The Leen

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I’ve got more posts coming up this week and next, including one about my recent creative and domestic endeavors, one about my current cooking rut (oh, it’s BAD), and one about the randomness that goes on around our house on a daily basis. So stay tuned!

I’ve been writing this letter for about a week now, and even since I started writing it, she’s changed and said more words and done more amazing things. Truly, every day is different at this stage! Oh, and I’m such a slacker that I have almost no photos from the past month. I just haven’t been taking many pics since we moved, other than on my cell phone, and those aren’t really on my computer. I have a few that I haven’t edited yet and I’ll try to post some soon, as well as some video.

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Dear Elanor,

Today, you are one and a half years old!

I apologize for not writing you a letter for your fifteenth, sixteenth, or seventeen month birthdays. I won’t lie; the last few months have been hard all around. We’ve been through a lot, and between Papa losing his job and then moving our family to San Francisco, it’s been rather busy.

But more than that, I’ve found the past three months or so to be the most challenging yet in terms of being your mama. It’s only been in the past couple of weeks that I’ve felt secure and confident as a parent again.

If I look at who you were back in April, and compare that baby to you now, you have come so far. I know that part of what was so hard for me was that you were struggling while you were changing and growing so much. Combine that with all the turmoil surrounding our family, and it’s no wonder I found being a mama harder than I ever had before. I’m so glad, though, that things have evened out and I’m feeling content again, more often than not. I did not like feeling frustrated most the time!

You are now completely confident physically. You walk, run, climb, and navigate pretty much any obstacle with ease. You love sliding down the slides at the park, and you love to climb on everything at home. One of your favorite places to sit while you watch a movie is up on the back of the couch. You’ll climb up there and lay down and just hang out.

As such, I don’t wear you much anymore. You’re too big and cumbersome, and you just want to be down and going. It’s a little sad to see your days of riding on me come to an end, but it’s also a relief: you were getting really, really heavy!

Your understanding of the world around you amazes us. You have figured out how to turn on the TV, change the input so that it will show the DVD player, and then turn on the DVD player so you can watch a movie. It is exciting to me to see how your relationship with technology will develop, since it’s such an integral part of our lives.

Something else that amazes me about your understanding of the world is that you remember houses where cats and dogs are often in the window. We walk a lot of the same streets on a regular basis, and as we approach houses or businesses where you’ve seen a cat or dog in the window before, you’ll do your sign for cat or dog and click your mouth like you are calling to them. It astonishes me how you can do this after only having seen it there once before.

Sleep continues to be, um, interesting. For a while before we moved, you’d take all your naps in your crib and would sleep there for several hours at night once I’d nursed you to sleep. Since we’ve moved, though, you haven’t wanted anything to do with your crib. And that’s okay with us. I think. Most days, anyway. There are definitely mornings when Papa and I wake up and look at each other and bemoan our lack of sleep due to your restlessness, but those tend to be less frequent than the mornings we wake up and smile at each other over your sleepy, adorable head.

I’m starting to see you need to nap longer during the day again, too. For a while you were only sleeping for 45 minutes, which was rough on both of us. Now, you’ll sleep for a little longer if I go back in and settle you. I’m glad. You are a happier girl when you get enough rest.

It seems like you’re getting your two-year molars, a little early. That would certainly follow your pattern of teething thus far. Although I don’t feel anything back there yet, your hands are always in your mouth and I’ve noticed an increase in drooling, too. I’m anxious to get these out of the way since they’ll be your last teeth for quite some time!

Finally, we’re hearing you say more words. We’ve been waiting for so long now, and I feel like we’re still waiting, but at least we can tell that it’s coming. You now say Mama, no-no, ni-night, and uh-oh with regularity. You also regularly sign cheese, finished, cat, please, and a few others. I’ve seen you sign tree, sun, sky, clouds, and more, although you don’t use them very often. I’ve also heard you say door, shoes, out, Papa, and milkies, although you won’t repeat them at all.

You babble ALL the time. It’s clear you are desperately trying to communicate with us but you just can’t make your mouth say the words. Your inflection is often perfect but what you’re saying seems to be garbled. I can only imagine how frustrating that must get for you!

One fun thing you’ve just started doing is “reading.” You’ll take a book and look at the pages and just babble away happily while you read it to one of us. It’s one of the more adorable things I’ve seen you do.

You adore food, almost everything. You aren’t a huge fan of meat, although we’ve given it to you a few times despite my vegetarian-ness, and you don’t really like asparagus. I can’t think of anything else you’ve refused outright. You love yogurt, avocadoes in any form, pasta, butter (we caught you trying to eat it by itself the other day), ice cream, cheese, and hummus. I could keep going here but those are definitely the top things on your list.

Other kids interest you now. Your little friend Rogan is your pal; despite the fact he’s a few months younger than you, the two of you play together really well, pushing each other around in your respective carts and stealing each others’ snacks and sippy cups. You love to hug him and even give him kisses. Hee. Your first little boyfriend, I guess.

Water remains a huge attraction for you: in the bath, a pool, the ocean, in the sink, a bowl, a cup. No matter where it is, you’ll play with it. We’ve got to get you in some swimming lessons. I think you’d love it!

Elanor, you are so hilarious and funny and special and fun. I’m very glad to be your mama!

I love you!
Mama