repeat just about anything we say, but there is just something hilarious hearing it come from your tiny mouth.

You have two different “voices” you like to speak in. One is this high, schrill volume that you generally reserve for moments of sheer excitement. Like anytime you see Ana (“My Sissy Poo!”) or when it was time to open presents (“Open presents? YEAHHHH!”). The other is this totally unexpected deep baritone that you use to sound authoritative (“Ana, eat you broccoli!”) or express sadness/anger (“I do it MYSELF.”).

In all your constant chatting, you have become quite the manners aficionado.  In fact, you sometimes border on being the Manners Police! A couple weeks ago I just finished loading groceries into my car and a man offered to take my cart back to the store. After I said “thank you” he simply nodded in response. But you gave him a stern look and shouted, “Say ‘you welcome!'” Thank you my dear. At least I know you always have my back.

Admitting your child is getting bigger is a hard thing thing to do. Which is why when we went on our vacation to Eagle Crest over Christmas vacation we brought the Pack N Play to use as your bed. It wasn’t until we put you in it the first night that we really noticed just how HUGE you are now. You took up every single inch of that portable crib. You only lasted part of the night in that tiny cramped space and spent the rest of the week sleeping on the air mattress with Ana. I guess we should probably accept that fact that you aren’t the tiny baby you once were.

If I had to pick one word to describe you right now, it would have to be independent. You want to do everything by yourself. From climbing into your car seat to decorating cookies to putting on your own socks, I am constantly hearing you say, “I do it!” You have the most determined look on your face and, while it may take you a little longer, you can usually get it done in the end. You are stubborn and determined and I admire your drive to be soself-sufficient.

Like your father, you are very easily excited. The simple sight of snow and you can go from being in a bad mood to being on top of the world. We have been to the mountain a few times in the last month and each time we get high enough in elevation to see snow accumulation it’s all I can do to keep you from hyperventilating as you chant, “Snow. Snow! SNOW!!” while watching it fall outside your car window.

You have started doing this thing (not quite sure I can even call it a phase) where everything you see you assign a family position. Large things are Daddy. Very tiny things are Hadley. Things in between vary between being Mama or Sissy/Ana. For example if you see three bears of varying sizes the largest is the Daddy Bear, the middle is the Mama Bear, and the littlest is the Hadley Bear (Not Baby Bear. HADLEY BEAR. I only made that mistake once.) But it’s not always living things either. Sometimes you find random things and you pick them up and say, “This rock a Hadley rock.” Basically I think it means you equate your name with meaning something is small.

As you watch Ana and all her artistic interests you have started wanting to test your crafty abilities as well. We started you small with crayons and coloring books, then dry erase markers on a white board, and have recently ventured into the magic that is Crayola Color Wonder. I am a big fan of the fact that the “paint” only works on the magic paper so the mess is nice and contained. See? You can be creative and express yourself without destroying my house in the process!

Hadley, you are such a joyful presence. I just love being around you because you never fail to brighten my mood. I never know what you are going to say or do and you constantly catch me off guard. Your vocabulary, as well as your physical and mental abilities, are growing with such ferocity that I’m afraid if I blink you’ll be completing your college applications before I even realize what is happening. Thank you for being so amazing and for always keeping me on my toes!

All my love,

Mama

Dear Hadley,

Last week you turned twenty-five months old. You have only been two for a little over a month and I feel like you have it mastered. I would never say you are “terrible” as the two’s are often described, but I certainly understand why some people do. You wear your feelings on your sleeve and we are constantly riding an emotional roller coaster that quickly goes from complete happiness to utter devastation, then rounds the corner to stubbornness sprinkled with rage and eases gently back to blissful content. In fact just the other day you were throwing a sitcom-esque fit and stomping your feet in anger. You were shouting, “Too tiny! TOO TINY!” When I asked you what was too tiny, you looked at me in disbelief and said, “ME!”

As you want to express your new-found independence, more and more we are finding ourselves at a battle of wills as you want to “do it by myself” and I want you to, say, hold my hand to safely cross the street (shocking, I know). I understand that you want to show me what a big girl you are, and when it’s safe (and we have the extra 20 minutes required for you to actually put your pants on by yourself) I am more than happy to let you.

You are also not afraid to tell it like it is. Kids don’t have a censor button like adults (thank goodness because you wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining!) and so if you think it, then you say it. I will be flipping through the radio stations and you will tell me, “No like it.” over and over until I find one that you actually enjoy (like your father, you are quite fond of Christmas music). But I can forget about singing along because whenever I do you are quick to tell me, “No singin’ Mama. I no like it.”

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all struggles and emotional outbursts. In fact you have become our family cheerleader. You are always clapping and telling us what a good job we are doing. Last week we were driving to playgroup when you suddenly started clapping and shouting, “Yeah!” Thinking you were just realizing where we were going I said, “Do you recognize where we are?” You paused and looked at me with a confused expression and said, “No.” So I asked why you were clapping and you got all excited again and said, “Good driving, Mama! Yeah!”

You are also incredibly sweet and polite. You are always trying to hug your friends or hold hands as you walk along together. You also have amazing manners for a two-year-old. You are always saying “p’ease” and “t’ank you.” And while I think is to be expected from most kiddos your age, you are the only child I know that says, “T’ank you, Mama. T’ank you.” when I simply change your diaper.

There are so many things you say that just crack me up.  You have recently started referring to Ana as “Sissy-Poo” and while I have no idea where this came from, I simply cannot help but smile when I hear it. You have also adopted Ana’s nickname for your dad and when you are being extra sweet (or want something), you refer to him as “Daddy-o.” (I’ll try not to be offended that you don’t have a pet name for me, but simply oscillate between Mama and Mom.)

Hadley, you are such a wonderful little girl. I just love to be around you and I marvel each day at how quickly you are growing into such a little lady. When you aren’t click-clacking around the house in tiny dress-up high heels you can often be found “doctoring” your baby dolls. You are so nurturing and kind that I can’t help but graviate towards you. Thank you for being amazing, perfect, and most importantly, mine!

All my love,

Mama

Dear Hadley,
Today you are twenty-four months old… which means today is your birthday! Happy birthday, my sweet TWO YEAR OLD girl! You have grown up so quickly, I honestly have no idea where time has gone. You are talking up a storm lately and it is just so much fun listening to all the things you have to say. Mostly you are telling me “I do it!” because you are quite an independent little thing.

We celebrated your birthday last weekend and I know you had a wonderful time because you simply cannot stop talking about your party. You are obsessed with owls so it was only natural that you had an owl themed birthday party. As I pieced together all the details for your party (love is in the details, after all) from owl favor bags, to an owl pull-string pinata, and your (if I don’t mind saying so myself) adorable homemade owl cake, I kept you involved in the whole process. You were very quick to give my work your “Like it!” seal of approval.

In our family, smartphones (that can trust the services that are available in a cell phone repair site mentioned here) are never more than an arms length away. From keeping track of all of our busy schedules, to responding to emails, to constantly snapping pictures of the adorable things you do, you are no stranger to having an iPhone in your face. So it was no surprise when I caught you trying to take MY picture with your iPhone the other day.

Before we round the corner into winter, I must take a moment to discuss all the fabulous fall activities that you were able to enjoy for the first this year. We went to the pumpkin patch with our MOMS Club friends and it is my firm belief that no pumpkin patch experience is complete without a caramel apple. So I bought one for you and Ana to share. You were delighted to no end with the sticky, sweet treat. Eventually you girls ate the apple all the way down to the core and I literally had to pry the stick from your gooey little fingers.

While we were at the same pumpkin patch, you took the opportunity to play on the assorted obstacle courses and slides scattered around the grounds. You were VERY fond of the tunnel slides. Not knowing how you would react the first time you tried it, I encouraged you to start with the little slide and gradually work up to the loooong one. But you, being the fearless child you are, as soon as you shot out of the small one you made a beeline for the large one and you never looked back.

We also did our annual family trip to Lakeview Farms  for their corn maze and pumpkin patch. It managed to stay dry for our entire walk through the maze and while we wandered around selecting our perfect pumpkins. But just as we boarded the little train to take us back to the farm and check out, the sky opened up and it rained (there was even a little hail mixed in there) like I have never seen before. I pulled you close to me and use myself as a human shield to keep you as dry as possible. You looked up at me with a bewildered look on your face and said through chattering teeth, “It raining….co-co-cold.”

The grand culmination of fall festivities is indisputably Halloween. Since you had ballet that morning I seized the opportunity to use your costume from last year (which I had bought big) and dressed you as an adorable peacock for ballet class. You kept referring to yourself as a “Hall’ween Peacock” and you even remembered to say the “pea” the majority of the time.

While the peacock was perfect for indoor festivities, for trick-or-treating I insist that you wear a costume that will keep you warm in our chilly Oregon weather. You were more than happy to don the cuddly lion costume that was handed down to you from your big sister. You happily assumed the role of your character and would cheerily growl or gnash your teeth on command. Since your costume kept you nice and cozy, you became quite the trick-or-treating machine. I was very impressed that you walked all by yourself, never whined or fussed, and managed to keep up with the big kids the entire night.

You are a very determined little girl and when you want something to happen, you don’t give up until you succeed. The other day I was working in the kitchen when I came around the corner to check on you and discovered you had dragged the doll stroller up onto the couch and were sitting in it to watch TV (while still caring for your baby, of course). I’m not sure what was more impressive: that you had somehow managed to get the stroller up onto the couch by yourself or that you were able to fit into the tiny doll stroller!

Ana is still your favorite person in the entire world. Sure, you guys fight over toys and get cranky when you are in each others space, but the majority of the time you get along better than I could have ever hoped. I am always witnessing little moments where you are snuggled up together, sharing a snack or reading a book and it just melts my heart. I love the relationship you two have and so on my hardest parenting days I try to remember these moments and I know that I must be doing something right.

I don’t know if it’s from watching Ana and absorbing her interests, but you are suddenly into building and creating things. When Ana does art projects (painting, coloring, crafting) you climb up right next to her at the table to let your creative juices flow. You’ve also developed an interest in Legos and constructing things. I love watching your “thinking tongue” come out as you figure out how to put the pieces together and create the masterpiece you envision in your mind. It’s great to watch you develop your creative side and know that my prejudice against the mess and chaos that generally accompanies these activities hasn’t stifled your potential artist or architect within.

But don’t get me wrong, just because you don’t mind making the occasional mess doesn’t mean that you aren’t still obsessed with cleaning up. In ballet class your teacher is always commenting on how you like to stop the activity a few minutes before we are done doing it so you can start putting things away. And your cleaning up doesn’t stop with toys either. Grandpa Larry came over to help us trim some of our trees and haul away the excess of yard debris that accompanies a project of that nature. I brought out the bikes and scooters fully expecting you to go play while we worked, but you got right in there with the adults and did your part with delight!

And your OCD doesn’t even stop there. A couple days ago you kept asking me for “tan tire” and I was looking all over the house trying to figure out what kind of toy that could be. Eventually, seeing my confusion, you said (and I could almost hear you rolling your eyes with annoyance), “I show you.” You grabbed my hand, took me over to my diaper bag, and dug out my bottle of HAND SANITIZER. The whole time you were not looking for a toy to play with, but rather were asking to clean your hands. Silly mama.

But just because you get your obsession with being clean and tidy (and maybe even your stubborn determinedness) from me, doesn’t mean that you aren’t just as much like your Daddy. Just yesterday we were walking around Target and when you saw the Christmas decorations you got so excited you sounded like you were hyperventilating. Sure, you pointed and said, “Look, Mama! Hall’ween!” but I knew what you meant. This reminded me so much of your father who waited (just barely) until the day after Halloween to start listening to Christmas music. You two are going to be quite a force to be reckoned with one day.

Then this morning I asked you what you wanted me to make you for your special birthday breakfast. You promptly replied, “Ham sammich. Elmo on it, p’ease!” If your father had heard that request I know he would have beamed with pride. He would happily eat ham sandwiches, or “sammiches” as the case may be, just about any chance he gets.

I want to thank you so much for all you bring to my life. You make me laugh out loud every day. Oh who am I kidding, it’s more like several times a day. You are just about the sweetest child I know. Every time they pass out maracas at Gymboree or scarves at ballet class you are the ONLY child who quickly runs back to get some for me. All of the other children happily run off to enjoy their own toy while your only concern is that I get to participate as well. I am so proud of you and the amazing person you are. Happy birthday, baby!

All my love,
Mama