19 month newsletter

Dear Trixie.
Yesterday you turned 19 months old, and in turn I felt sad and old and nostalgic and weepy all at once. I'm sure it's all related to the crazy hormones your little brother has me on, but some of it is that you're growing up so fast. You're beyond walking now, you must run, hop and do a silly happy dance wherever we go. It's quite adorable! This month you've almost figured out how ride on toys work, using your own feet to propel them, but you do much prefer to be pushed along. Your stair climbing abilities have also gotten better. You love to hold someone's hands and walk up the stairs almost horizontal alternating you feet. It's quite amusing. If there is a handrail you can walk up and down just holding one adult's hand. I am sure when your little legs grow longer you'll do better. (I'm sorry you have such short legs, I am sure that my genetics do not help in that arena!) Besides climbing stairs you're learning that you love to climb, which is also starting to scare me! I'll see you stacking your books on the floor so you can reach the next shelf on the book shelf. You like to climb your chair, and finally today you manged to fall off before I could catch you. However you weren't deterred, I caught you climbing your chair less than 10 minutes later. Now along with your climbing you've discovered bouncing. You can climb onto your little toddler bed, or Mama and Daddy's big bed and you'll bounce until you're reminded to stay on your bum. Same with the couch in the living room, it makes for great bouncing. But Darling, please stay on your bum? You're making your Mama's blood pressure rise, and that's not good 'cause your Mama is growing you a brother!
You're still my little reader. You could spend hours and hours reading alone and having someone read to you. I'm confident that given the option of losing all of your toys or books, you would choose to keep your books, and this makes me so happy! Often when Daddy or I are reading you a book you'll just start to narrate the book pointing out random things, leaving us reeling that you know these specific words, and while you've been doing this for months, it's still shocking for us.
You seem to be drawn to books about animals, loving "Brown Bear" and any books which count. You're going to be a math girl! You seem to get all enthralled in books that just have things to count. It makes Daddy really proud!
In terms of play your imagination has taken off. We play pretend a lot, feeding your babies and animals, putting them to bed, wearing them in baby carriers. You have conversations with your bears and dollies and just have a grand ol' time with them. This month we bought you a little kitchen set of pots and pans and you've spent hours whipping up yummy treats which you will suck off of the mini whisk you have.
Out in the world you've learned all about vehicles. We can stand on a street corner for close to an hour just looking at cars and trucks. More recently you've learned about trains, which you call "cheens", you always ask me for more when they pass, which leaves me sad because I cannot command them to come. If I could, I would, but alas, it's a power I do not have. You're still in love with airplanes and call them "peens" while signing airplane madly. I blame your Daddy for your crazy airplane sign, because whenever he signs it, his plane are going through a lot of turbulence!
You've also found the moon and stars and will look for them when we are outside at night. Often you greet the moon and always tell it goodbye. I'm sure the moon is very happy that someone is so excited to see it. As always you love trees and flowers, always stopping to huff the flowers. Perhaps one day we'll learn to smell them, rather than try to inhale them madly.
You're still not much of an eater, although you continue to thrive, so I guess I am getting something good into you at some point. I figure you eat good about every 5th meal, but in the in between meals you pick. I am grateful that you love your fruits and veg though, even if you'll only nibble at it. Berries are still your favourite, although we're switching to grapes to save your poor rashy bum from the assault of the berries.
A while ago Daddy bought you a toddler bed and you continue to go to bed in it most nights. We give you a choice where you'd like to go to sleep and you mostly choose your bed, although by 3 in the morning you're generally back in bed with us. I am totally okay with this. If it would have been my choice we wouldn't have gotten you a bed at all, but it was a good deal and you do love it so. But I love feeling you cuddle up with me. My hair is still your lovey and I am still okay with you loving it!
Trixie my love, this has been a busy month, with lots of learning and playing and just having fun. I am so happy to be your Mama! I can't wait to see what the other months bring!
love,
Mama.