Happy 23-month Birthday to my self-actualized babygirl

Dear Finley,

I’ve been meaning to post the video from your first corn on the cob experience on 7.24, but I’ve been otherwise engaged with a nasty infection that just.will.not.die. Since then you’ve had corn on the cob half a dozen times, and each time you are as eager as the last. Were it not for the memory of carrying you in my body and then birthing you, I would know you were my child by this fact alone.

Your language skills have always been great, but in the last week I have noticed you are putting together increasingly complex sentences, often with abstract ideas. For example, the other day we were sitting in a parking garage trying to figure out what some numbskull was doing. I was driving, Daddy was in the front passenger seat and you were in your seat. Daddy, forbidden to carry a firearm because of his hair trigger, impatiently said, “TCH! Just go around them!!” To which I replied that if I did that, I would hit the people who were walking around the side of our car, and just now coming into Daddy’s field of vision. They were slow walkers and I could just tell they wouldn’t have the decency to get out of our way. Anyway, from the back seat you pipe up, “If I hit them, it would be an accident. If I hit them, I would be upset.” Not only did I think RIGHT, I realized that you were actively contemplating how it would feel to hit them, that consequences were something you were beginning to grasp, however loosely. I can’t tell you how proud that made me.

In fairness, you may have picked up this phrase from me somewhere along the way, just the way you picked up the phrases, “I fall down sometimes”, “It was an accident”, and “For the love of God”. But the fact that you knew that “I would be upset” followed hitting someone with a car has to count for something, right?

Potty training is ongoing, but we’re not in any real hurry. You use the potty frequently at home and let us know most times you need to use the potty. We’ve been continuing to use the training pants because underwear isn’t something that would motivate you just yet. We just have to work on your letting other people know when you need to use the potty. Like SM when you’re at her house. It’s all good, because we’ll get there eventually.

Yesterday you and I spent a wonderful day at the pool with Ian and his mom, and we had such a good time that I couldn’t get us out of there before you got a 2″ patch of sunburn on your left shoulder. Since we’ve been discussing what makes an accident, I don’t know if this falls into that category or not. The burn isn’t that bad—still I should’ve completely lacquered you with sunscreen every 15 minutes. My selfishness got the best of me because the way you smiled, laughed and said Mama, and the loving way you looked at me, I was so in love that I didn’t want it to end. I wanted you all to myself and I think it’s one of my all time favorite memories of being with you.

I just can’t stop telling you how proud I am of you, how much you are growing, and how wonderful it is to watch you put things together. I love you my little one!

Love, Mama

I lubbit

You may call it zucchini bread if you must, but it will always be joaquini bread to me.

Also, I love to play with anything textural, so Mama gave me some large swatches of something I like to call ‘my faberrix’.

Whess Mye Binglebangles?

I have been blessed many different ways in the last two years, one of which is definitely clothing. Hand-me-downs and Grandma gifts have pretty much kept me clothed nonstop this entire time. Mama has gotten me a few things here and there—even picked up a few things for when I get a little older—but for the most part she hasn’t clothed me herself. Being with me all the time, she is more in tune with my personality, and we both agree that while I’ve never gone naked, there have been quite a few times where my clothing didn’t adequately represent, if you know what I mean.

In the last few weeks I have begun to embrace my girly-girl side. Suddenly interested in purses, shiny binglebangles, ringlebangles, and euhwings, I need to be prettified several times a week or else I get a bit cranky. Fortuitously, I had no clothes to wear (there was a 1-yr gap in my hand-me-downs, can you believe it?), so Mama took the opportunity to giddily skip to an end of season sale where she got me a ridiculous amount of clothes, a $.99 purse and two binglebangles (not shown here because I had to wear them).

Normal retail cost: $269, Mama’s price: $86. And might I mention that I have worn those bracelets to death, and adore my puppy shirt? [Mama can hardly wait for the weather to turn a little colder to see me in the black and white shirt. I'll be all Parisienne!]

Haffday Burffday

Mama had a haffday burffday last week. I colored her a card and sang her a song. She still got sick again yesterday. This is the second Sunday in a row this has happened.  I think Sunday is a bad day for her.

Anyway, Mama wants to attempt to catch up here so she’s not living in dread of it any more. So, let’s back up to the second weekend of July when I got to go visit my peeps in NY. I had a great time visiting with them for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the amount of love I got while I was there.

I mean it, I couldn’t turn around without someone looking at me adoringly.

Mama also has a photo of Auntie Ren giving me the lovey-eye, but she knows that Auntie Ren would kill her if she posted that photo. Instead, you’ll have to settle for a family shot.

I also got to visit with my very extended family, cousins I don’t know, Aunts and Uncles I’ve never met, and some fool kid who was trying really, really hard to get my attention. So hard that he threw himself off the bench next to me. You can’t see my face, but I was unfazed by his shenanigans, and had a look that said, “That boy ain’t right in the haid.”

Maybe because I also have dimples, I’m immune to his charm?

Best of all, I got to play in the biggest swimming pool I’ve ever seen. Mama and Daddy had a hard time getting me out of it, and I begged repeatedly to go back in, even after the sun went down and we sat in the chill night air watching fireworks. What can I say, I’m a water girl.

Tellerrrr

Every day when I come home, Mama tells me that someone is waiting for me inside. She asks me who I think it is and we play a game where I guess a bunch of names, but I know it’s always going to be my boy.

He doesn’t know he’s my boy yet, but I’m wearing him down.

Mama wants to eat and can’t, I can eat and won’t

Lately I’ve not been eating much. Maybe it’s because it’s hot, or maybe it’s because I’m just that age now, but it’s been slightly worrisome to Mama. This very morning I told her I didn’t want to eat my breakfast of strawberries, avocados and toast, I just wanted my bitamince. Mama sighed.

Then I got a time out for eating the cat food. I can’t tell you how many time outs I’ve gotten in the last few weeks for eating the cat food, mainly because I can’t count higher than sebenteen yet, but it’s a lot.

While Daddy was taking a shower and we were waiting for SM to come get me for another fun day in the sun and at the library, Mama asked if I was hungry and I said yes. So she offered me a choice of oatmeal crackers and honey wheat grahams hoping at least she’d get me to put some fiber in my belly (and keep me from the cat food bowl). First I had half an oatmeal cracker and then I decided I wanted a graham cracker instead. I like to do a dance when I eat them, so take a look.

That last cracker that I got? As soon as I had it in my hand I put it on the floor next to the cat food bowl and said I didn’t want it any more. Mama sighed.

Mama’s sick

I’m sorry, baby girl, the last few weeks have been really difficult. Not only have I had a lot of work, I got really sick for about a week, kind of sick the week after that thanks to the antibiotics, and spent the last week trying to return to normal. Then, Sunday I woke up sick again.

I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time with you again. I miss you so much!

Thank goodness SM is on the case

Obviously there has been some miscommunication about how important this blog is. Thank goodness SM stayed on task and has been documenting my exploits while Mama falters!

Here I am being a good hostess at the 4th party and getting Mr Sean a beer.

Here’s me and my homegirls getting ready to have a ladies’ afternoon. We bad.

And finally, this is what I like to do with anything squishy. Including, and especially, food. Mouth motion definitely required to get this move right.

Vocabulary lesson for the week

I told Mama she needed to stop pretending to be dying and write down my favorite thing to talk about the last few weeks. Those rubber things that the mail person puts around the mail and I like to wear as bracelets? Those are rubberbandaids.

Mama wishes that she could be spending more time with you, little one. The last three weeks have been hella crazy in our house. Once again, Mother Nature has decided to remind me who is the boss by throwing me down on my back, gasping and wheezing UNCLE. Unfortunately for us, that means even more time spent away from you. The few moments I have been able to spend with you in the last 48 hours have been wonderful. I love and miss you! Happy 22-months, my little Finley Rose!

Carpool conversation

On the way to work at SM’s and Stella’s today (that’s what I call it now), Mama pointed out the kids at the Y, saying that one day I could go to camp, too. So I very matter of factly said the following:

Un-huuhhhuuhh. I go to boxsitball camp. I play boxsitball and throw the ball in the boxsit. Then I put it in the cabinet.

Mama nearly drove into the ditch.