{Letters to Liv}-13 Months

My sweet, sassy little girl, You are the apple of our eye and we don't know what we ever did without you. You have become your own little person the past month. You act so grown up now and you're so independent. You have recently started to test the waters with temper tantrums. I'm not sure how much of it is you seeing other kids do it at preschool or how much of it is your little personality. It's actually pretty comical to watch. You will fall out in the floor, whine for just a second then look at us. Like you really want SO much attention for it, but honey child, do you know what I do for a living? You think you are grown already and you mainly get upset when you can't do something the very first time you try it. I have NO idea who you get that from. Your favorite thing right now is anything fine motor. Your little pig and hippo toys where you put the discs in the opening are your favorites. You love to take bottle caps off and try to put them back on. You imitate EVERYTHING now, too. We really have to watch what we do in front of you because we will find you trying to do the same thing. As a Mama, you literally go everywhere I go. Even the bathroom. You were watching me the other day when mother nature was calling and you grabbed a feminine product and attempted to put it in your diaper, like you really knew what you were doing. I literally laughed out loud and you were so proud of yourself. You love to brush your hair, brush your teeth, wash your body, (attempt) to blow your nose, and take your clothes on and off. Although your most favorite activity is messing up all the clean, folded laundry. You talk ALL the time now and it makes my speechie heart so happy. You are finally saying "dada" and "daddy" and oh my, does it melt your Daddy's heart. You two are getting SO close. You want him every time you see him and sometimes you just want him to wrap you in his arms and hold you. My heart melts EVERY SINGLE TIME! You have the best Daddy that would do anything and everything for you. You still love your 100 First Words books and your absolute favorite thing to say is "cat!" We don't even own a cat, but the neighbors do and you love to watch them. Of course you do, because I hate cats. You are practically running everywhere. I must say you have extremely good balance and you always have since you started walking. Your teachers at school just love you. Every day when I pick you up they tell me what a good baby you are and that you're their favorite. You have been making so many fall art projects and I LOVE them. I can already tell that I will be that Mom that hoards every single thing you do. Since the weather has cooled off a little your class gets to go out on the playground. I'm so lucky that you get to go to preschool where I work because I never miss your firsts. My treatment room is located right where I can see you out the window. The first day you got to go out I could see your little face light up. You loved pushing the cars and shopping carts around, sliding, and going in and out of the little playhouse. You are getting to experience so much socially with your little friends and I love it. My favorite thing is when we are driving to school in the mornings, I tell you to say "Thank you, Jesus for waking us up this morning." And in your own little baby language I know you are saying it. I tear up every time because I hope you learn to love HIM at a very young age and know that everything good or not so good in your life is because of HIM. You are down to nursing one time a day now and it's at bedtime. I'm not even sure if you're getting much milk anymore. I think it's your comfort and soother to help you relax and drift off to sleep. I have been so so sad thinking about you being weaned completely. A few months ago I would have said oh my goodness, I'm ready to have my body back. But now, I feel completely balanced with nursing you at night and I wouldn't mind if you kept going for a few more months. I love that bonding time between us, still. I am so glad that I chose to breastfeed you. I feel like we will have an inseparable bond because of it. You are still a great eater and want everything we eat. You can put down some fruit, sister. I don't know where you put it, but you love any and every kind of fruit I offer you. You are growing so fast. You have outgrown almost all of your shoes and you fit into 24 month clothes comfortably. We love this life with you and we thank God every single day for allowing us to be your parents. Happy 13 Months, baby girl. Love, Mama