Letter to Anna: Month twenty-six

Dear Anna,

You continue to amaze me with your intelligence, sweet nature, and loving heart.  And your volume.  At this point I’m surprised anyone in our family still has functioning ear drums.  You delight in the smallest things and are simply high on life.  Your outlook is infectious and your smile could melt icecaps.  Anyone that spends any amount of time in your presence walks away happier and with a new outlook on life, you’re something special any way you slice it!

The love you have for your sister continues to grow and I love seeing your relationship evolve each day.  You've become a bit protective and aren't afraid to remind us that Charlotte is “MY Baby Char” as you demand to give her a hug or a kiss.  You ask about her if she’s not in the room, especially when I pick you up at school.  Our new routine is that as soon as I walk in the door to your classroom and we hug, you remind me that “ok, time to go get Baby Char!” and lead the way to her room.  You’ve become an expert on soothing her if she starts crying with an “it’s OK, baby Char, need a paci?” and a sweet stroke of her cheek.  You delight in walking into her room with me in the mornings, will climb your little feet up on the side of her crib, look over and say “Hi big girl!” or “Hi pretty girl!” or even sometimes a “Hi honey!” just like I do with you.  Some days the promise of going with me to get your sister up is the only reason you will get out of our own bed, literally, as you are still obsessed with jumping.  And, the feeling is mutual.  Charlotte loves to follow you around the room, smiles when she sees you, and belly-laughs at your antics. 

You’re starting to put more and more of your world together and have a very watchful eye.  You pay attention to how your Dad and I do things and are quick to follow with exact mannerisms and words.  It’s hilarious and encourages us to make sure we’re making good impressions around you at all times.  It also means I sometimes have to gently remind your Pap Pap and Uncles Michael, Brian and Sean to watch their language around little ears, Mommy is always the “bad guy” to someone.  I love to see how you take care of your babies, use the same words and gestures that I use with you and Charlotte and absolutely delight in seeing you try your hardest to mimic a behavior or activity.  I often think how nice it will be when you’re a bit more independent, but as I see you going down that road, I’m already missing my baby girl that needed me to assist with everything in her world. 

As you continue to grow, your palette is expanding as well.  You’ll now eat a much wider variety of vegetables and proteins and you still love fruit.  You surprised us with your love of broccoli and one of your favorite meals while I was on maternity leave was scrambled eggs and toast, you love eggs!  You tried corn on the cob, or "cornie cobbie" as you call it, for the first time this past month and were a huge fan.  We eat breakfast together and I usually prepare the same meal because I know that you love a good game of imitation.  I almost died a few weeks ago when we both had green beans, but yours were pre-cut for ease of eating; you became very upset at one point during the meal when you realized this and demanded that I fix your “broken” green beans.  All this said, your preferences change on a daily basis and it’s totally hit or miss, in true toddler form you like to keep us on our toes. 

You’re turning into a bit of a girlie-girl lately.  You love to wear bows with your pony tails, love to dress up with headbands and purses and to turn in circles like a “princess.”  You saw a regular old headband on the counter in my bathroom one day and when you asked about it and I placed it on your head, you immediately put your hands together above your head, turned in a circle and said “ooohhh, princess!!”  Same thing with any looser fitting top or your new ballerina pajamas from Gigi, everything can be made into a princess outfit with your imagination.  Now that I’m back at work you love to slide into my heels at the end of the day and are pretty good at maneuvering them throughout the house.  On the flip side, you still love your animal friends and are just as happy in the grass and mud.  And since we’ve been outside more with the warm summer weather, you’ve become one with many an ant or roly poly.  You tend to not know your own strength and a few have met early deaths at your hands.  A few weeks ago you were stalking a roly poly and “accidentally” squashed him, but at the same time produced the most evil laugh I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth.  The next minute you looked at me and said “oh no Mommy, he’s sad!”  When I replied that yes, he’s sad because he’d dead, you looked completely distraught.  

The times I love the most when we’re together are the quiet moments when I take a step back and let you be yourself, for it’s these times when you really shine.  When we’re not racing to leave the house or running around to get ready for the day.  The times when I hear you talk sweetly to your stuffed animals, when you tuck them into their crib and sing to them, just like I do with you.  I love to see you growing and learning and becoming your own person.  I love that you have a special relationship with your grandparents, but I love that when you’re really tired or in a new situation, I’m the one you turn to most often.  I went back to work last week and it was bittersweet.  It wasn't always easy, but I loved our time together while we figured out our new routines with a new baby.  I loved that even on the hardest days you were there to give me a hug and sit by my side as I shed a few tears.  But I also love how much you thrive with your peers at school and how happy you are to see me at pick-up.  My first day back at work, as if you instinctively knew it had been a hard one, as we were pulling out of the parking lot, before I could initiate our daily conversation, you asked me “Mommy, did you have a fun day?”  We’re connected, you and I, and always will be, no matter if you’re living with me, away at college, in your first apartment, or starting a family of your own.  You’re my little girl and I’m proud to be giving you the gift of wings to fly on your own. 

Love, 

Mom