It's Dot's Birthday
My Dearest Dorothy,
Wow, it’s your birthday once again. My precious Bunny is now two years old! Of course, I’m biased, but I think you are the smartest, cleverest, funniest, most beautiful two-year-old in the whole entire world.
It’s been so amazing to watch you grow up in the last year. It’s unbelievable to think that just one year ago you could not walk or talk. Now there’s no stopping you from doing either. You have so much to say, and sometimes I feel like you’re recalling a language you already know rather than learning one from scratch. You just seem to have such a good grasp of how language works, and you are constantly coming up with words that no one purposely taught you. How do you know these things?
You learned so much sign language, and even though you have a huge spoken vocabulary, if I ask you to sign words, you still remember how. I think that will be very nice when your new brother or sister is born, because you can help us teach the new baby how to communicate. Yes, that was some big news. We just found out that you’re going to be a big sister. If I ask you “what’s in Mama’s tummy?” you say “baby,” but I don’t think you really understand just yet. By this time next year, our lives will definitely be different.
You have continued to be so sweet, too. You love to give your mama and papa snuggles, and we’re willing to take all you have to give. Right now, your favorite game is to have one of us hold you and say, “My baby! Mine!” while running around and keeping the other one from tickling your or giving you kisses. You giggle so hard that you often give yourself the hiccups from laughing. As soon as we stop you say, “Again! Again, please!” Of course, you also like for us to chase you all around the house, and it is so hilarious to watch you go running off at top speed with your hands in the air and giggles and shrieks trailing behind you.
We’ve had a pretty big year with lots of traveling. We made it over to Montana several times this year and were even lucky enough to be there when your newest cousin Bear was born, so we got to go to the hospital and see him when he was only one day old. Your Aunt Cynthia and Uncle Steve moved back to Montana this year, so we got to see their new house and meet your other new cousin, Nora. You and Ava are almost old enough to start playing together now, although you’re still learning the idea of sharing with one another. We also went to Montana for Harmony Kim’s 60th birthday, and for Christmas, as well as for Nora’s baptism and Aunt Kristy’s baby shower.
You and Mama also went to Florida twice this year. We flew down there to see Great Grandma, Great Grandpa, and Grammy in June. You just love your Grammy so much, and even when she’s not here, you tell me that our guest room is “Gammy’s.” You ask me to call her all the time on the phone and then just walk around listening while she chats at you on speakerphone. Great Grandpa was pretty sick while we were there, but you seemed to like him a lot and enjoyed giving him high-fives and sharing your Goldfish crackers with him. While we were there, we went to the Mote Aquarium and the children’s museum.
A few months later, in October, we went back to Florida. While we were there, Great Grandpa passed away, but we were all so happy to have gotten to spend that last bit of time together. You were a nice comfort to your great grandma, and you and I stayed an extra week to help her. We got to see your Aunt Shala and went to Jungle Gardens where we fed flamingos right out of our hands! On that trip, we also spent a little time with some friends in Colorado, so you’ve now been to five states…six if you count our unexpected overnight stay in Atlanta, Georgia.
I am so proud of you all the time. You are just so incredibly smart and inquisitive, and it is a privilege to watch how your mind works as you figure out the world around you.
Some of your favorite things right now include:
Pizza
Your “apple jammies”
Snow
Hot cocoa
Thomas the Tank Engine
Calling Grammy on the phone
Elmo
Finding Nemo (you call it “Mee-mo Dish”)
M&Ms (you call them “ems”)
Your rocking horse (and getting horsey rides from Mama and Papa)
It’s been a wonderful second year of being your mama, and I know we’re going to have tons more great adventures before you turn three. I feel so lucky every single day that you’re my baby (“My baby! Mine!”) because you’re so sweet and so smart and so darn funny, too. We have so much fun laughing and playing and learning how to do new things.
Every day we teach each other all about this life.
All my love,
Your Mama
Wow, it’s your birthday once again. My precious Bunny is now two years old! Of course, I’m biased, but I think you are the smartest, cleverest, funniest, most beautiful two-year-old in the whole entire world.
It’s been so amazing to watch you grow up in the last year. It’s unbelievable to think that just one year ago you could not walk or talk. Now there’s no stopping you from doing either. You have so much to say, and sometimes I feel like you’re recalling a language you already know rather than learning one from scratch. You just seem to have such a good grasp of how language works, and you are constantly coming up with words that no one purposely taught you. How do you know these things?
You learned so much sign language, and even though you have a huge spoken vocabulary, if I ask you to sign words, you still remember how. I think that will be very nice when your new brother or sister is born, because you can help us teach the new baby how to communicate. Yes, that was some big news. We just found out that you’re going to be a big sister. If I ask you “what’s in Mama’s tummy?” you say “baby,” but I don’t think you really understand just yet. By this time next year, our lives will definitely be different.
You have continued to be so sweet, too. You love to give your mama and papa snuggles, and we’re willing to take all you have to give. Right now, your favorite game is to have one of us hold you and say, “My baby! Mine!” while running around and keeping the other one from tickling your or giving you kisses. You giggle so hard that you often give yourself the hiccups from laughing. As soon as we stop you say, “Again! Again, please!” Of course, you also like for us to chase you all around the house, and it is so hilarious to watch you go running off at top speed with your hands in the air and giggles and shrieks trailing behind you.
We’ve had a pretty big year with lots of traveling. We made it over to Montana several times this year and were even lucky enough to be there when your newest cousin Bear was born, so we got to go to the hospital and see him when he was only one day old. Your Aunt Cynthia and Uncle Steve moved back to Montana this year, so we got to see their new house and meet your other new cousin, Nora. You and Ava are almost old enough to start playing together now, although you’re still learning the idea of sharing with one another. We also went to Montana for Harmony Kim’s 60th birthday, and for Christmas, as well as for Nora’s baptism and Aunt Kristy’s baby shower.
You and Mama also went to Florida twice this year. We flew down there to see Great Grandma, Great Grandpa, and Grammy in June. You just love your Grammy so much, and even when she’s not here, you tell me that our guest room is “Gammy’s.” You ask me to call her all the time on the phone and then just walk around listening while she chats at you on speakerphone. Great Grandpa was pretty sick while we were there, but you seemed to like him a lot and enjoyed giving him high-fives and sharing your Goldfish crackers with him. While we were there, we went to the Mote Aquarium and the children’s museum.
A few months later, in October, we went back to Florida. While we were there, Great Grandpa passed away, but we were all so happy to have gotten to spend that last bit of time together. You were a nice comfort to your great grandma, and you and I stayed an extra week to help her. We got to see your Aunt Shala and went to Jungle Gardens where we fed flamingos right out of our hands! On that trip, we also spent a little time with some friends in Colorado, so you’ve now been to five states…six if you count our unexpected overnight stay in Atlanta, Georgia.
I am so proud of you all the time. You are just so incredibly smart and inquisitive, and it is a privilege to watch how your mind works as you figure out the world around you.
Some of your favorite things right now include:
Pizza
Your “apple jammies”
Snow
Hot cocoa
Thomas the Tank Engine
Calling Grammy on the phone
Elmo
Finding Nemo (you call it “Mee-mo Dish”)
M&Ms (you call them “ems”)
Your rocking horse (and getting horsey rides from Mama and Papa)
It’s been a wonderful second year of being your mama, and I know we’re going to have tons more great adventures before you turn three. I feel so lucky every single day that you’re my baby (“My baby! Mine!”) because you’re so sweet and so smart and so darn funny, too. We have so much fun laughing and playing and learning how to do new things.
Every day we teach each other all about this life.
All my love,
Your Mama