Twenty-Three Months

Dear Rachel,

I know that I have told you this before, but you do not stop amazing me with what you have learned. It’s been wonderful to be able to see the steps that you have made: both physical and mental. As you charge your way into toddlerhood, I wonder what lies ahead for me and you. The struggles we will go through as I try to teach you and you assert your independence. Please do not grow up too fast, as true independence is much harder than it looks.

As frustrating as it may be to get you to identify a color correctly, I believe that you know them. I’ve caught you on occasion pointing out the correct color, but you are determined to answer with “blue” when ever you are asked.

I was surprise and yet humored the other day when I came in to check on you. Nap time has been frustrating recently as you are determined to fight it as best you can. Most of the time you demand a drink or more food to buy time, but this time you were just crying. When I came in to check on you I noticed something out of place. I saw a small child standing in her crib without her diaper. I could have sworn I put one on when I changed her. Oh, and there it is in the middle of the room. She took it and chucked it across the room. Great now I’ll have that naked baby run through my dinner party (I never host dinner parties, but you get the idea.)

Sometimes I am torn on whether to praise you for your accomplishment or punish you because you did something I said no to. The other day I left the room for just a minute as you played on the floor. The TV was off when I left the room, but somehow it was on when I returned. Confused I looked to where I left the remote sitting on the couch. And there you where sitting there nonchalantly watching Dora: The Explorer with remote in hand. Should I have praised you for finding the remote, pointing it in the right direction and hitting the power button? Or should I have punished you because you picked up something I’ve told you a thousand times not to play with?

While you have been doing good with “please” and “thank you” for some time, “welcome” and “excuse me” have been new additions. But you pulled out all the stops on your manners and consideration the other day that threw me for a loop. We were playing with your Weebles and on a whim I decided to wobble around the room. When I fell (I had to because only Weebles wobble, but don’t fall down), you ran over, placed your hands on my shoulder blade and helped me up. For a minute, I wondered who this little tyke was and how she learned such a thing.

Twenty-Two Months

You are now twenty-two months old. This month has been an explosion of learning as you take in the world around you a little differently each day. You continue to amaze daddy as you string words into sentences and say new words almost every day.

Besides learning new words you’ve made great strides in learning your alphabet. While, you may not say them no command, or even know all of them, you are learning there importance and what they mean. Numbers have been a recent addition on your repertoire. It started out like, un, oo, ee, ive, ine, ten! Woo Hoo! *claps* From the beginning you knew you were on to something.

This month has been special because it marked an unusual event: vacation. Although you do not quite understand the concept yet, you enjoyed discovering a new place and experiencing different world. Wonderworks, the interactive science museum, and the Ripley’s Aquarium had to be your two favorite places that we went. Your favorite thing about vacation, by far, was mommy - all day, every day.

Daddy has finally gotten off his butt and has taken you to the park on a regular basis. It seems that you like the equipment equal to just wandering around the park. It’ll take you a while to explore it all, but you are determined to do so. We have also found us a park buddy. Her child is only 10 months old, but in less than a year you two could be running around the park together. You did enjoy tickling her feet the other day.

You favorite shows continue to be SpongeBob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer. I do think, however, that you like Boots more than Dora, but that’s ok - monkeys are fun. Some other, less important, shows you enjoy to watch are The Wiggles, JoJo’s Circus, Charley and Lola, Handy Mandy, My Friends: Tigger and Pooh, and Higglytown Heroes which could be the most disturbing.

As I look at you each day, I can’t believe how much of a little girl you are becoming. And how fast you are learning new things. Soon you will be two and daddy will throw up his hands and wonder where all the time has went as he watches you becoming more independent.

Love,
Daddy

Dear Rachel

My wife has commented to me that we should write letters to Rachel that she would open up at a later date. I dismissed the idea, until I came across Doodaddy’s post Dear Boobaby (part XIX). I found this a wonderfully good post, and pulled me into the idea of writing my own letters. Here is the first installment.

Dear Rachel,

I must start out with an appology; I’ve waited way too long to begin writing to you and, if I’m not careful all those times will be lost in distant memories.

Today you turn 21 months, and continue to surprise me with what you know and what you can say. You are quickly turning into a little girl and I can’t help but thinking back to when I first saw you. Even though I said I would not cut the cord, when it came down to it, after I saw you, I cut away, proud of my first moment as a dad.

Over the last 21 months we have had our good times and bad times. But as I look back, even though I didn’t think it at the time, the bad times seem to fade off as the good times shine bright as ever. I can still rememmber, vividly, sleeping in the recliner in your first month because that is the only way we could get you to sleep. I remember playing Xbox and computer games as you slept peacefully in my lap. I remember how you would look at me as I fed your bottle and how I looked at you.

Now, as you are approaching two years, you are getting your own opinion and personallity. It’s bitter sweet when you push me away if I try to play with your while your transfixed on Dora or Diego. It’s hard that you are already pushing me away, even if it is in a small way. Your stangle-hold hugs make all the little push-aways disapper and I couldn’t be happier as I watch you grow into a little girl.

Love,
daddy