Thursday, December 11, 2014

Dear Elodie (12 months... 1 year old!!!)

(the cutest birthday girl in all the land)

Dear Elodie,

What a month this has been - a gamechanger!  You have become so much more of a little girl and less and less of a baby.   Your personality is flourishing right before our eyes.  You are goofier than ever and have become quite the affectionate lovebug.  You have started giving us kisses when we ask for them!!  Oh man does that make my mommy heart soar - it is the best!  You hug your stuffed animals (especially Marie the cat) and will even give mama and dada hugs.  You are really the sweetest little girl.  There is nothing better than having you run into my arms.  Always remember that you will never be too old to hug and kiss your mama :)

(just staring at dada)

These days you are fascinated with taking things apart and putting them back together... like your stacking cups... or taking things out of a bag or box and putting them back in.  You want to climb up on everything especially your walker or ride-on elephant.  Though you often end up chewing on them, you do enjoy flipping through your board books.  You love wearing a necklace and trying to put on mama and dada's shoes.  I can put just about anything on you and you will wear it around the apartment for the longest time.  Your favorite accessories at the moment are my chewbeads necklaces, but you have been known to wear my scarf or dada's shirt on your head.  You also like to pick out different shoes to wear throughout the day.  

(she just can't resist that sticker)

Your goofiness is shining through more than ever.  You love to do stuff to make us laugh.  Your silly little quirks are coming out too.  You love to dance.  You have your own little Ellie dance where you bop from foot to foot, I call it the "Mooshy Shuffle."  Though I don't love to admit that we do let you watch some TV, it is pretty cute to see the way you bust a move when the theme song to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse comes on.  You start to dance and glance back at dada and I with the biggest grin on your face.  It is so fun to see how much you are just like me when I was little... between the accessorizing and the dancing you are turning into quite the mini-me.   

(she looks so cute and innocent when she's doing something we've asked her not to) 

At 12 months old you...
... give the best kisses
... can hear a woof woof (dog) from a mile away
... say "woof woof" for just about everything (especially dogs)
... clap your hands all the time
... love pointing to mama or dada's nose
... have some awesome dance moves
... love accessorizing

(that precious face!)

We have definitely entered the testing limits and being a little stinker stage.  You 100% know when you are doing something you are not supposed to.  Most of the time you look at me before touching something you shouldn't and just shake your head no.  You don't usually stop doing it when I ask you to, but lately if I say no sternly enough and take a step or two in your direction you will stop and try to run away from me.  I am not looking forward to having to discipline you because I would rather just laugh at how cute you are when you misbehave.  Oh this isn't going to be easy. 

(she is perfection)
  
The best part of dada's new job is that he has been working from home... you absolutely love having dada home to play with.  In the morning I will ask you where dada is and you run to the bedroom door and bang on it till I let you in.  Our new favorite routine is knocking on the front door after we get back from an activity so dada will answer the door for you.  One day when we got in the elevator to head home you looked up at me from the stroller and said "dada" cuz you knew we were heading home to find him.  You still don't really say mama but I can live with that.  It is important to me that we really take advantage of all the extra time you get to spend with dada.  Every night I will get you ready for bed, but then you sit with dada on the couch so he can brush your hair.  It is the sweetest.

(there is so much personality packing into this lovebug)

There are hardly the words to describe how amazing this last year has been.  It has been a year full of the deepest love, unimaginable joy, lots of self-doubt and worry.  Being a mom is such a hard job.  I just want to hold you close and sooth every boo-boo and protect you from any hurt in this world but I can't.  My biggest test will be letting you go... letting you fall on the playground... letting you figure things out without my help.  You have blossomed into the sweetest, goofiest, loviest, most precious little girl.  Your growing independence tugs at my heart strings but it makes me so proud.  My sweet girl, I love you with every ounce of my being.    

Love,
Mom