Finally... Mia: August 2012

Dear Mia
In a little more than a week you'll be 23 months old. I can't believe you'll be 2 years old soon after that.

You change every day. You're not the same little girl you were a few months ago. Or even a few weeks ago.

These are some of the things I want to remember about your 23 month old self.

You've tired of bananas. There was a time you had to have one for breakfast every single day. No more. I can barely get you to finish half of one now. Maybe you burned yourself out.

Your two most favorite foods are bread and cheese. Well, three favorites... cuz you're still a cracker addict and often carry your snack trap with some form of cracker inside.

But bread... oh my. I make more sandwiches these days cuz you frequently request "bed". Then I introduced you to toast one morning. You loved it. You're so obsessed with bread that I've even just handed you a plain old slice of wheat... and you've happily devoured it.

I can't even say cheese in front of you anymore. I have to spell it out. Or else you want some. Any kind. String cheese and good old processed American singles wrapped in plastic are your most favorite. And when I make you grilled cheese.... it's like you've hit the lottery. Your two favorites in one awesome meal.

Your favorite song is "Ring Around the Rosie". You learned it at daycare. But at home you grab my hands, start swaying back and forth, and sing "rosie rosie fall down". When I try to sing the entire song...you always prematurely fall down about a chorus too soon. It cracks me up.

One day I was sitting down and you grabbed my hands to sing... but first you told me "up". Because you clearly thought mommy sitting down to sing your Rosie song was unacceptable.

You've started telling me when you've "pooped" and then you run over to the basket where I keep the diapering supplies and return with a diaper and wipes. You tell me "ucky" and insist I change you immediately. I have a feeling potty training may be happening sooner than mommy really wanted to. We'll see.

You still love books. They're your most prized possession. And you ask me to read to you all the time. I happily oblige. I'm so grateful you're an avid reader. It makes me happy.

Within the last couple months you've started to pretend play. And you've gotten better at it and do it more often here lately.

You play with your kitchen putting things in the pots and pans. Stirring things up. You put a cup in the pretend water dispenser on the front of your refrigerator and act like you're getting water. You put your hands under the faucet and act like you're washing your hands. You pretend eat... and make everyone else do it too.

You've become interested in baby dolls. You rock them in your chair. You pat them on the back to comfort them and say "okay baby". You stick the doll's sippy cup in her mouth so she can drink water like you do. Tonight as we were getting your pj's on after bath you tried to put one of your diapers on the baby. And you did a surprisingly good job all by yourself.

You like to try to help me undress you. But you usually only get about halfway out of a shirt. Then I hear "I stuck, I stuck" and have to come rescue you.

You use anything as a telephone. The latest thing is an old remote control you found. The other day you were sitting on the stairs carrying on a conversation with the remote control attached to your ear. I asked who you were talking to. You said "Papa" (which is how you say Grandpa). Then you said "no no no, Auntie" (which is what you call Dominique). Like you changed your mind. It was pretty stinking cute. Especially since you came up with those two people all on your own with no suggestions from me.

You're becoming more independent and commonly say "walk walk walk" when I'm carrying you. Which means "Put me down mommy. I'm a big girl and I prefer to walk on my own." Sometimes that's a battle if we're running late....

You still love Sesame Street. Or "Melmo" as you call it. He's your favorite character for sure. And now you've also added in singing "la la la la" when you ask to watch "Melmo". That's your off melody attempt to sing the Elmo's World theme song.

You went through a brief phase where you favored Mickey Mouse Clubhouse over Elmo though. You'd ask to watch "Mickey" ....but Minnie was who you'd get excited to see when she popped up on the screen.

Now your most requested show is Super Why. This is what I hear until I turn it on... "why why why why why". I don't mind it so much though. It's a good educational reading show. So of course my little bookworm would love it.

I look at photos of you from a year ago and realize how much we've been through, how much you've changed, how much you've accomplished. You're growing up way too fast and sometimes the days pass in a blur. I'm glad I have this place to help me keep track of the memories. There are things I never want to forget.... but boy, it's going by so quickly.

Can you just stay little, please?
Love Mommy

I've tried a couple of times to get Mia into the fountains at the splash pad but failed miserably. Each time we went she wanted nothing to do with the water. Which surprised me since she loves swimming.