Letter to Charlotte: Month sixteen

Dear Charlotte,

Well, you’re finally totally mobile! All of the sudden last month you took off and haven’t stopped; and I hardly remember when you weren’t walking at this point. As predicted, you went from 0 to 60 and have hardly toppled over at all. You love your new vantage point and I love seeing those chubby thighs walking all around the house, but I love when I see them running toward me at daycare pick-up! If you could form full sentences, I’m sure you’d say that the best part about walking and having more balance has to be playing ring-around-the-rosie with your sister; I’ve never seen anyone fall down and then get back up with such glee. 

You’ve turned into a big talker this month and have expanded your vocabulary quite a bit. You can say “ma”, “mama”, “da”, “dada”, “milk”, “duck”, “quack”, “book”, “up”, “down”, and “nak” (aka snack). It’s almost every day that your note from school talks about what a chatterbox you were and a new word you had learned. You don’t call Anna anything specifically, but have perfected coming up to me and yelling “Maaaa” followed by “uppp”; I’d say it’s just when you want to be picked up, but that’s pretty much all the time. I always wondered how people did baby wearing when their kids weren’t, well, babies anymore, but I’m starting to see the advantages.

Speaking of school, you’re doing really well in your classroom and love your teachers; Ms. Denise most of all. I walk by your class on the way to get Anna at pick-up and always look in to see, you usually standing right beside Ms. Denise, you love her something fierce and she loves you right back. She’s confirmed that you’re her shadow, but she loves it and on the days when there are only a handful of kids I know you both love the extra snuggles. And I have to agree, nothing is sweeter than hugs, kisses, and cuddles from Charlotte. You were the victim of a couple of biting incidents last month and did very well, and love all of the kids in your class. We hear from your teacher and others that you’re the happiest girl in class and everyone loves your toothy smile.

You’re a good sleeper, taking one longer afternoon nap and sleeping through the night, well, mostly. You’re a fairly restless sleeper and usually pipe up once or twice a night, but go back to sleep pretty quickly. We still rock you to sleep most nights and you’ll finally go down pretty well for me. You love, or rather, demand, we read “BOOK” to you each night, even if it’s so dark in your room that you can barely see the pages. How can we read, you might ask? Well, these are Anna’s old “night night” books and we have them memorized; sometimes I hear myself thinking the words in the shower or on my commute to work. You have a handful of animals in your crib and you have the best time talking to them in the morning before we get you up with your sister. The other night I put you down when you were still awake, but peeked in the room after you seemed settled to see you arranging your friends “just so” and then settling down on top of your blanket for a good night’s sleep. 

You’re developing quite the adventurous personality now that you’re mobile. In the rare instances that you’re not following, literally, in my footsteps, you can be found trying to scale the stairs, climbing in your toddler chairs, or attempting to do a header off the couch. I forgot a bit of what it was like to have a child that’s not only into everything, but only into it for less than a minute, and then onto the next activity. Our house routinely looks like a hurricane zone, but I’d rather have a well-loved and lived in home than a pristine museum without the love and laughter within these walls.

You were down and out for a few days this month, luckily both times were nothing serious and all you seemed to need were snuggles, cuddles, and fever reducer. As it happened, both times we got the daycare call, the stars had aligned, and my days were fairly light, which made for a guilt-free day of rest with the cutest little blonde girl around. And speaking of that, you’re still fair skinned, blonde haired, and blue eyed, and resemble yours truly in most of my baby pictures from around this age. And although you and your sister hardly look anything alike, you love either other so fiercely, that there’s no denying you’re sisters.

As I reflect over the last few months and how much you’ve grown and developed I can’t help but think that I’ll look up one day and realize it’s time to write your sixteenth year letter, time sure is flying. I’m cherishing the moments, even the whiny, snotty, you-almost-gave-me-a-heart-attack moments because I know they’re fleeting and before I know it, you’ll be waving to me as you look in the rear view mirror; my hope is that no matter where you’re rushing off to, you always remember the love that stays with you always and the hugs that will be waiting when you return.

Love,

Mom