Dear Elise, you're 27 months old...

(Yes, I'm more than a month behind on this. But hey, it's done. Finally.)

Dear Elise,

What can I say about the last three months? Other than it’s been a wild ride like the last 24 have been.

Your vocabulary has absolutely exploded. I couldn’t even begin to count how many words you know and say. You still have your own little phrases or words for things, but most of the time, you can communicate with us quite clearly. However, in the interest of digging this out and embarrassing you in the future, let’s list some of your favorite Elise-isms:

•Eeee one = this/that/other/another/different one
•Lemmers = M&Ms
•Awt you = Love you
•Lips = chapstick

One of the things we like to tell you and Beckett is that you are a pretty girl and Beckett is a handsome boy. The other night, you saw a picture of Beckett on the computer, and you told me he was a “handsome boy.” That’s right! But even better, Kim & Kevin came to visit one weekend, and we were asking you different questions to see what you’d say:

Me: Elise, are you a handsome boy?
You: No, Elise a pretty girl.
Me: Is Beckett a pretty girl?
You: No, Beckett is a handsome boy.
Me: Is Daddy a pretty girl?
You: No, Daddy a Trabis!

Yep. He sure is, Peanut.

You know all your colors, except gray and brown sometimes confuse you. You know your letters and numbers by sight. You also know just about every shape, even oval, which impressed me. I had no idea you even knew that! I have no doubt you’ll continue to amaze me with what you know for many, many years to come.

Personality-wise, you are as much of a spitfire as ever. You tend to be a bit dramatic as well. For example, the other night while brushing your teeth, you got the tiniest-teeniest drop of water on your big toe. Your toe shot straight up in the air as you cried, “NO like it. Mommy fix it.” I told you to just wipe it off, but you wouldn’t. So, you hobbled on the outside of your foot with your toe still straight up in the air all the way down the hall to your bedroom, arguing with me about how I had to fix it. I finally leaned down and slightly brushed your toe, as you emphatically told me, “Thank you!” I hope it’s always so easy for me to make everything right in your world.

You continue your love affair with Barney. Sigh. However, your love affair with Yo Gabba Gabba came to a screeching halt. You were happily watching it one day while your dad was in the kitchen; he accidentally dropped something that made a loud noise. It scared you, and as a result, you are now scared of Yo Gabba Gabba. I’ve been trying to think of a way to scare you during Barney, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. Remember that the next time you accuse me of being a mean mom!

The biggest accomplishment, at least in my opinion, these past few months is that you are finally, finally sleeping in your own bed. A toddler bed, nonetheless. We had several rough months of you refusing to sleep anywhere but “mommy bed” while your poor dad slept in the guest room. We finally decided enough was enough and let you cry out. The first night, I thought you were going to break down the door for the first 20 min. But you quickly learned we meant business. It took a few nights, but now you happily go to sleep in your own bed as long as we leave the light on and give you plenty of hugs and kisses. Of course, there is always at least one baby doll with you as well.

How could I have not mentioned that yet? What was I thinking? You have a slight obsession with anything baby related. You even told us the other night that you are going to be a baby doctor! Works for me. Seriously, though, if you hear a baby, see a baby, think you hear a baby, or anything even remotely related to a baby crosses your mind, you are immediately in baby mode. We went to the science museum a few weeks ago, and they had a mock hospital nursery set up in the toddler area, and it was like your version of heaven. Maybe you really are going to be a baby doctor!

Little girl, whatever it is you decide to do, to be, to dream of, I am behind you 100%. I used to dream about what it was that I wanted to become when I grew up, and now I get to dream about what you are going to be when you grow up. And while dreaming about your future, I get the everyday joy of watching you go from infant to toddler and now from toddler to little kid, and it just keeps getting better and better. I awt you, Mommy