20 months old!

Here's what's the haps with you this month, girlfriend:

~ Talking! You are talking up a storm , and starting to put two words together. my mama. papa's hat. more milk. This talking stuff is so fun, I love hearing what you come up with. You try and repeat almost anything I ask. You LOVE it when you say a word and I get it. Of course, who wouldn't. But it thrills me everytime I get it right and feel like we are really, truly communicating.

~ The 'tude. Oh the attitude, Tula. And I know I ain't seen nothing yet but sometimes it kills me. You like the word "no" right now. A lot. Oh, and you just learned the word "mine" and you seem to like that one too. Where do you even come up with these things? It's not like I run around the house saying "mine, mine, mine" so I just don't get it. You hit me for the first time this month, like a full on slap on the face. I was trying to tell you something and I wanted you to look me in the eye and when I went to get face to face with you you just sort of slapped me. That sucked. Anyways, it is what it is and I promise to love you through it but it gets a little hairy at times.

~ Nursing. We are almost done and this is bittersweet for me. I look forward to being finished and for you to be an independent little girl, but I will always miss that special time with you and forever cherish the bond it has created for us and for you and Mav. This month, for the first time, I was able to go in and put you to bed the way Daddy always does without you even asking to nurse. We read a story and you drank a bit from your sippy cup, we shut the lights off and snuggled for awhile and you went to bed. I was in shock the whole time and waiting for you to ask, and when you didn't I knew that we were ready to be done. I started only allowing you to nurse for "one book" at nap time and that only lasted a week or two and then you were fine with just the book and didn't even ask to nurse. So really at this point, you are just nursing first thing in the morning, and its usually very brief I think more for habit than anything else. This is the tough one for me to get rid of, because it means I have to just get up and at it first thing in the mornings and distract you and its almost impossible for me to get that motivated that early. So many people told me that around year and half you would begin to naturally wean yourself, and at 18 months I was impatient and convinced it would never happen for us. But, I love how Mother Nature takes over and never fails. Of course you wouldn't nurse forever! Naturally, and without a bunch of tears and hurt feelings, we have been able to cut it down to one session a day, and I think that will be done soon as well. I will will miss these times with you, but they go in the Mommy memory box in the back of mind. I will never forget.

~ Potty training is in full swing. You asked for it! You are starting to figure out that you need to tell us when you have to go, although you usually pee first then hit your diaper and say "pee pee". This makes me think that you have to go and we rush to the toilet and get undressed and out of a diaper only to realize the damage is done. You have also learned that you can use it to distract me from the task at hand. I will be putting you down for a nap and think you are asleep and then you look up at me and say "peepee" so of course I took you to the bathroom and nothin. That wont happen again. If I initiate and stay on the ball every 15 minutes of so, you will pee on the potty almost every time, or frequently throughout the day. This month you pooped on the potty for the first time! And that time you definitely asked me to use the potty. I thought you were going to pee and them you just started grunting and pushing . It was funny, when you actually started to go to the bathroom you made a face like you were going down a roller coaster or something, you really had no idea what was happening. But as soon as you were done you looked in the toilet and said "yuck". Oh, I have had to clean poop out of your training panties a few times this month, that has been discouraging for both of us. But you really like to go on the potty and of course you love all the praise and attention it gets you.

~ Food is a bit of a nightmare. Here is a typical day's menu. Cheerios for breakfast. Animal crackers for snack. Cucumbers for lunch, maybe some grapes. Pirates Booty for afternoon snack and mac and cheese for dinner. Yep, it's not good and we are seriously lacking anything with actual NUTRIENTS! it drives me crazy, but I know this too shall pass so we press on. I offer different options and sometimes we find new stuff you like, most times we don't. Oh well, neither Mommy or Daddy are fussy eaters at all so I imagine this is just a phase? If not, have fun trying to keep that gorgeous little figure of yours stuffing your face with carbs all day. Silly girl.

~ Brother. You love your brother sooooooo much and I love watching you with him. You are convinced that you need to hold his hand all the time. While driving, for sure. The new one is on the trampoline, you love to lie there and be bounced and just hold his hand and bounce with him. You bring him toys and let him play, and you have to see him first thing in the morning, as soon as he is up you go running to his bedroom door to let me know you have heard him. You are the best big sister Tula, and you make me so proud when I see what a kind little loving heart you have.

I know this post may seem a little harsh or sarcastic and I guess in some parts it is. But know that I still love you to bits and although you drive me crazy sometimes right now, you still manage to steal my heart a million times a day. You are full of personality and its so fun to be around. Love you Tula!