Sweet Madeleine,
You turned 19 months this past week, and what a month it has been! We've spent three of the past four weeks traveling up and down the West Coast. Camping in the Sierras, camping on the Central Coast, down to Santa Barbara and then to Anaheim, back home and then up to Oregon. Whew! You've proved to be the most adaptable and easygoing baby ever, as you handled each trip with your usual joy, curiosity and vivacity!
Something new in the last month or so is your ability to sit and work at an activity for an extended period of time. You've always been good at quiet play, but now you love to color in your books, play with stickers, and do puzzles. It's amazing to see you place puzzle pieces in their exact spots with dexterity and ease. In so many ways you are resembling a talented, capable little girl and not the baby you once were.
You are friendly with everyone from the waiter, to our neighbors on the plane, to "grandmas" you meet in waiting rooms. Nobody is a stranger to Maddie, just a friend waiting to be hugged or greeted with an enthusiastic "Hi!"
In addition to your charming and delightful personality, you've also developed quite a sense of humor. You love coming up with your very own sayings and shouting them triumphantly, looking for laughter and applause. At Grammy and Papa's house, you kept us all entertained while you jumped from the hearth shouting "Koo-La-La!" With each jump, your words became more and more exuberant and when Papa joined in the fun, repeating your silly phrase, it was as if you experienced a taste of heaven, to see that smug and satisfied grin spread across your face.
One of my favorite parts of vacation was seeing my family love and enjoy you to no end. Getting to spend extended, quality time with your Grammy and Papa, Uncles and Aunt, and cousins was soul-satisfying in a way I couldn't have expected. I get to experience the joy that you are each and every day, but to see those I love most dearly enjoying you was so touching and so sweet.
You are such a loving girl, and with a gentle prompt you would bestow kisses and hugs with wild enthusiasm. No family member departing the premises could leave feeling unloved, what with your showers of affection.
On a final note, you've come up with a name for your new sibling. A few weeks back, I was looking at a picture of a 9-week embryo in one of my pregnancy books and I showed it to you, explaining, "that is what our baby looks like." You glanced at the picture for a moment before saying, "Hi, Nemo!" Always making us laugh, constantly keeping us on our toes, that's the toddler you are!
Love,
Mama
1 comment:
Ko la la is what she was calling koala bears in a book we bought her! Why she is saying it when she jumps from the hearth I don't know, but we thought it was a great word, too!
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