25 month newsletter

Dear Beatrix.
Today you are 25 months old, and I guess a lot of people would think that it's silly that I'm still counting your age in months, but I laugh at them and say at least I'm not counting your age in weeks!
This month you've been busy working on being a big sister and you've been doing a wonderful job. You've shown no jealousy towards Hudson, mostly you just want to hug and kiss him and do anything to be physically close to him. I feel bad that I have to pull you away from him so much, but he needs to breathe. I try to involve you in caring for Hudson, you like to "burp burp" him and you're an expert drool wiper and pretty good at wiping away spit up too. If I'm busy and he's fussing I can ask you to sing to him and you will, often an adorable rendition of Twinkle Twinkle or Happy Birthday. He's a lucky boy!
We've been working on the alphabet this month. You love to sing it, and have made up your own version which has a more direct route to zed. (We say zed, not zee.) ABC-QRS-Y-Zed. I bought you some foam letters which you play with in the shower. You like to stick them on the walls and group them by colour. You are getting good at identifying the letters though, and scoff at the numbers. However, you insist that 6 is 9 and are happy that the set has two 9s. (Which seems to be your favourite number.)
With your eating, I've realized that you are a social eater, you eat best when in a group. I'm seeing more and more how your personality is affected by your eating. The days you eat less you're a little more obstinate, so I'm learning how to get you to nibble on more things to keep your blood sugar up and you in a better mood! Of course you will always eat your body weight in berries, you love strawberries and blueberries and of course they both have some negative after effects. You favourite veggies this month were broccoli (but only the flower part) and carrots. You still love to dip everything so I work on making healthy dips for you, with hummus being your favourite. In the future look for some homemade ketchup and some pestos! A fun addition to your diet has been meat, you seem to love meatballs, so I make sure that I make them frequently for you. Today you happily ate up some dried figs calling them meatballs, and you would not let me call them figs.
You language continues to grow much faster than I ever anticipated. You can speak in full sentences and I love seeing you converse with your friends in sentences. It's like you're little people, not just babies anymore! It's pure craziness!
I love to listen to you have conversations with your dolls and toys, or just your running commentary on life around you. And you sing! A lot! If I wasn't already positive that you were a child of mine your made up songs prove it. I love how you just sing along to whatever is going on in your head. It's something your Daddy and I know you got from me.
Right now you are all about dresses and when I ask you what you'd like to wear you still answer with "pwitty dwess". And I love how in your pretty dress you will get down on the floor and play cars with your little boy friends.
This month you have entered the so called "Terrible Twos", I'm finding you are a stubborn child, but I notice that along with your stubbornness you can be reasoned with. I don't think you're terrible at all. I think you are a toddler who's just gone through a pretty intense life change, getting a new sibling and learning all about the world around you. Granted you try and test me as much as you can, but it's okay. I'm learning too. I'm learning how to pass your tests and still keep my sanity. We're working though it, and we're still as attached as ever. At night you sleep as close to me as you can get, and whenever you have a couple moments of down time during the day you make sure your sitting next to me or on me if I'm not holding Hudson. I love how you will just come and take your time with me when you feel you need it. I will always be available to you and I love you impromptu cuddles and loves.
I love you!
love Mama.