Dear Elise, you're 3 years old...

Dear Elise,

Three is now your favorite number. You've been so excited to turn three that you'll tell anyone who'll listen. In fact, you'll tell anyone anything as long as they are willing to listen to you. Yep, you are a talker. Some days, I have to ask you to please stop talking for just five minutes. It never works, but I try. I should know by now that it does nothing but make you start talking more, but I still try.



The biggest news these past three months is that you are finally, finally, finally potty-trained. I never really pushed it with you, and I really let you lead the way. And once you were ready, you were ready. You've had maybe one or two accidents, but other than that, you are a champ. Fortunately, you inherited my bladder of steel, so we don't have to stop too often while we are out and about. I am definitely thankful for the small things in life.

About a month ago, you and Beckett got to be in Aunt Ingrid and Uncle Kyle's wedding as the flower girl and ring bearer. You were so incredibly cute and grown-up about the whole thing. I about melted into a pile of mush on the floor as you took Beckett's hand and attempted to guide him down the aisle. He wasn't quite as into it as you were, but regardless, you were simply adorable.



You continue to impress me with your vocabulary. You're not super interested in learning the sounds letters make (although you do know all your letters), however, you love to count. You count everything. All the time.  You can also recognize groups of items up to four without having to individually count them. I think this makes you a genius, although it's probably totally age-appropriate.



We've had further battles with getting you to sleep in your bed and stay there. You just much prefer to sleep with me. Problem is I am the world's lightest sleeper, and I don't exactly like sleeping with you. And while you have no problem spending 24 hours/day with me, I prefer a little break from you every now and again. You're cute and sweet, and I love you and all, but even in your sleep, you exhaust me.



If I had to pick one word to describe you, I think it would be vibrant. You live out loud. Your personality is bold. You command attention. You are vibrant. My sweet girl, I hope you retain every drop of that vibrancy as you continue to learn about this world and enjoy life. You are truly a gift to us and everyone around you. I love you so much, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 33 months old...

Dear Elise,

There's really no way to start this letter without sharing the big news of our move. You are now a Floridian, and it's really no surprise how well you've adapted! You love our pool, you love the warm weather, and most importantly, you love the fact that I stay home with you. I have to admit, I don't love it quite as much as you, simply because you never, ever nap, meaning I never, ever get a break. But don't worry, kiddo, you not napping is my payback, and I'm certain that karma will pay you back as well.

You've continued to grow leaps and bounds with your vocabulary. And the things you say crack me up on a daily basis. It's amazing to watch your little mind work and try to make the words you have fit the situation you are trying to describe or explain. You don't always get it right, but you certainly are creative. On a fun note, you still call M&Ms "lemmers", and my heart melts when you tell me you love me in Elisenese, "Awt you, Mommy."



One of the biggest things that's happened these past three months is that you learned to swim underwater. We went to a birthday party, and there was a child who was the same age as you who could swim underwater. You looked at me, told me you wanted to do that, you went under and coughed up water a few times, but within 20 min, you were swimming underwater. That determination to succeed will undoubtedly serve you well in life.

We go to the gym quite frequently, where you go in the childcare. You absolutely love it. You immediately find a baby doll and play with her non-stop. Beckett's not quite as fond of it, and you sweetly try to make him happy when he cries. In fact, you try to be a second mother to him quite often, and I have to remind you that he only has one mom. Speaking of babies, you take a doll with you every. single. place. we. go. You sleep with one, you eat with one, you take them everywhere. You even told me you were going to be a baby doctor when you grew up. That would thrill me, my sweet girl.



And on the baby not yet again, we go to Disney quite often, and you are obsessed, I mean OBSESSED, with "It's a Small World," which you refer to as "The Baby Ride." All those little dolls dressed up in colorful outfits and singing and dancing is like your version of heaven. It makes me happy to be able to make you so happy with something so simple.



As you continue to grow and become less of a toddler and more of a little girl, my heart explodes with pride and joy every day. I'm sure you know by now that I am a total sap, and I mist up nearly daily at all the things you are learning. You are a sweet, beautiful soul, and I only hope that as you grow, your soul continues to shine through as bright as it always has. I love you so much, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 30 months old...

Dear Elise,

2.5 years old...you are growing up before my very eyes! I swear, sometimes you go to bed, and by morning, you've changed, grown up just a bit more, gotten a bit taller, speak a tad clearer. It's truly amazing.

The biggest thing in our lives these past three months is that your dad has been traveling for work. First, he was just gone during the week to Youngstown, so you still got to see him on the weekends. But then he started traveling to Florida, and you've only seen him once in an entire month. I'm not sure who it's harder on - him or you. I know he misses you terribly, but you also light up when you get to talk to him on the phone or see him. Thankfully, this is all for a good cause, as it's paving the way for our move to Florida, and hopefully, a great new start for us.

While he's been gone, however, you got a cold and weren't feeling well, so in a moment of "I need to sleep in order to function," I decided to let you sleep with me. That was a bad idea. One of the worst I've ever had. Let's just say, I was sleep-deprived already. Basically, I undid all the hard work we did of getting you to sleep in your own bed. Because you will. not. sleep in your own bed. However, I'll deny this if you ever tell anyone, but I really enjoy cuddling with you when you are sweetly sleeping. But you do need to sleep in your own bed. Sigh.

But onto more fun things. As it has the past few months, your vocabulary continues to explode. You are speaking full-on sentences regularly. You amaze me with words and things I had no idea you even knew. You are not yet potty-trained (yes, I know I said we were discussing more fun things, maybe I should have said other milestones); you'll use the potty regularly as long as it does not involve a bowel movement. No, ma'am, those are reserved for diapers. Just remember this when I am old and feeble, and you are tempted to complain about what a pain in the butt I am to take care of!

One of the things I am most proud of is you are a very polite and helpful child. You always say, "please" and "thank you," and your babysitter, Deb, calls you her "little helper." You love to help take care of other kids, especially the babies; I was like this as a child as well, so I am doubly happy to see it in you. I do try really hard at home to make sure I am not expecting too much of you - you are indeed only 2.5 years old, but sometimes, you are just so helpful that it's hard to remember you are really still just a little girl. I don't want to make you grow up any faster than you already are.

My sweet girl, you continue to amaze me by just being you. You make me laugh with your silly sense of humor; you frustrate me with your stubbornness; and you bring tears to me eyes with your sweet and sassy spirit.

 I sometimes catch myself staring at you with amazement - amazement that you are mine, amazement at how amazing you are, and amazement that I get the privilege of being your mom every single day. I could not ask for more. I love you, Mommy.

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

Dear Elise, you're TWO years old!

Dear Elise,

Happy Birthday! My sweet baby girl is TWO! I can hardly even call you a baby anymore. But I will continue to do so, because you are, you are my sweet baby girl.

Since I last wrote to you, your language has truly exploded. I sat down about 6 weeks ago and counted 200+ words that you know. Since then, it's probably doubled. You are consistently using 3-5 word sentences, which amazes me. Your first 4 word sentence was "No Beckett go bye-bye" when you and I were taking a "Mommy & Elise" trip to the YMCA. Your first 3 word sentence was "Mommy eat eggs" when you were pretending to make eggs for me. It's not until you become a parent that the most simple things become the biggest and most important moments in your life, and I will always think of "Mommy eat eggs" when I think of the defining moments in my life.

You are a little monkey - you love to hang and swing on anything you can, including the bathroom sink. You climb up the outsides of the stairs, which freaks me out. You have about mastered somersaults, and you think jumping off things is the coolest. We're enrolling you in gymnastics starting in January. Between your monkeyness and shortness, this may be our best shot at retiring young!

Bedtime continues to be interesting with you. You continue to insist to sleep naked (except for your diaper.) Sometimes you want to sleep with your kitty blanket, sometimes with your Yo Gabba Gabba blanket, sometimes with your knit blanket. It's a great guessing game. What's a given, though, is that you want to sleep with the lights on. Why? Even at nap time, so it's not that you are afraid of the dark. Whatever - as long as you are willing to go to sleep without a fight, we're willing to run up our electric bill. Priorities.

One of the funniest things you've picked up on from me is "Five minutes." I have tried to give you time warnings from a young age so that you know what's coming. I'll say, "It's night-night time in five minutes." or "Five more minutes in the bath" or whatever. And now when you want to keep doing something, you look us straight in the eye, hold up your five little dimpled fingers, and very sincerely say, "Five minutes." That's hard to say no to!

We've been pottytraining since about 23 months. It's going pretty well - you wake up dry most mornings and rarely use a diaper throughout the day. And since you get treats for using the potty, you will sit on it every five minutes to get more treats. We quickly realized you were abusing the system and had to put a stop to it. Do your business? Get a treat. No business? No treat. You just love your treats - most people call them M&M's. You call them lemmers. The only step left is figuring out how to get you to go #2 in the potty. Since your dad is home with you daily, I'll leave that up to him!

You still love your brother. You share your toys with him and play with him. I love watching you try to teach him how to do something. You grab his little hand and make it push the buttons, slide the slides, and so on. However, sometimes I think you think he is a toy, as when you are finished playing with him, you toss him aside like a cast-off toy. He's going to be bigger than you soon, so I'd watch that!

The things you can do now amaze me. You can do an alphabet puzzle (with 26 pieces!) all by yourself, you can count to 10, you know several letters, you sing tons of songs, and you even know a few colors. It's amazing as a mother to watch your child learn things. It's one of the most rewarding parts of motherhood, to watch your child grasp a concept, accomplish something by themselves, learn something new. I have no doubt that being your mother is going to continue to be very rewarding as you blow us away with your intelligence.

These last two years have been nothing short of amazing. We've had our share of ups and downs, but the one consistent has been the joy you've brought us. Oh, the whining and crying has been consistent as well - how could I forget? But truly, my little peanut, you are such a precious child, full of love and joy who makes people smile with her fiery, spunky personality. My greatest hope for you is that you always retain that fieriness, as it makes you who you are. I just love it! And I love you, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 21 months old...

Dear Elise,

Goodness, by the time I sit down to write to you again, you will be TWO years old! Two!

You are growing leaps and bounds both physically and verbally every day. One of my favorite things you do is jump. You and I'll count "1-2-3-jump" together, and then you bend at the knees, throw your arms back, swing them forward, and THROW them up in the air. And then your feet leave the ground by about 1 millimeter. It cracks me up every. single. time. you do it. Although it's not as much fun lately, because you can actually get off the ground.

You think you are so cool, because you have learned to walk up and down the stairs without holding onto anything. Yes, that's right. You sometimes refuse my hand or the railing. It makes me nervous, and of course, I hover right behind you. And you shoo me away. I can't promise to not hover again, but I am trying to give you wings. It's just so hard - I want to protect you from everything.

Your language has absolutely exploded recently. You consistently use 2-3 word sentences. You probably have 100+ words in your vocabulary. You even know about 50 signs from your favorite Baby Einstein video. It's amazing to watch this all happen. Actually, it's amazing to watch you learn all this. I'm simply amazed by you every day.

One of the things I have to tell you in writing, lest we forget, is your new bedtime routine. You are addicted to the book "Goodnight Moon." It's one of my least favorites, but for some reason, you just love it. You used to let me read it to you before bed, but now you just want to sleep with it and one other book. So, after you're ready to go to sleep, I lay you in your crib. You lay down your two dolls, crumple up your blanket and stuff it on top of them, and then put the pillow on top of the blanket, smashing it down to make sure it doesn't move. Then you lay down on it, and I place your books on your thighs, right side up in a perfect pile. And you lay perfectly still, so as to not disturb the books. And then you go to sleep. You move all over throughout the night, but as soon as you wake up, you resume the same position. If we didn't have a video monitor for you, we'd honestly think you didn't move all night!

I must also tell you that you love Barney right now. Your father and I hate Barney. When you are old enough to understand how annoying that show is, I am going to repay you for the endless Barney watching. If I don't let you go to prom or some other equally mean mom move, you remember how you tortured us with Barney.

Every time you hit a new age, I think it is my favorite age. And I think to myself, "How can it get any better? This age is so fun!" And I finally realized, it;'s not because each new age is actually my favorite age. It's because I am enjoying every single second of watching you grow, of being your mother, of being blessed with you in my life. It just gets better every day. I love you, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 18 months old...

Dear Elise,

WOW, a lot has changed in your life since I last wrote. You became a big sister – and what a big sister you are. I was so concerned about how you were going to handle a sibling, but I shouldn’t have been concerned at all. I think out of all of us, you’ve adapted the best! You are such a wonderful big sister – rocking Beckett in his swing, giving him a pacifier, putting blankets on him, sharing your dolls with him, and even putting your favorite pink shoes on him. I’m sure he appreciates it all. When he beats you up some day, just remember the pink shoes.

It’s amazing to watch you grow and learn at this age. I love watching your little mind work; I almost feel like I can see your brain figuring things out. You love to carry lots of things at once, and as you can imagine, your little hands don’t hold quite as much as you’d like them to. When this happens, you either throw a temper tantrum (love those!) or figure out how to adjust the items so you can carry them all. You really are going to be an engineer like your Uncle Ben.

Your absolute favorite toys right now, however, are your dolls. You have two of them, and while they look nothing alike, you carry them around and treat them like twins. You even have to sleep with them, one under each arm. It’s very sweet to see how nurturing you are already. Grandma Jo gave you an antique doll cradle and bunk beds, and you love to put your babies in one and then the other. Then back in the original and then back in the other. Over and over again (doesn’t that ever get boring?). However, while you are becoming a little mother, you really aren’t so gentle with them. We hear you banging their heads into your crib rails at night in typical Elise fashion – you still are not the gentlest of children!

You’ve finally cut two molars on the top, and your language seems to be on the cusp of exploding. You try so hard to imitate what we are saying, but it doesn’t always come out quite as you want it to. You do know that “two” comes after “one”, and you are an expert at saying “yep” and “k” (as in okay), even when you don’t mean it. I have to tell you – that one is frustrating; if you say “yep” and I give you what you asked for, it’s annoying when you subsequently chuck it on the floor. Keep it up, and I’m going to teach you how to mop the floor, Cinderella.

Despite the temper tantrums and near-constant whining, your cheesy grin, chubby thighs, and infectious giggle are three of the most wonderful things I’ve ever known. Every time I think I couldn’t possibly love you more, you get just a little bit cuter and make me fall in love with you a little bit more. Every time I think I couldn’t possibly be any more annoyed with you, you lean over and give me the sloppiest, but best kiss ever and erase any annoyance. Every time I think I couldn’t be any luckier, I just look at you and know that I am right. I love you, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 15 months old...

Dear Elise,

Yes, I am very late with this. But you might as well get used to it, because your little brother will be making his debut before I write your next letter, and then who knows when I’ll get it done. And it’s not because I love him more than you, but I am tired. You exhaust me! As your father described when he stayed home with you one day, you are a tornado. You do not sit still, you do not relax, you do not cuddle. You go – and go and go and go. And rip things down and apart and into pieces. In fact, you might be more destructive than a tornado, but don’t worry, you’re also much cuter!

As you can see, I decided that there was no way I’d keep up with monthly letters to both of my children, so I decided that you’d get letters every 3 months (or so). I can’t possibly remember all the cute things you’ve done these past three months, but I do vividly remember the multiple ear infections, the two bouts with the stomach flu, and the colds. We’ve had a very rough winter in our household, and I can only hope that all this sickness means that your immune system is getting stronger and stronger, because I don’t deal well with vomit. Next time you’re sick like that, can you aim towards your father? Thanks!



Every time I write one of these letters, I think the age you are at has to be my favorite age. And this time is no different. One of my favorite things you’ve been doing is ‘talking’ to us. It’s nothing but babble, but you raise your eyebrows, look us directly in the eye, gesture wildly with your hands, and babble very seriously. We often respond with “Really?”, “You don’t say?”, or “What happened next?” which just launches you into another full-on babble session. I am both excited and terrified when you start really talking; we might not get a moment of peace from sun up to sun down, but you might also share the secret to world peace with us.

You’ve recently learned most of your body parts, and you love to point at your nose, eyes, ears, and more. But even more fun is to point at (and smoosh) mommy and daddy’s noses, because when you do, they beep very loudly. This is quite hysterical to you, and you giggle and giggle and giggle. You aren’t the gentlest child and your smooshing sometimes becomes a finger up the nose, but it’s worth the pain to hear that giggle.

One of the not-so-cute parts of this age is the temper tantrums. You have perfected those in record time. Snack gone? Temper tantrum. Told “no”? Temper tantrum. Can’t get a toy to work the way you want it to? Temper tantrum. Us not getting ready to go ‘bye-bye’ quick enough? Temper tantrum. Do you see the trend here? Everything sends you into hysterics, and this past weekend was probably the worst. Your father and I were taking bets as to who was going to crack first. I am terrified of the terrible two’s with you.

Your life is about to change drastically with the arrival of your baby brother. While I am so excited to add to our family and give you a sibling, you are a little young to understand what is happening and that it really is a good thing. I wish I could change that for you, that you could understand. You’ll probably never remember life before he arrived, and you’ll be no worse for the wear, but I’ll know, and that will be hard for my mommy guilt.

It’s going to be a huge adjustment for all of us. Your father won’t get to sleep in as much, I won’t get to play on the computer as much, and you’ll have to share us with another person. But I promise you, my dear daughter, my love will only multiply, not divide, with his arrival. I love you, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 1 year old...

My dearest daughter,

I know I am late with this, and I am sorry. Between your party and your double ear infection and everything else called life, I just haven’t had time to write to you. That doesn’t mean you are not the most important thing in my life – it just means I was so busy dealing with you that I didn’t have time to write about you. It reminds me of meal time anymore – I sometimes feel like making sure you are eating and drinking occupies most of meal time, and I’m lucky if I manage to eat a few bites of food before dinner is over. If I’m really lucky, it’s still warm when I eat it.

Unfortunately, most of your eleventh month of life was spent sick, and you were even sick on your actual birthday. Fortunately, however, you are a pretty good sport, even when you are sick, but I’m really hoping the last month isn’t an indicator of what we’ll be dealing with all winter. Doctors visits, antibiotics, double ear infections and screaming toddlers do not mix well with long, cold, snowy days.

This month has been so much fun. You started a tumbling tots class at the YMCA, and you love it. I’m not surprised, since I’m pretty sure you are going to be an adrenaline junkie when you grow up. Your favorite activities include being tossed in the pit at the tumbling class, being scared by your dad when he sneaks around a corner, and when we pretend to drop you. You find these all hilarious and exhilarating and laugh so hard, we all join in. Your joy is infectious!

Speaking of laughs, you have started this fake laugh. I won’t even attempt to describe it here, other than to say it comes from your throat and sounds more like a hair ball trying to escape than a laugh. Every single time you laugh your hair ball laugh, I laugh as well. I can’t help it – it’s hilarious. And even funnier is the fact that you know it’s funny. You know you are making me laugh, and you love it. I love it, too.

You’ve learned what NO means, and you do not like it one bit. You either sit yourself on the floor and cry, or you look at whoever said it to you, think about stopping, and decide it’s worth the chance to continue doing whatever you are not supposed to be doing. You even threw your first temper tantrum the other day. I’m asking Santa for an extra supply of patience for Christmas.

You’ve learned how to dismantle part of our stove. I guess you are going to be an adrenaline-seeking engineer. You’ve figured out how to get the kick-plate off the stove, and that’s no easy feat. You can take it off 10x faster than I can put it back on. Where were you when I was fixing the leaky faucet a few months ago?

This month's letter wouldn't be complete, though, without a recap of your first year. Elise, it's been exhilirating, exhausting, amazing, the hardest thing I've ever done, the most rewarding thing I've ever done, trying, joy-filled, and so much more. I think back to my life before you came into it, and it seems dull and grey. You bring such light and happiness to my every day, and I am so proud and happy to be your mom. I've heard women say they were born to be mothers, and I used to think it was so cliche. But it's not - it's simply the truth. I've accomplished a lot and experienced even more, but none of those things quite compare to you. In the words of the great Tina Turner, "you're simply the best". I love you, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 11 months old...

Dear Elise,

Can it really be? You are one month shy of your first birthday! I get all weepy and teary-eyed when I think about it; I just can't believe you are going to be one next month!

You truly are growing up right before our eyes. You wore your first pig-tails this weekend, and they really made you look like a toddler instead of an infant.





I was talking to Grandma Jo the other day about what a good baby you were and how it hasn't been nearly as difficult being a Mom as I imagined it would be. She nearly fell over from shock! She had to remind me of your early days, when you wouldn't sleep anywhere but in my arms, when you were fussy, when you didn't want anyone else but me and would cry until I returned or picked you up, and just how generally difficult you were those first couple months. I honestly had forgotten! You still try my patience, almost daily, but the joy you bring to my life obviously makes me forget all the rough days.



We've had so much fun this month. You love swings, you love eating mulch, you love swimming, and you love being with other kids. Gavin and Lukas both came to visit one day, and you nearly beat them both up! You knocked one over, while taking out the other. If I get a phone call from school, I don't think it's going to be a good one!

The most exciting thing this month, though, has without a doubt been our success with sleep-training. After 2 fairly rough nights, you've slept through the night with very little struggle. It's made such a difference in all our lives. You are a happier baby, and we are definitely happier adults. Thank you!

You are still a beautiful baby, and people constantly stop us to comment on how cute you are. And you are. And you are starting to figure out how cute you are. It's so amazing to watch you figure out how to interact with people - you definitely have a magnetic personality. Just the other night in Costco, I put my giant sunglasses on your face - you suddenly sat up a little straighter and looked around to see who was watching. When you'd catch someone's eye, you'd smile this HUGE smile and start waving. I laughed so hard, I cried.



As we approach your first birthday, I've been working on a slideshow of your first year, and as I look back at your photos, I cry. I cry, because I love watching you grow. I cry, because I love every memory we've already created together. And I cry, because you are already becoming such a beautiful young woman. (You might as well know now that I cry over everything!) But through my sentimental tears, I'm smiling the biggest smile ever, a smile that I owe all to you. I love you, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 10 months old...

Dear Elise,

You’re 10 months old today, and your father and I decided last night that you need to sleep through the night. For our sanity and your health. You weren’t convinced, as evidenced by the two-hour screaming marathon in the middle of the night. Oh, you were so mad at us when instead of picking you up to bring you into our bed and give you a middle-of-the-night snack, we laid you back down and patted your back. However, after two long hours, you gave up and went back to sleep. Can we just skip the marathon tonight and go straight for sleep? Daddy said he’d buy you a pony some day if you do!

Other than your sleep habits, you are such an amazing child (and yes, even with your bad sleep habits, you are amazing). You are pretty much walking and have been for several weeks. You still fall occasionally, but the thing that amazes your father and me is how rough and tumble you are. You can take the nastiest of spills and just pop right back up without missing a beat.

This carries over into the rest of you life as well. You are not gentle; nope, if something is in your way, you just power over it, through it, around it, whatever it takes to get it out of your way. It might be knocking it over, throwing it, even kicking it, but it’s never with a soft touch. You know what you want, and nothing is going to stand in your way. I am both proud and frightened of this, proud because I know you will accomplish anything you want to, and frightened because you will accomplish anything you want to, even if we say NO!

One of my absolute favorite things you’ve started doing is playing peek-a-boo. It’s entirely too cute for words, but in the interest of preserving your infancy and childhood in words, I’ll try. You hold a blanket up over your face and wait for someone to say “Where’s Elise?” You wait a few seconds as to impy that we have to look really hard to find you, and then you whip it down, all the time grinning from ear to ear. We often get you giggling as you play it over and over and over. I'm sure other games will get old, but every time your big smile appears from beneath that blanket, it takes my breath away with its innocence and joy. I could play peek-a-boo with you forever.

As your personality develops and shines, I fall more in love with you every day. You are at such a fun age, and I wish I could freeze time - every day makes me thankful for the gift that is you. At the same time, I don't want to freeze time, because watching you become a toddler is a gift as well. I have no doubt that as you grow, I'll feel this way forever - treasuring today and anticipating tomorrow. Watching you grow up is the best gift I've ever been given. I love you, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 9 months old...

Dear Elise,

9 months – it seems like such a milestone. It’s how long I was pregnant with you. It’s how long a school year lasts. 9 months can seem like forever – when I was pregnant, I couldn’t wait to meet you, and it just drug on. When I was in school, it seemed like summer vacation would never get here. The 9 months since you’ve been born have seemed endless, too. But it’s because I can barely remember my life before you arrived.

Your dad and I used to go out to dinner when we wanted. We took naps whenever the mood struck us. We stayed up late and slept in. We watched movies uninterrupted. We even used the bathroom alone!

Since you’ve arrived, all these things are gone. But I don’t think either one of us miss them at all – you’ve filled a void in our lives that we didn’t even know was there! I thought I was living a fulfilled life, and in some ways, I was. However, since the moment I found out I was pregnant with you, I realized that becoming a mother was something I was meant to do.

Being your mother is incredible. Incredibly hard but incredibly rewarding. You’re still not sleeping through the night consistently. You still fight napping. You want to feed yourself, making an incredible mess. You fight having your face wiped, your diaper changed, your clothes put on.

But you also lay your head sweetly against my chest when I pick you up. You reach for me with the cutest little grin on your face. You light up when I walk in after a long day at work. You bring me your toys to share. You laugh when I laugh. You sigh with contentment when you fall asleep in my arms. I’d choose to watch you sleeping in my arms over taking a nap any day of the week.

One of the most incredible things this month is that you’ve learned to walk! You officially took your first steps on 08.08.08. I was so proud, I screamed with joy, which scared you and you fell! Once you got over the shock and my smothering kisses, you went on your merry way, like nothing had even happened. Me, on the other hand, I couldn’t even think about anything the rest of the day. I have a feeling this is the definition of motherhood – the feeling that your child’s accomplishments are bigger and more important than anything else in the world.

To me, they are. And to me, you are – more important than anything else in the world. I love you, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 7 months old...

Dear Elise,

Seven months have flown by; it still amazes me that I have been a mother, your mother, for seven months. I’ve always known I wanted to be a mother, and I anticipated how much I’d love being a mother, but until it happened, I just couldn’t have imagined how wonderful it would truly be.

You just keep amazing us every day. Just this month, you’ve learned to sit completely on your own, with no assistance. You’ve learned to crawl, even if you tend to do it on one foot and one knee instead of on two knees. You’ve learned to pull yourself onto your feet. And you’ve learned to put yourself in a sitting position. Whew! I’m tired just thinking about how much you’ve accomplished.

You also gave up your pacifier one day and never looked back. In fact, you would spit that thing across the room if we tried to stick it in your mouth. You really do know exactly what you want!

Once you learned how to put yourself in a sitting position, you thought it would be big fun to sit up every time you woke up in the middle of the night. But once you were sitting in your dark, quiet room, you weren’t quite sure what to do, so you’d cry. One of us would come rescue you, and we’d do this over and over all night. Fortunately, you outgrew that phase, because you were about to be written out of the will for that stunt.

I think we have a future performer on our hands. Whenever you are doing something fun or cute, you always take a second to stop what you are doing, take a grand glance around the room, and ensure that everyone is watching you. Then you return to your regularly-scheduled fun. I’m a little concerned about the size of your ego!

Big ego or not, you are truly one of the most beautiful babies I’ve ever seen. People stop me every time I’m out with you to comment on how beautiful you are. And I can’t help but puff up my chest a little with pride with each comment. While you are physically beautiful, I do think people can also see your spunky spirit shining in your eyes.

Your spirit is one of the things I love most about you. The ultrasound tech told me you would keep us running at your 20 week ultrasound. When you were born, you came out screaming. In the hospital, the nurses commented on how alert you already were. When we take you out, people constantly comment on how observant you are.

I hope your spunky spirit grows as you do. I’ve always loved the Isadora Duncan quote: “You were once wild here. Don't let them tame you.” She had to have been speaking of you when she said it. Like a momma bear, I feel such a fierce need to protect that spirit. It’s truly beautiful. I love you, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 6 months old...

Dear Elise,

Today is not the day for me to write glowing remarks about you, as I’m functioning on about 4 hours of sleep, thanks to your refusal to go to bed until 11 pm last night. I love sleep almost as much as I love you, so please, please sleep tonight. Thank you.

However, you have finally started sleeping in your crib. It’s been nearly a month since you gave up your swinging ways. And you did it in what I suspect will be true Elise fashion - overnight. One night, you happily swung your way to sleep. The next, you wanted nothing to do with the swing. You were done with it. No transition, no tears, no fighting us on sleeping in the crib. Just when I had given up hope on ever using that lovely crib, you slept in it.

So, if I tell you I’ve just about given up hope on you sleeping through the night, would you sleep through the night? You would? OK, I’ve honestly just about given up hope that you’ll ever sleep through the night.

You are consistently rolling whichever way you want now. You can spin yourself around on your belly. And you can sit unassisted for long periods of time. The only time you really topple over is when you get too excited about something, like one of the cats walking by you. You aren’t quite crawling yet, but you are close…you just have to figure out how to get your hands and knees underneath you at the same time. But I’m in no hurry to babyproof the house, so you can take your time and not do it in true Elise fashion. Thank you.

You were baptized this month. You looked absolutely beautiful in the same dress that Grandma Jo was baptized in. You were so good throughout the whole ceremony, probably because you were sleeping. You weren’t too happy when Deacon Jerry doused you in cold water, but no one’s blaming you. Not even God. I hope that your baptism is the start of a special relationship for you with God, whatever you’d like that relationship to be. Having faith in something bigger than you will get you through whatever life throws your way.

 

 

This month has been rather trying for me as a Mom, because you are going through a separation anxiety phase. From the time I get home in the evenings until I can get you to sleep, you must be held by me. Too bad if I have to use the bathroom, too bad if I want to cook dinner, too bad if I want to do anything other than hold you. You scream hysterically until you get yourself worked into a sweaty, red-faced frenzy.

There are days when my heart nearly bursts with joy, knowing how much you love me. Then there are days, like yesterday, when I want to do something like clean the house or workout, that I feel smothered by your need for me. Perhaps I need to re-read what I just wrote to you about faith and remind myself that you are truly a blessing to us. Because you are, the most precious of all blessings.

My sweet Elise, I promise to enjoy and cherish this time, when you want to be near me constantly. Soon enough, you’ll be running the other direction to explore this big, beautiful world. And when that day comes, just like today, I promise that nothing will ever be more important than just being near you. I love you, Mommy

Dear Elise, you're 5 months old...

Dear Elise,

I truly cannot believe it’s been five months since you were born. I also cannot believe how much cuter you’ve gotten. Every time I say that, I can’t possibly imagine how you could get any cuter, but you do. Your smile continues to get brighter and brighter and you truly light up the room.


You had a big month of firsts. You flew on your first plane. You rode on your first golf cart. You saw the ocean for the first time. I wish I could also say you slept in your crib for the first time. Or you slept through the night for the first time. But I guess you can only accomplish so much in one month!


Our trip to Florida was so much fun. You were like a different baby in the warm weather. You loved having your arms and legs bare, and you even took some naps! The fresh air did wonders for your disposition, so I’m really looking forward to your first summer. Of course, you also sweated like your mother, you poor thing. I hope you also inherited some of my more positive qualities.


While in Florida , you had the best time giggling at Grandpa Bob. You had us all in tears as you laughed and laughed and laughed. My tears were not only from laughing, but they were also from crying, because you make my heart overflow with emotion. You overwhelm me with joy and love.

As we approach the six-month mark, you are rolling consistently from your back to your belly and occasionally the other way as well. You are nearly sitting up, and it won’t be long before you are standing unassisted. You talk and talk and talk, and I’m waiting to hear that precious first word. I’m so anxious to see you accomplish all these firsts, but I’m also cherishing every day along the way with you.


My little LuLu Bug, you are a true joy. I love walking in your room first thing in the morning. You kick your little legs so fast and your face breaks out in the biggest smile when you see me. Likewise, my heart flutters a little every time I see you. There’s nothing I hope for more in this world than for us to continue to be so happy to have one another. I love you, Mommy