January 9th - Almost 22months

To say that our daughter is an old soul is an understatement at best and an insulting minimization of her prowess at the worst. She has better table manners than most adults I know, has a better sense of fashion than my most envied of friends or heroines, the most dramatic of sensitivities, and an unwaveringly delicate touch when affectionate. My heart broke for her the first time she pulled my face down to her so she could kiss me when she was 7 months old. It breaks every time since for her and reminds me how much love can endure and heal.

She likes to march in place, she farts when she laughs, likes to strip naked and run around the house while rubbing her nipples, loves her big girl (twin sized) bed, feeds her baby dolls and gives them kisses, loves our cats and is very gentle with them, and is adept at taking things apart.

Unfortunately, she bites the couch when she's frustrated and smacks herself on the stomach and face when she's angry. Pulls and shakes the bars on the baby gates when she's not allowed in a certain room or not getting your attention right away. And says "no" to anything and everything when she's tired, hungry, or her feelings are hurt (reminds me of a certain someone that also exhausts me...).

She loves to draw and paint, loves to quietly sit in bed and read, delights in nature walks down to see our neighbor's chickens, thinks all animals with four legs are "dogs", twirls and dances (does the cha-cha, the stride, and disco moves including the hip bump) while watching her favorite movie as of late, Pitch Perfect.

We do "spa time" to get her to sit still for getting her nails trimmed and cleaned. I give her a little dab of lotion and she rubs her hands together and sniffs them just before exclaiming in appreciation "Aaaah!" She sits on my lap in front of our bedroom mirror and brushes her hair or mine. Next come the hairbands that she likes to stack up around her eyes so that she looks like a Star Trek character.

 

 She loves being chased, she no longer runs off when we're out walking together unless she's very excited, and she wants to do the stairs on her own now along with everything else. Our patience is tried every day and we fall into bed sleep deprived and are woken halfway through the night for our daughter's slumber party jabbering between our two heads and wonder if we're ever going to have a full night's sleep again next to each other or possibly ever travel again or be able to watch an R-rated movie or sleep in till noon...When all is said and done, we love her more every day and can't imagine how we were blessed with such a person.