Babygirl,
So much has changed in the 4 1/2 months since Daddy has been gone. You have definitely grown out of the baby stage and into a toddler. Daddy left when you were not yet 2 years old. So in his eyes you were only one and still a baby. It will be a big adjustment for him to see how different you are when he comes back. You were his only child, his baby. He remembers your chubby little fingers and the rolls on your thighs. He remembers seeing mommy being able to pick you up and hold you with no problems.
But my how you have grown!
No longer are you our baby. You are such a big girl! You seemed to age overnight after BabySister was born. I won't lie and say it wasn't a struggle adjusting to her arrival, for both you and I. When you walked into my room at the hospital to meet your new sister, it was like you were a different person. I will be honest and say that when I had a moment to myself, I cried. I cried because you were so big! The last 2 years has flown by and I feel that I missed it even though I was right here. It happened so fast that I can't remember large parts of it. But your Daddy has given me an amazing opportunity to be able to stay at home with you. I have been able to spend all my days with you. We have learned so much together. Being able to teach you things like the alphabet have made me even more grateful for this experience. You are such a fast learner and are always eager to learn more.
Thank you for being patient with mommy. You always seem to want or need something as soon as I start nursing BabySister. I ask you if you can wait until we are finished or if you need it right away. You are usually willing to wait. This is such a help. You will get diapers, wipes, and burp cloths whenever I need them. You will shush BabySister and pat her belly when she is fussing. You are always trying to stick her pacifier (which you call it her "foo-foo") in her mouth as soon as she makes the tiniest squeak. You love your sister and are always asking to hold her. I am so looking forward to the day that I see the two of you running around the house playing together.
Stats at 2 years, 4 months:
Weight: 34 lbs. (95%)
Height: 36 in. (92%)
Language: Thankfully you haven't started asking "why" to everything. But you do love to ask "What's that". Your favorite is "What's that noise?" You talk in complete sentences now, although I do have to translate sometimes for adults who aren't around you too often. You know your alphabet and sing it a lot. You recognize all of your letters. We play with ABC flashcards and you are able to tell me all of the letters that you see. You know a phonic song and sing it all the time. You know your vowels and can recite them, although you have no idea what they mean. I think it is so smart that you know them when most kids don't understand them until it is time to learn to read. You say please and thank you, not always without prompting. Once you have those down pat, we are going to work on adding ma'am and sir.
Counting/Numbers: You can count to 15 successfully, 20 sort of. By the time you get to fifteen, you start repeating eleven and thirteen until you get to twenty. It is funny. You recognize and can tell me 1-10 when you see them. You recognize and can repeat patterns. (Thanks to Umi Zoomi)
Singing: You LOVE to sing. You know ABC's, 'Twinkle Twinkle', 'The Wheels on the Bus', 'Yes Jesus Loves Me', 'Big Yellow Bus', And all the theme songs to your favorite tv shows. 'We are never getting back together'-Taylor Swift. 'Call me Maybe' -Carly Rae Jepson. "Home" -Phil Phillips. 'Somebody I Used to Know' -Gotye. And anytime we are in the car you sing along with whatever is playing. You pick up things so easily. You know the chorus' to a lot of songs, way too many to name.
Physical: You love to dance and twirl. Mommy is going to look into getting you into a gymnastics class this spring. You like to run and hop. You always ask mommy to hop with you, so silly.
Emotional: Sometimes you easily remind mommy that you are in your "Terrible Two's". You prefer playing on your own. When you are with other kids you play well for a while, then I think you just get overstimulated and need time on your own otherwise you are prone to fighting. You have your occasional meltdowns after being told no. You get upset when you are corrected. You usually don't care if you get a spanking, it just makes you more mad. You are very sensitive when it comes to your BabySister. If she is crying or upset you try to fix it. If you can't fix it by patting her or giving her the pacifier, you get upset and usually cry with her until mommy is able to comfort both of you. You miss your daddy so much. I can tell on certain days that you are missing him more than others. On these days I try to be patient and sensitive to your needs. These days have become more often lately. There are certain things that you have found that trigger memories of your daddy, simple things like just seeing a flag flying. You always request that we drive 'Daddy's truck' and you talk about him whenever we ride in it. Other days you say we need to drive the van because mommy can't drive the truck, "No, it's just for Daddy".
My girl,
I love you more than words can describe. I love seeing you grow into your personality. I love that you are outgoing with family and people you know, yet quiet and polite to strangers. I love that you are a diva, but not so much when you are yelling at me. I love that you are a princess and can never wear just one tiara at a time. I love to see you clomping down the hall in your dress-up heels. I love that you have a love for shoes! You always ask to wear boots every day, most recently your new cowboy boots. I love our new game when I tuck you into bed. We share hugs and kisses and I say, "I love you baby." You respond with, "I love you more!" Then we go back and forth for a minute as to who loves the other more. I always let you have the last say, but believe me... I love YOU more! :)
You are such a smart girl and I'm not just saying that because I am your mommy. I am so proud of everything you have achieved up to this point. For being just two years old you have gone through a lot in your life. You deal daily with the sadness and frustrations of your daddy being deployed. You are old enough to know he isn't around but too young to understand why. But for being so young you are one of the most patriotic people I know. You are so proud of your daddy. Anytime we see a flag flying you scream and holler and yell, "Yay! WOO! Flag for my daddy" You point out any star you see and say it is also for your daddy.
You have broken my heart numerous times at how you react when you see someone in uniform. You stop whatever you are doing and just stare quietly in awe. I have lost count of the number of times we have been in public and you saw a soldier from behind and yelled out to your Daddy... only to realize it wasn't him.
Please believe me when I tell you that Daddy left his heart here when he deployed. There is a giant hole in his chest from having to say 'see you later' to you. I have never seen your daddy break down and cry as hard as he did that day. It was almost easy for he and I to have our 'see you laters'. But to watch the last few minutes of the two of you together still hurts me. It's hard for me to drive through the parking lot where he let you go. I get reminders and flashbacks of that day.
But Babygirl, he will be home soon! We have almost made it to the halfway point of this deployment and Daddy is coming home. I can't explain to you how ready I am for him to be home. Not for myself, but for you. I love to watch you two together. You are two peas in a pod. You are your daddy's whole world. I love to hear you talk about him.
Soon our family will be whole again. You will get to help me introduce BabySister to daddy. I dream of his homecoming. I can picture what you will wear and the signs and balloons that we will have fun making for him. I plan on making it an event that none of us will forget, especially you.
I love you so much, Babygirl.
Thank you for being my world.
Love,
Mommy
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