« a post in which i truly find my atman | Main | sometimes you really can’t do it all »
happy 1.5
By heather | January 25, 2010
Dear Emily Kate -
You are officially not a baby anymore. (Really, you haven’t been for a while.) As of last week, you are 18 months old. For the past year I’ve been too busy drinking you in to write blog posts about how amazing you are, sometimes just watching you, humbled at how you are so full of life.
 |
I remember every detail of the day you arrived, right up until we went home from the hospital. Last summer is a blur of trying to manage and figure out this parenting more than one kid thing, mostly focusing on your brother while you slept. Somewhere along the way, you forced us to take notice: you stopped being tiny and sleepy and unknown and started to become yourself – shining, laughing, spirited.
 |
I knew then why you were given to us to nurture and parent. You are so different from your brother, and you arrived at exactly the right time for our family. I love to watch your delighted laughter when your brother tickles you, and even when he pushes you down or out of the way you don’t hold a grudge. You’re big enough now to push back, although you don’t realize it yet. You adore him, and he (mostly) adores you. You bring him out of his shell, and give him ideas and the courage to do them.
 |
You are headstrong and throw yourself at everything that comes your way. Anxious to do whatever the bigger kids do, you walked at 9 months. You want to sit on the potty, even after you’ve fallen in you try again. You want to use real silverware, and would rather poke yourself than use a plastic baby spoon. The alternative is a hunger strike, executed with pouty lip and a icy glare.
 |
You talk non-stop, and always with emotion – I didn’t know it was possible to so thoroughly express displeasure, joy, and anger without a single word.
You’ll peruse any book with an intensity that makes me think you are actually reading it, and ask for your favorites by name. It’s the first thing you do when you wake up, and the last thing you want before bed.
All the stuffed animals that never got much use before you came along have become real and loved by you. You dance with them, name them, and talk to them. When something interests you, it will hold your attention until you figure it out.
Everyone who meets you is charmed by your smile, from the teenager at the grocery store checkout, to the mailman and our neighbors. Those who barely know you want to know you better and spend time in your happy presence.
You have grown so fast and taught us so much about embracing life, moving on, getting over it. You’ll always be my baby, my girl.
Happy 1.5 Emmy.
 |
Topics: EK, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Tags:
January 25th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
She is so cute!! Wow, is she really 18 months already? What a blur it’s been. Love that last photo, btw. So sweet.
skiplovey’s last blog post..Insert your favorite Taxi Driver quote here?
January 25th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Those smiles are making me feel better. Happy unbirthday EK! (Isn’t that what it’s called?)
Vicki’s last blog post..Lucifer lives in DC
January 26th, 2010 at 12:13 am
Oh, the sweetness! What a beautiful post for a beautiful girl.
alejna’s last blog post..2010: The Year of Looking Back at 2009
January 26th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Oof — that last picture is crazy cute!!
Holly’s last blog post..Post-Game in the Quarter