Two And A Half.

Miss Ez.
Soooo, mommy's a little late on this, your 2nd letter.

You are now 2 (and a half!) as you like to remind us.  Talking like a regular girl, full sentences, you still mix up a few words, but your sweet Es-isms:  Wobby Bobble (water bottle), Ledicine (Medicine),  are pretty much a thing of the past.

You love green!  That developed right around your 2nd birthday, and has yet to relinquish its hold.  It must be a green cup, green silverware, preferably green plate, although you are softening on that, a bit.

You are very opionionated, and a bit of a bossypants, but I see that as a good thing.  You make commands, but you also provide so much love and jolly merriment to our household.  Lots of kisses, on the cheek, in the air, for Bunny, for everyone.  You adore your sister, and still love to play with her (slightly developmentally inappropriate) toys!  You were so thrilled about Christmas this year.  "Rudolph ate the carrot!!  Santa ate the cookies!" and were so happy to have a Xmas tree to love and admire.

You are slow to warm in social settings, but give you a couple hours, you are ready to party.  You're a great dancer, and love ELVIS!  Especially Love me Tender.  You won't let mommy sing it.  "You're not Elvis, Tova."

I was a little skittish to take you to the Nutcracker at your young age, but you settled in fine after a few questions, and was entranced. Now you love listening to the story, reading the book...it will be great fun to take you next year when PNB does the Balanchine production, and Daddy can reminisce about his time in the show.  I told you and your sister it was a highlight of my childhood, and really, it was.  I hope if you decide to dance, you have the opportunity as well.  although I'm sure the driving would be hell!  :)  Speaking of dance, you have the raw goods in a way I never did.  You move well in your own body already, (just watch you twirl those hips!) and have The Feet for it as well.  Whether or not you will have the passion, we'll just have to see.

You are becoming more and more acquainted with Nonnie and Papa, Nonnie is more than just the wonderful gifts she gives you, and I'm so happy about that.  I know that relationship will continue to develop as you get older.

Yaya is incredibly important to you.  You often call for her her after nap time, and love helping her pick out her underwear in the morning!  or watching her in the shower.  You are her favorite age right now, the age she spent so many years with--so she has a particular fondness for where you are in the world, and loves to be right there with you.  It's a special time, to grow up with one's grandma in the house.  The other day you said, "I have two grandmas!"  it's wonderful that you'll be able to develop strong relationships with both of them.

Daddy isn't working at an outside job right now, so you get lots of daddy time, daddy tickle time, daddy throw you on the bed time, where you squeal and really love it.  It's wonderful you have that time together.  And since I'm working part-time right now, I'm there when you wake up from nap, and get to be with you much more than I was with Cordy at your age.  And that's wonderful for us.

It's funny that nursing was such a huge part of your early toddlerhood.  I weaned you last November, and while it was hard for a couple days, it was the right time for both of us, and has allowed you to be much more independent.  Your time at toddler school is completely different from last year!  You are very independent, and when Mom goes to my meeting with the Parent Ed group, you have no problem saying goodbye for that time.

In fact, you are independent about many things!  To the point of closing a door so you can re-open it yourself!  and taking off your boots (that I have put on,) so you can put them on yourself.  It is a bit frustruating for a parent to watch you struggle a little, but you never get very frustrated with your struggling, and will keep at it for a very long time,  or ask for help, as long as as it's you doing the asking, not us doing the offering!) if given the opportunity.

Did I mention you are a delight?  We are all so happy to get a glimpse of that sweet smile, of the sly flirting you do with others that may catch your eye.  You are a real charmer.  and a love.

And My Esme.  But no, you would say, not Your Esme, just Esme.

and so it is.  Es is.

Much love,

Your Mama.

Tuttle Lane, at Lummi Island.

The look out at Lummi.

Wild Wabbit Woad.

Dancing, with Oogie Woog.

At the Linden Fair, watching Uncle N play.

Red Robin, sharing milkshakes.

Golden Gardens, last summer hoorah.

Watching sister in the pool.

Who, me?

Discovering a grey balloon as kite.

The Tent at Luther Burbank.

In the chair, taking her 2 hour lunch break.  (It takes that long!!)

Sleeping bag bonding

Playing at Ellis Pond

Sombrero Girl.

Sleepy after the Carolina Chocolate Drops at the Zoo.

Bunod and Barbie.

Sailor Girls.

Feed me.

At D's Cabin at Camano, playing with chess.

Kickin' back at Pink Martini

1st Pro Haircut!

At the park with E & E.

Checking out the Drama Q, on the way to T&M's wedding.

Esmé mucho

Dearest Esmé,

I said I would write letters to you and Cordelia at least every year, so please forgive that you re already 14 months old!

You are such a delight. You have brought so much lightness and laughter to our family! I just had this feeling soon after you we're born that my family was now complete.

Just today, you are learning the word, "hi!" And want to say it all the time. Daddy said you took 3 steps today! I missed them, because I was at work. Thank goodness I have been able to stay at home with you as long as I have! That has been a real gift. I still feel guilty that your sister never had that.

Your birth was not an easy one. To be so confident and feel so capable of having a natural birth, only to be told in the middle of it it's going to be a Caesarian birth anyway, well, that was rough. I have to believe you knew something the docs and I did not--that there was a reason you sat straight up on my cervix, not budging. I still wonder what would have happened if they had tried to turn you the next day, but then you made it quite clear it was time to be born, and that was that!

Your babyhood has just been delightful, and I have been so grateful for the time I have been given to watch you grow and flourish. You started smiling at about two months, and haven't stopped since! You've always been very petite--2nd or 3rd percentile--who knows why, because you love your food! But that's never been a huge concern. I'm happy i've been able to give you some wonderul early experiences in your young life. Your world is much bigger than Cordy's was, when she was your age. She had really only me, daddy and Yaya, with occaisional visits to see Nonnie and Papa. You have lots of family who love you, and get to see you on a regular basis, you have Cordy's friends who adore you, and even your own baby friends you were able to interact with thru baby school. My "church" I called it, so lovely and calming.

I am anticipating your first year of toddlerhood to be one of great challenges and frustrations, but also great joy and fun! You are so different than your sister! I'm sure that's clear to you by the time you read this, and I don't want to spent too much time making comparisons, but it must be said. We joke about how Cordy was a practice toddler, vs.you, the real deal! But I think we're all up for the challenge, and I can't wait to see what the year will bring!

I promised I would spend some time with your likes and dislikes, so here it goes.

You like food!! Eggs in the morning, orange slices "o?", crackers and cookies any old time! And berries! "B?" Are also a fave. Avocado, not so much.

You also love to talk, and your vocabulary has skyrocketed in the last month! You love to talk bout items of clothing, especially, "socks!" But "shoe" "pan" and "shir" are also worth mentioning. You know many sounds that the animals make, your favorites being " quack quack!" And "Meow!" You also love books, which was a surprise to us, who see you as a mover and a doer, rather than a reader, per se. But you love your books! Especially "goo!" The Mother Goose book Yaya got you, which you often ask for.

You love your sister, and love to play with her toys, especially the ones that are off limits. You have warmed up to Clover, Cordy's doll, and want to give everyone and all your animals, kisses! And love to practice your smacking noise! Mwah!

 

You are still nursing, and now that I am working, when I get home there is the biggest smile on your face, and it's a sweet reunion. You love (your) nini's! And will attempt to pull down the shirt of any available female.

Here you are at the kitchen that was your sister's. of course, you being you, you tore off the burners daddy had glued on first thing. And the faucet too, but we managed to get that back in! Daddy says maybe we should have made Shiva your middle name! (The destroyer). But you love to play at the kitchen, banging pots or food together.

Here you are digging in to your birthday cake. Yum! You went for it, just like you do when you nurse! You were a little cautious overall at your party, but we all had fun anyway.

Nowadays you are rarely so content to get in that stroller!

Two girls in strawberry jams.

Baby kisses.

Watching the ducks at Ellis Pond at 10 months.

Spoons!

So now you are 14 months. Soon to be walking, which is going to rock our world yet, again. I say, bring. It. On. ,

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