Zippers

I guess I tell Sophie to "zip it!" when she's barking outdoors. This morning you had a hold of the zipper on my vest and you said, "zip it, Sophie." Same word, different meanings.

You amused everyone over Thanksgiving with your many and varied words/pronunciations. Like when we are having company you suddenly turn Italian and you say, "companini." When you want to jump on the trampoline you are also Italian with, "tramponini."

You adore Hannah more than possibly any other person in the world. When you grab her hand to hold it you inform every one around what you are doing by saying, "hands!" Look at me, I'm holding Hannah's hands.

Your sweetness with her makes my heart hurt. You are so incredibly vulnerable. You have no concept of being an annoyance to an older kid. I want to bottle that innocence up and make sure you are never hurt. Although I know you will be and I know that at times I will hurt you. I am so anxious to see you grow sometimes and so enchanted with your personality. I feel impatient wondering what you will become. What will our relationship be like when you are a teenager? In a few short years you won't need to call me to come get you out of bed. You won't need me to kiss your "owies." I am torn between impatience and wanting to bottle up the little person that you are. The person who gives me "stinker face" to be ornery and the person who tells me "back!" when you don't want me too close because you want to do it on your own.

I will love you little girl, no matter what you do or who you become; you are so important and so special and if you want to be a mommy when you grow up or a brain surgeon, I won't care. I will be just as proud. Even if you make mistakes along the way....and you will. I will love you and want to protect you.

Just Being a Toddler

You are such a funny little girl, Haven. You make me laugh all the time. You love slides and when you talk about them it is always a sentence: "slide...fun!" You are so brave. Much braver then the older kids at the park. You go down by yourself. Sometimes you have a scared look on your face but you always do it again.

Brave with slides, you are timid around other children. You will observe them until you feel comfortable. Usually you will pick out an adult or older person and attach yourself to them. Linda, the lady who runs the nursery at church, always comments on how you joined the big kids for the lesson before most other kids do. It's funny because she could get you to sit still and listen, but I can't get you to do the same for me.

Right now you are very interested in your stuffed animals. You will lose it if you are trying to go to bed and we are missing one. You love to lay them down for "night, night." You insist on 3 or more blankets being put on you for naps. You wake up with red cheeks because you are so toasty under there. You can say anything. My current favorite is when I say "ridiculous." You repeat it and with your little voice it sounds so cute, "diculous."