Fable Lately

She is 18 months old, and going on 13. If you ask her, she'll tell you she's five. "Fiiife!"

She's putting words together. "Help, please!" And she gestures for me to follow and says, "C'mon Mon, mama!" She knows and understands words like hungry, hot and cold. At her well check today, the pediatrician said she is speaking at a 2 year level.

She knows ABC. Not the whole alphabet, just ABC. And sometimes, D.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is her favorite movie. She would watch it every day if we let her. Of course, we don't. And the day she says "cluster cuss" will be the last day she ever sees Mr. Fox.

She will eat most foods if dipped in ketchup or Nutella. If she doesn't like something, which is often, she'll spit it right out or throw it on the floor.

She is learning to use a fork and spoon, and being very independent, she no longer likes to be fed. She insists on feeding herself, but has trouble getting food onto the utensil to put in her mouth. So, she demands help with that part, but insists on taking over once the food is on the fork or spoon. Consequently, most of her clothes are stained with ketchup or Nutella (see above), and I've given up on keeping the floor under her chair clean.

She sometimes goes to bed with a small soccer ball or clutching a book.

She weighs 22 lb, 12 oz (25%) and she's 32" (55%) but I think they might have got her height wrong. I think she might be more like 31" or so. Either way, she is healthy, and I am so thankful.

Dear Fable

Today we made sugar cookies. Actually, I made them and you ate them. Silly me, to think I might put something sweet within your reach and it wouldn't go straight into your mouth! First it was the dough. Then, you tried to eat the icing like soup with a spoon. That was when I gave up and finished decorating the cookies myself.

I think you liked them.

Dear Fable

At 16-months, you're still not a consistent sleeper. You often wake in the night and require some attention before you'll go back to sleep. Or when I'm really tired, I just bring you to bed with us. Since you're always on the go when you're awake, I don't mind to sleep with you, quiet and still in my arms (on occasion).

And then there are nights when you sleep straight through, until 6:30 am! And even though you usually have to cry it out for a few minutes before you'll ever go to sleep in your crib, last night you only fussed a second, and tonight you didn't fuss AT ALL! Maybe you've finally learned to fall asleep on your own! JUST IN TIME FOR OUR TRIP THIS WEEKEND!

We're staying in a hotel, which means you'll spend half the night in your pack n play and half the night in bed with us. And we're driving and visiting with family, which means you'll nap in the car at odd hours. Which means that by the time we return home on Sunday, you'll be totally thrown off and back to crying it out and sleeping with us.

Oh well, we'll sleep again when we're old.

Fable Lately

She has Elmo-radar. If there is an Elmo, she will find it, "Ehl-mo! Ehl-mo! Ehl-mo!" She carries around her very own little Elmo everywhere, and he sleeps with her every night.

I sneeze and she says, "Wesh-shoe!" She sneezes and she says, "Wesh-shoe!"

She knows six animal sounds: dog, cat, cow, horse, sheep and snake.

She'll carry her dirty diaper to the trash can and throw it away. She turns around and claps, so pleased with herself.

She closes her eyes for a few seconds as we pray before dinner, and says, "Aaaa-men!"

She signs, more, please, thank you, all done and water. Her signs for water and thank you look an awful lot like blowing kisses.

She can identify eyes, nose, mouth, ears, feet and head.

She puts her fingers together and raises her arms when I sing The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.

She steals my lip balm and hides it behind her back. She swipes the stick over her lips like mama.

Every day she is changing. She says a new word, responds to me, mimics me. She learns something new, discovers something new, delights in something new.

Dear Fable

I'm sorry to say, your daddy started calling you "stinky" a long time ago, and it stuck. We call you "the stinkster" and many other names derived from "stinky." But of course we give you these pet names with all the love in our hearts, and it seemed only fitting to dress you as a skunk for Halloween! Not quite as "sweet" as last year, but so much fun.

We took you out in your costume three times. On Friday, we went with friends to a local shopping complex. On Sunday, we went to a Trunk or Treat at our church. Before we did any trick-or-treating ourselves, we passed out candy from our car. You loved giving candy to the other kiddos.

"One for you."

"One more for you."

"And one for you."

"Anyone else? Who wants candy?"

"Someone, please! Take this candy!"

On Monday we went around to a few houses in our neighborhood. You enjoyed carrying your candy bag and walking around the neighborhood. As the bag grew heavier, you took to dragging it along behind you.

You always said "Tank ooo!" and "Buh byeee!"

My polite little stinker.

Love you,

Mama

One Day

I attempt to brush her teeth, and she clamps her mouth shut and shakes her head.

I put green beans on her plate and she throws them on the floor.

I tell her not to stand in the bath or the high chair or the shopping cart, and she smiles and does it anyway.

One day I'll tell her to be home by 10 and she'll roll her eyes.

One day I'll tell her to drive safely and she'll ignore me.

One day I'll tell her to call me when she gets there and she'll swear she forgot.

I only want to protect her. One day, when she's grown and has a child of her own, she'll understand. Like I do, now.

Fable Lately

She brings a book, turns herself around and plops down in my lap. I read the first two words before she turns the page. "Brown bear... Red bird... Yellow duck..."

She reaches out her hands to hold our fingers as we pray before dinner. She looks at her daddy, then her mama, as we thank God for her and pray for patience and wisdom.

She leans in to give a kiss, "MMMMMMM-AH" as she presses her lips to mine.

She cruises along the couch, the walls, the bed, and then suddenly she's off, walking on her own. She makes it across the room before she falls. My big girl.