Dearest Etsy,
So many times over the past few months, I made a note to remember this or that event or milestone. I have done this so much that writing this entry seemed impossible! And the truth of the matter is, I will probably not remember each and every thing. But I will remember more now then next month and next year, so all of these things will still seem like precious collections, memories of where you came from.
Most of the things I've wanted to remember are verbal ones. One day you were talking to yourself in the car in a sing-songy way and I realized you were singing! It was the first song I heard you sing, and it was incredibly precious. You sang:
row, row row boat
gent down streeeeeeeam
mary mary mary mary mary
Again and again. You were around 18-19 months old.
One late night we were driving home and you were still awake. You probably had a slight case of the sillies because I said Opps about something and you cracked up. You repeated it over and over, laughing hysterically after it each time. Then I introduced you to Oppsie and you thought it was equally wonderful. You were not asleep when we got home, I remember that.
You enjoy talking about colors and I was surprised to hear you count with an older kid friend in the pool. up to 14! Your favorite color is definitely yellow as you point it out everywhere and prefer to wear, in your own words, the "lellow dress." Daddy bought you a yellow towel because you fell in love with it in the store. (He said you were snuggling it to your face and seemed really sad when the cashier took it to ring it up!) You like to dry your hands on it and use it when you get out of the tub - it is a nice incentive.
You are interested in our wedding rings. One day you pointed out Mommy's ring and I told you about being married to Daddy and the ring meant that. And ever since then, when you see the ring, you say Daddy and motion to him (he's usually in the front seat driving). So Daddy told you something similar one day, though his was perhaps sweeter - "Love Mommy" is what his ring means! And you often point to our rings and tell us these things. It seems like a kind of sophisticated concept to grasp without any prompting. How could you know a ring means the other person? But you do. I think you understand way more then I realize some times.
Sometimes you melt my heart with your sweetness! In the car one day on my way to work, you looked right at me and I could tell you were working something out in your head. You said something carefully, deliberately, that I couldn't understand. I told you I didn't understand and asked you to repeat it again and again. Sometimes that question makes you stop repeating, but this time you kept on, and I was rewarded greatly by your perseverance. "I love Mommy" you said to me, looking at me intently with your lovely blue eyes. I thought of it the whole day. I was so pleased you took the time to try to say that to me and seemed to think it through so much.
There are other adorable displays of affection too. A few times, out of nowhere, you say, "Big Hug" and give me one. Sometimes you give me a sweet kiss on the cheek and say "kiss." These are lovely things. I feel like all the love I poured in to you as a little baby is coming back to me. All the hugs, all the snuggles, all the kisses, all the "i love yous" - you make me feel like the specialist person in the world during those times. I don't think I've ever quite known what it meant to feel that way. Motherhood is so sweet like that.
Speaking of motherhood, we are expecting a new one at the beginning of January! It has been so fun to talk to you about it. When we first found out at the end of April, we told you about it. You would point to my belly and say, "new baby." After a while, you started kissing my belly too. In fact, when we told my mom that I was pregnant, we did it by asking you where the new baby was! Later on, we started talking about how you would be a big sister and what some of your responsibilities might be. You seem to love it. You often tell us, "biiiig sister." It's cute to see you so proud. I hope the transition to a two-child family will actually go that smoothly! Sometimes I tell you that you grew in Mommy's tummy before you came out to live with us and you nod very seriously like you remember it.
I've had a great time walking close places with you. A few times you and I walked over to the library on Thursday nights for their kids' events together. We have so much fun! We stop to point out things along the way, take biiiig steps. At every street, we stop and I look both ways and say "no cars" when we are good to cross. (On another occasion when our family was all together, you stopped short at the street and then declared "no cars!" before walking. I was surprised you picked it up so fast and remembered to do it even when we didn't.) On the way home, we have a blast - you would try out my shoes or lay down on the grass with me, urging me to sit down beside you. Probably a little unusual, but I like having a little fun with you. I'm always a little surprised you make it walking the whole way each time. And proud. I love having a good little walking buddy! We've started walking to church recently. Since we pass train tracks, you start talking about Thomas and choo-choo when we leave the house. (You've seen Thomas once, from a DVD from the library!) But one time a train did come by and I think it was a little bigger then you expected. You asked me to pick you up. From then on, when we get within eyesight of the train, you will usually ask me to pick you up. Once we are clear of the tracks, you ask to be put down (but you always say "Up Please" instead). I cherish those walks too.
You also perplexingly call sliced cheese "cheese dat dat." My best guess is that that comes from the fact that it is the cheese Daddy puts on his sandwiches and you wanted a way to distinguish it from string cheese? We keep responding with (the right kind of) cheese, so I don't think it will go away soon.
You've shown some independence recently. You use the potty around once a day, usually first thing in the morning. Nearly every time I put you on the toliet, you do pee. But I'm not sure you've got the concept of coming and telling us ahead of time first. But you are interested in it and adorable when you do - You seem so very, very pleased with yourself. I do wonder if we are missing an opportunity by not doing potty breaks diligently though.
About two months ago, you surprised us by starting to sleep through the entire night! Before that, you would get up once in the middle of the night and I would bring you in bed with us. And then, suddenly, 8-8, out of the blue probably 6 nights out of 7. It was pretty wonderful. I thought to myself, "this worked really well for us." But that 7th night, you were wide awake at 3 or 4 and nothing could get you back to sleep. After 3 weeks or so, those bad nights got closer and closer together. One week they were every third night! I always remind myself regarding the harder things that "this too will pass." But I guess I should also remember that for the great things! Kids are ever changing, lots and lots of phases. You learn to be flexible and responsive.
And then you discovered you could get out of your crib. That was 2 days ago. Nighttime has now become very challenging. I've been talking to you about a Big Girl Bed and we've been considering whether you would still hop out of your crib if it wasn't next to the bed. We have a vacation next week, so we'll start the work next week on that. I feel like we should have know this would happen, but we are caught kind of flabbergasted.
Etsy is sort of your name for you. When we first asked you to say "Juliet," you could only manage or remember the "Et" part. So we started called you Et or Etsy and it has just stayed. The last time you saw yourself in a picture, I asked who it was and you said "Etsy." So it has become a pretty common part of our family jargon right now. We'll see if it stays.
I'm sure there are a million other things, a thing to remember for each and every day, and then some. I want to say this to you, earnestly and intently. Look me in the eye, little one, but I will repeat it forever and ever for you.
I love Juliet.
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