21 months old!

What has Miss Belle been up to as of late? What hasn't she? Into everything, saying everything, playing everything. This month has been monkey see, monkey do with her. She is repeating words and watching everything I do and imitating it and incorporating it into her playtime.

- Tula has become quite the Mommy this month. A few weeks ago, it started when we finally took out the cradle Grandma C had gotten her for her first Christmas. She loved to put her baby in there and decided to tell me, while rocking the baby, that the baby was "cold". I could hardly believe that when she told me, that that had come to mind when she realized that the baby was naked that it would be cold. I was, of course, thoroughly impressed by this and convinced that my child is operating at nothing less than a genius level. We went and dug through Tula's old clothes and found a little bitty sleeper and put that on Dolly, that seemed to make her better. Then, she needed a blanket. She found another dolls bottle and put that together, baby needs "milk". Sometimes she brings her baby to me and wants me to give it "mama milk". I will fake nurse the doll and give it to back her and I have actually found her, on more than one occasion with her shirt lifted, "nursing" her baby, which I think is totally adorable. She SINGS to the doll, and pats its back and hugs it. After she became obsessed with her baby, we let her open up the highchair as well (I am so glad I waited to let her use this stuff- she enjoys it so much more not that she knows what to do with it. Great gifts Grandma- can't tell you how much they have been used this month!) The highchair was up and of course, baby is hungry, she tells me this by rubbing the belly and saying "numma-numma-nums" so I went down and got an old bowl and spoon of hers and of course, feeding baby is a new favorite. And it's not just any one of these things that I amazed by, but the combination of watching her just sort of attach herself to this baby doll and totally care for it like its a baby. How could a child be maternal? It is really something that we are just born with? What a miracle! At any rate, she has become an amazing "mommy" to her babies and I just love watching with her, 98 % of the time. The other 2 % I need some help with. A few times, rarely but more than once, she has been downright ABUSIVE to these poor precious babies. She will smack them in the face and say "no, no, no". Like, not just slap them but hit them with other toys. Once, she even threw it. And it's as if she is reacting to something really "naughty" that this baby just did. So strange. What I would give to know what goes through her head sometimes.

- On the "Mommy" note, Tula's big sister skills impress us more and more every month. She LOVES to help with Maverick right now. She insists on holding his bottle whenever he gets on. She likes to get up on a chair while he is in the highchair and if she can't help feed him she wants to stand on the other side of his tray and talk to him the entire time. She has to get me the wipes for diaper change and pull them out. She loves to wipe him and knows when he is poopy not to touch anything but just makes a bunch of dramatic noises she has probably just heard from me one time or another. She loves to clean up, she sings her "clean up, clean up" song while she is cleaning and loves to throw things in the garbage for me and put all the shoes away in the shoebox whenever there are any out on the floor. If Mav is on the floor fussing, she will go and get him a toy and give it to him. (I guess I should mention that if Mav is playing perfectly happy with a toy she will go snatch it from him and make him cry...what's up with that?). But for the most part, she shares with him and is a great big sister.

- This month, with introducing milk to Mav, we have found one thing in our house that Tula is upset about every time she has to share and that is her sippy cup. It's pretty much not an option, and I always have to have one for each of them at mealtime, even if he's only going to have a sip. I have learned that I have to draw lines right now over who's cups are who's so that there is no confusion. They will each have their own colors of cups to avoid future arguments. Tula will say "mine, mine, mine" but I fixed when I informed her the yellow cup actually wasn't hers, it was Mav's, and she wasn't allowed to touch it. She didn't know what to do about that one.

- I think for the first time in a very long time, I felt like I was Tula's "favorite" again. When we were out, she would want to hold my hand. When we are doing a family Costco trip, I had to push the cart, not Daddy. A few times she even wanted me to put her to bed. She is her Daddy girl for sure, but this month I got lots of extra love!

- We are done nursing, officially. I can't believe it but it's true. It's been almost all month, a good three weeks since the last time and she doesn't even ask anymore really. The only time she was nursing was in the morning and I just kept her busy when we woke up and it distracted her enough that it is just no longer part of the routine. I am so thankful that it just ended the way it did, I was really ready to be done and Tula is doing so well without it. I wouldn't have had the energy to fight with her about it so I am beyond thankful that it happened the way it did. No tears and no hurt feelings, for either of us. I will miss that special time together, but we had MORE than enough of it and I was ready for that phase to be done. I will treasure some of those moments forever though. It really, really was a time that was so special to me. One of my favorite parts of the day for the last 21 months.

- Potty training, if you could call it that, is going well. We aren't anywhere near enforcing it outside of the home. But when we are here, I can have her diaper off and keep the door open to the bathroom and she will just go in there when she has to pee without even telling me. She has pooped twice on the potty and twice on the floor. That was annoying. Just crapped on the floor and then started saying "yuck" and pointing and yelling till I come over and clean it up. Please, let that stage pass quickly. That's just sick.

- Lots and lots of new words daily, Tula tries to copy everything she hears and will try and say any words we ask her too, which can sometimes be a really fun/cute game. But the ones she uses lots now are cool, brother, mommy, outside, park, cold, ham, eggs, MINE, baby...okay, this list is getting too long and impossible to do. Needless to say, I am not worried in the vocabulary department. She is talking up a storm and amuses us with not only new words, but her timing, expression and wit.

- Tula has decided she likes meat!!!!! What? Took her long enough. This month, she has become obsessed with ham and has to have it in her eggs every morning just like Mommy. She tried out steak one night and loved it. And finally, we have gotten the girl to eat chicken a few times. Pasta is still a mealtime staple, but we are branching out a little and there have been a few nights where I actually didn't have to cook her her own meal and she could just eat whatever we were eating. What a treat for me! She love rice, and even lets me put veggies in there and she will eat them together. Loves chicken noodle soup from the can with any variation of noodles. Still usually has a yogurt for lunch. Likes apples and loves it when I give her a hole one to just bite into like a big girl. Loves grapes, I am still a wimp and cut them into quarters for her. I might do that till she is 16. Loves Doritos, Tostitos, and chips...lol. I ALWAYS find her sneaking into the pantry and stealing them. I usually pretend like I don't notice because she thinks she is so sneaky she goes in quietly and takes one out of the bag and then runs and hides. If I just close the pantry door, she would never dare come ask me for one cause she knows she's not allowed, and if I bust her and she sees I saw her I will say no so she doesn't make to much of a habit, but the occasional times she gets in there and gets away with it, I like not saying anything and just giving her a moment of privacy and a feeling of success, if you could call it that.

- This month, Tula got asked to be a flower girl for our friends Kyle and Kauren's wedding here next March! This is so exciting, as it will be her first trip down the aisle and she gets to do it with her good friend Beau. They already love to hold hands while they walk, so this should be a piece of cake. I cannot wait to see it and I am honored that we have been asked to be such a fun part in such a special day! Thanks guys!


Every month I go to write this and I think "How much could possibly be new this month?" and all I need is an hour at the computer writing this blog to realize that the list goes on and on and on. It's never-ending. Having two under two is busy, no doubt, but with Tula being almost 2 and Mav at 7 months crawling, sitting, eating cheerios, etc we are really feeling into a rhythm that makes it not near as difficult as one would think. Tula, you and your brother have been total treats to raise since day one. I couldn't have asked for easier kids. And though there are days that at your age and stage you can drive me bonkers, you are a great kids with an incredibly kind and gentle spirit. You are the best big sister and watching you with Mav makes me feel like I have done something right. I always say that "I don't know where you get it" to this or that. But I know that the fact that I have spent almost every hour with you since your birth has something to do with your personality and the way you are. When I see you being an amazing caregiver, it makes me feel like I am doing a good job. When I watch you clean up, I am reminded that my hard work will pay off. When you nurse your baby, I know that you are capable of showing love to others in every way it has been shown to you, and that you know what love is and that is has many shapes. When I watch you love up Daddy, I remember why I love him so much. In your face I see everything that is good in me, and everything I have done right, and that is one of the most precious gifts of motherhood. You remind me of everything I have done right in this world. Every single day. Happy 21 months, Tula Roo. You are my joy.