A Birthday Love Note {with lots of italics and parentheses}

Dear Olivia,

At twenty-one months {and one day} old, you have probably already figured out that your {otherwise perfect} Mama is not so great with time management.  Hence, your birthday update is a day late.  Actually, a month and a day late since I didn't do one last month.  I'm sure you can forgive me as we were celebrating your twenty month birthday on the island of Kauai.

At this point, it is nearly impossible to list the words that you know {as I have done in the past}.  You have moved on to far bigger and better things -- like phrases.  You are still so inquisitive, so one of your favorite things to do is point to something and say, What is that? But, the words what + is go together so quickly, it just sounds like Whuhees that?  You are always wanting to know what we {or other people} are doing.  If you see me doing something, you'll say Mommy doin?  And, that usually leads into asking what Daddy doin?  Kendall doin?  Leslie doin? and so on.

You adore your two baby dolls and every once in a while, I'll pull down your Fancy Nancy doll {which you call Antsy Ancy} and let you play with her for a bit.  The other night, you were upset with me over something - I'm sure it was one of those once in a blue moon times I didn't let you get your way - and you cried over and over Skype with Nana!  Skype with Nana!  Skype with Nana!  As crazy as it sounds for a 21 month old to know what Skype is, it's one of your favorite things to do.

Speaking of repeating things over and over, you have a true love for music.  Your favorite songs over the last couple of weeks have been Firetruck {thankfully, that has taken a backseat the last few days because Mama was about to go CA-RAZY listening to it on repeat}, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, Baby Beluga {which comes out as Baby Bloooga and is just too cute to say no to}, Row Row Row Your Boat and Your Face.  Most of these are songs that we hear at Music Time at Boo Boo Records on Wednesday mornings and they make our your rides in the car much more enjoyable.  You know a lot of the words to the songs and it is so cute hearing you sing them and watching you do the motions.

Your face, Your face, No one has your face

By far my favorite thing you are saying was a gift to me on Christmas Eve.  For the first time ever, when I told you that I loved you, you said Love You right back.  It was quite possibly the best Christmas present I could have ever received.  You have since worked your way up to saying, I love you, Mommy and have even said I love you, and included their name, to your Daddy, your Nana, your Poppy, your Uncle Rhino and to Jacob.  {That's a lucky boy right there.}  You are usually very giving with your kisses, but when you have had your fill or feel like playing a game with me, you say, Sad?  Once I make my sad face, you give me kiss after kiss and then say, Happy!!

With time, your manners have definitely improved.  While you usually have to be reminded to say please, you are very good at saying, Thanks Mommy, and I have to admit, it sometimes comes out as Thanks Mom and I feel like you are already on the verge of being a teenager.  Which reminds me...you've started saying the word no.  Fortunately, you say it in a way that makes you sound like you are asking a question, so it is at least kind of cute.  However, all manners and cuteness seem to go out the window when it is time to brush your teeth.  For someone who used to run around with toothbrushes in her mouth all the time, you have an intense hatred for them these days.

You are sharing more with your friends and are much less of a toy thief.  For your birthday yesterday, we spent the afternoon at the beach with some of your friends and even let you wear your birthday suit while you splashed in the tide pools.  Before we left for the beach, I told you that we were going to a Naked Party and now every time you get naked you say, Nakiee Party!!  Your friend Avi pooped on the beach and tonight at dinner you answered your own question of Avi doin? with Poopin in the sand. 

You are way too smart for your britches.  When we came back from Hawaii, you were counting 1 to 10 and fortunately I was able to record you doing it because anytime we would ask you to do it for us, you would change the subject.  The other night, Uncle Rhino begged you to count for him and you kind of gave a sigh and went four, six, seven, ten, as if to say, There, I did it.  Are you happy now? And, now when we ask that is all you want to say when it comes to numbers.  I'm thinking about playing those numbers in the lotto!  Tonight, you knew it was bedtime and pulled just about every trick in the book to keep me from handing you off to your dad.  We washed your hands, then we had to wash them again, then they weren't dry enough, and then you had to have some water.  It felt like you were five years old!

One of the {million} things I love about you is that you are such a girly girl.  You love your accessories -  we can't leave home without your bracelet on and even if you are just running around the house, you have to have a pair of shoes on your feet.  Your Nana sent you some Hello Kitty Silly Bands the other day and you love putting them on and taking them off and putting them back on to admire.  When you want to wear something you say, Put on it?

This morning, you helped me in the kitchen making salmon puffs for your lunch.  While they were baking, I brought some toys into the bathroom for you to play with and quickly jumped in the shower.  Even though you were freshly dressed, you insisted upon taking a shower with me.  I had one of those moments where it was like, Whatever it takes to let me get clean.  You played in the shower and when I was about ready to get out, I stripped you out of your romper and your soggy diaper.  You screamed and screamed because you wanted that diaper back on.  I squatted down to explain to you that it was wet and  that we'd get a new one once we got dry and I was lucky enough to catch a whiff of the onion you had chowed down on while we made your lunch.  The only way I could console you was to explain that we were having a Nakiee Party right there in the shower.  

Tonight at dinner, we forgot to say the blessing before we ate and about halfway through the meal you held your hands out towards us and said, Blessing Blessing.  On a whim, I asked YOU to say the blessing and I swear, you almost got it word for word.  Okay, that's a huge exaggeration, but you did say a lot of hard G sounds which is pretty good considering a lot of the time our prayer starts out, God is great, God is good.  And, then at the end, you shouted, AMEN!

Oh Olivia, you are the best little girl a mother could ever ask for.  I love you a million times over and am so blessed to have the opportunity to be your mama.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Enjoying the 70 degree weather in January and playing with some pinto beans