Yesterday you turned two years and one month old. I almost didn't write this letter, but I just couldn't help myself. I started thinking about all that you've done over the last month and I wanted to make sure I got it documented somewhere. It still blows my mind how much you can change in one little month!
You now ask to “draw” the ABCs often. This means that you want Mama or Nanna to help you hold the pencil and write the alphabet. You can recognize almost every letter now pretty consistently. I don't know how you learn so fast. You can be found reading your stories "to the class" almost every day. It's the most precious thing.
Jules, you're also officially a member of the Terrible Twos. I frequently think that your behavior could not get any worse. You embarrass me in public by thowing temper tantrums, grabbing things off the grocery store shelves (like that pack of gum you ripped open in haste the other day), and having meltdowns when I tell you it's time to leave. You slap at our faces when we tell you that it's time to take a nap. You disobey us pretty regularly by whining and getting down out of your chair or carseat when you know you're not supposed to. But we know that this is just a learning and testing phase. It helps to know that we will all get past it. We know that you are grasping for some control in your life and we cannot blame you. After all, your Daddy and I are probably THE biggest control freaks in the contintental United States. It also helps to know that we're going to be paying a friend to come spend time with you for two or three hours a week so that Mommy an get some
You've become quite a little helper this month, Jules. You help mommy make dinner and you help mommy wipe off the counter. You even help clean the toilets! You love to swirl the brush around in the toilet bowl somtimes making a bigger mess than we started with, but helping nonetheless. If I could just keep you from "helping" when I'm not cleaning it would be so nice. And I need to figure out a way to keep you out of the baby wipes. I'm still working on that one.
Just the other day I noticed you going down the stairs without holding on to the railing. You jump and run all the time. You've come a long way physically. You're 37 inches tall and you weigh a little over 30 pounds. You're still waaaayyy off the charts for height and in the 95th percentile for weight. Your head circumfrence is staying in the 50th percentile. They say that if you double your height at 2 then you'll get your height as an adult. That would make you 6'4" tall which is kinda outrageous because I'm only 5'6", Daddy's only 5'11', and there's hardly many people in our families who are over 6' tall. Anyway, you're a growing girl
You are growing the most beautiful blonde hair. I keep waivering back and forth on whether to get it trimmed or not and I always decide not to. It's pretty easy to pull back. You've got the slightest little bit of curl and it's so pretty. When you wake up from your nap in the afternoon you have these two little wispy curls that stick straight out above each ear. I bury my face in them when I pick you up.
You have your Daddy's smile. Lucky me. I get to see it every day in him and in you. And ohmygoodness do you love to dance or what?
Untitled from c525600 on Vimeo.
You've made a habit of saying, “so-and-so’s my best friend I love him" and filling in the so-and-so with whoever happens to be nearby at that time and you're quite taken lately with your stuffed animal collection. Each morning you announce, "I wake up! Sun come up!" and then you bring all of your "friends" [stuffed animals from your bedroom] packed in your arms into our bedroom. You struggle to pile them up one by one and call them all your friends. Then later you insist on taking each friend downstairs with you and sometimes even in the car when we leave in the mornings. Your Mamaw gave you a giant stuffed Elmo as a gift one time and you sleep with that thing every night. Among all of your "friends" in your bed each night we sometimes have a little bit of trouble identifying which one is really you. It occasionally reminds me of ET. The funniest nights are those when we check on you and you're either laying right on top of Elmo (your head on his head, your feet on his feet) or when Daddy comes out of your room and announces that tonight you weren't laying on Elmo. Instead, Elmo was laying on top of you.
Doodlebug, although I would really, really, really, REALLY love to have you a baby brother or sister on the way, I stop to write letters like these and I realize all over again that you bring so much happiness to our lives that I don't know how we could have any more. You'll always be my baby. I love you.
Love,
Mama
1 comment:
Jules,
Your Pap wants you to know that you have melted my heart on many an occasion. You were just a tiny girl when you signed with both hands, I Love You, to Pap and Nanna. When you stand on the hearth and "preach" the song "Jesus Loves Me" you bring us great joy, especially when you hold your bible high and say, "Sing it, Everybody!".
I love to be with you. I love your fearlessness while I try very hard to teach you to be careful in your fearlessness. It is so neat that you trust me enough to let me throw you into water that is well over your head. You cough a little water sometimes but you are all set to go again. I hope you are always so brave.
You and I love to Colby's house to swing and to jump on the trampoline. It is amazing how we fly down the road on the scooter together. We both say, "Whee!". We also let out a continuous, "ah" just to hear the vibration in our voice. So far we have ridden without a helmet, something that I must correct. Your are too precious for unnecessary risks.
In regard to being a terrible two, I must tell you that I have seen worse. All in all, you are a well behaved kid. You are generally willing to pick up toys before starting the next adventure, and you are quick to say please and thank you. Saying the blessing before meals and praying before bed are part of your routine. You spend so much energy that you are generally ready to take your after lunch nap and to go to bed on time.
Nanna and I can see a lot of your Momma in you. She read stories to doll babies when she was very small and a few years latter she was teaching all the kids in the neighborhood, including her sister Whitney. You are indeed a performer, last summer you enjoyed dancing in front of the crowd at the beach club and you jumped into the deep water time and again in exchange for applause.
Nanna and I enjoy the time we get to spend with you. Nanna loves receiving the flowers you pick for her. The biggest heart melter of all is when you, out of the blue look at me and say, "I Love You, Pap". At a young age, you have learned the key to love, which is that love is not love until you give it away. Thank you for giving your love to me!
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