Letter to Charlotte: Month seventeen

Dear Charlotte,

How is it that you’re already seventeen month old and will celebrate your half birthday next month!? We’ve had a busy and fun month and you keep growing more and more each day, and if it’s possible, you seem to get sweeter, too. I think back to what Anna was doing at this age and wonder how I did it while I was pregnant with you; you are a mover and a shaker! I know part of the reason you’re into what seems like more is that you have more to get into and an older sister whose footsteps you’re following, literally and figuratively.

You’ve turned into a total busy-body and are into everything! I forgot how duplicative this stage is; meaning that pretty much anything I do that’s in your arms’ reach I do twice. I can’t tell you how many times you’ve emptied the bottom drawers of your or Anna’s dresser, emptied an entire box of tissues or pulled out an entire shelf of books; in less than a minute. You’re also a bit of a daredevil and seem to give us a run for our money when it comes to exactly what you think you can do physically. You love to climb up, crawl through, and maneuver toys three times your size. You love to move things, anything, and I’m not sure what to make of the obsession, but it’s hilarious to watch you wield a stool or a small chair, or a box that’s definitely too heavy for you to carry around the house. You have the typical insatiable curiosity of a toddler and although it can be exhausting, it’s amazing to watch you explore your world and see those little wheels turning in your head.

You’re obsessed with blankets and don’t care that it’s the middle of summer, you need your nigh-ney, and you need it NOW. You’re an equal opportunity nigh-ney girl and although that means we’re not worried about losing your favorite one, it also means that you want any and all blankets you see. Much to Anna’s chagrin, this often happens when she’s using one to snuggle on the couch. You’ll go mobile with a blanket once you’ve got a good grip and we seem to find them all over the house after you’re in bed.

You are still a big Mommy’s girl and perfected saying just that this month. You have a way about adding a slight whine to the word that could melt anyone’s heart. Coupled with the fact that you now walk up to me, tug on my shorts, and use your best pathetic tone to say “Mommy, up,” I pretty much get nothing done when you’re around; which isn’t a bad thing at all because I love your snuggles. You’re a Daddy’s girl too and you two have a very special bond. You love to wave to Daddy as he mows the grass and LOVE to stand at the back door and repeat “HI!!” to him as he grills on the patio. You love how Daddy is rough and tumble and can throw you high into the air and you really like going on scooter rides around the neighborhood with him now that you think you’re a “big girl.”

You are loving summer! You ask to go on a “walk” every night, are perfecting the word “outside,” and I’m pretty sure you’d live outdoors if you could. By “walk” you mean being pushed in your little red car and you’re content to take in the sights and sounds of the neighborhood while being pushed around for as long as we’ll walk. Anna loves to get in on the action and take a turn and the only thing that will get you out is a barking dog (you love puppies, but now when it appears they’re barking toward you). You also love bubbles, balls and sidewalk chalk when you’re outside and never miss a chance to pet a puppy as they walk past.

Developmentally you’re close to being done with teeth as you cut your final two this month. You’re ahead of schedule in that regard and I couldn’t be happier as you’ve had a rough go of it with teething, seeming to get 2-4 at one time and a case of the fussies. You’re a smart girl and remember everything! You’re also smart enough to start with the girly-drama and recently put on a hilarious show of fake crying when I wouldn’t let you walk down the stairs standing up. You’ve come into your own at school and are now one of the older kids in yoru class, which means you’ll move to a new room in about a month. I’m anticipating a tough transition because you love your teachers, especially Ms. Denise. And she loves you back! Most days you’re glued to her hip and she’s more than happy to oblige the extra snuggles. You do really well at daycare, sometimes better than at home when it comes to eating; and you have no problem taking killer naps while you’re there.

You’re sweet on just about everyone you come into contact with and that’s the first thing everyone notices about you, your sweet and gentle nature. There’s nothing more heart-warming than your little head resting on my shoulder, and you have a way about grabbing the back of my arm with you little hand, just so, in kind of a pat, kind of a grab, to let me know that you’re looking to be comforted. I hope that you always feel safe in my arms and although I know that you’ll cry on the shoulders of others, I feel honored that I’m the one wiping your tears and enjoying the privilege of your embraces right now.

Love,

Mom

Cousin love

The girls had a great time playing with Lucas a few weekends ago and it will be a game-changer for everyone when he's up and running, literally! Such a sweet little peanut!

Snug as two bugs in a rug

The girls always have a lot of fun when Daddy's on the clock, especially on Saturday mornings while Mommy gets her long run in. No matter where I am or what I'm doing, I love seeing the pictures while I'm away!

Snug as two bugs in a rug, watching a little Sesame Street!

Maxin' and relaxin'!

Where's Charlotte??

There she is!!

Picture pages

I spent some time last week getting our long-lost Shutterfly share site update with pictures, organized by month. Check it out if you're interested in a walk down memory lane! Any picture you like is available to order through Shutterfly and if you need the electronic file, let me know and I can send along.

I realized that I'd been on top of uploading monthly until Anna was about 16 months old, hmmmm, not sure why I got busy then, it's not like I was pregnant with a second child and waddling after a rambunctious a toddler or anything ; ) I could have posted 1,000 pictures, but here are a few of my immediate faves when I look back over 16+ months : )

Click here to view the site, and you can always find a link on the right-hand side of the blog's home page under "Want more?".

The selfie collection

Because we're totally hip and cool parents (ha!), we've made sure our girls know about all the latest tech trends, including selfies. For a toddler that's mildly obsessed with seeing pictures of herself and others, this is a dream come true, and I'm happy to get in on the action too ; )

Sick days : (

Charlotte was down and out a couple of times early in the summer due to a yucky cold and a suspected reaction to her MMR vaccine. Luckily she felt better after a few days, and in the meantime was willing to give lots and lots of snuggles and cuddles, and preferred sleeping with Mommy close. Melt my heart!

Ice cream + social = big fun!

Our neighborhood hosts an annual ice cream social the first week school is out in the summer and we hosted this year. Nothing fancy, just an ice cream bar with toppings, games for the kids, and a fun atmosphere. Miss C was under the weather, but Anna had a blast and enjoyed TWO bowls of ice cream with sprinkles and cherries. As I was cleaning up, I looked over and saw Anna and another 3-year old scooping spoonfuls of sprinkles into their little mouths as fast as they could, I guess they wanted to help clean-up : )

Our little runner girl!

At the end of June Anna ran her first race and collected her first medal (aka race bling), just like Mommy and Daddy! She LOVES to run, almost to a fault when it comes to listening and staying out of the street, but loves to run nonetheless. A favorite local race of ours, the Hyde Park Blast, held in our old neighborhood, holds children's races after the adult 4-miler. Mike and Anna were signed up and given that I had to get 4 miles in that weekend for my own training program, I signed up to push Anna in our running stroller. It was a fun family outing and we were thankful that Gigi was able to stay home with Charlotte! Pushing 30+ pounds of toddler in a running stroller on the hilly course was HARD, but we made it, had lots of fun, and I even beat my race time from 2010, pre-kids (I guess it's true that Moms do everything faster!). Although she was a little shy, Anna had a blast and wore her medal all weekend! When's the next race, little runner girl??

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