20 Months

My Dear Val,
20 Months ago today you emerged from my womb, peed on your way out and took about 2 seconds too long to start breathing. But once you got going with the breathing program, you latched on to breastfeed like a pro, started growing and never looked back. Somehow, in the nanosecond since all that happened, you've hit this crazy milestone where your months now start with 2's.

2's. How in the world is that possible? Wasn't I just patting my belly with you tucked (rather firmly, as it turned out) inside? Weren't you just rolling around in there? Possibly but somehow you are now rapidly approaching your 2nd birthday.

Your language has continued to grow exponentially. You now have 2 and 3 word sentences (No! Want it! Play this! Step this! Bless you (when we sneeze. Because when you were first born, you sneezed all the time and I determined that each and every time you sneezed, I would say Bless you, so you knew that I loved you. In case you had any doubt.). You're continuing your steady progression towards potty training, now going whole afternoons with a dry diaper on. I can almost see a day in the not-too-distant future where you have no diapers at all.

You can see that day, too. It comes in the form of your beloved 'panties.' We have a small stash of training pants and regular super-cute underpants for you. Now and again, we get them out and talk about them, how girls who use the potty all the time can wear them. Thanks to your Auntie and your Grandma K, we have a good variety of these waiting for you -- Elmo and Tinkerbell, plus some cute training pants. You've started asking for them and the other day, you got to wear some of the Elmos.

If your little tushie in those Elmo underpants wasn't the cutest thing I've ever seen, well, I don't know how anything could be cuter.

Parents I know talk about how this age is so hard. And sure, it is. Because you're constantly asking why, you're constantly not following directions, but you're also getting funnier by the minute. And if I blink, I might miss one of those steps along the way. I'm sure as hell NOT going to do that if I can help it.

Every Friday, we go to gymnastics and every Friday you do more and more of what the teacher asks you. You do a dinosaur kick anytime the mood strikes you, be it in a store or a living room. (note: I tried to find a picture of you doing your dinosaur kick but found only this:

You also say 'hello toes' and 'goodbye toes' like we do during the stretches in class. Only you do it whenever the mood strikes you. I have to admit, I like this method a whole lot more.

You've figured out how to take off your pants and your diaper/undies. The shirt, you haven't quite mastered yet so at the very least when you decided to disrobe, you'll still have a shirt on. This does mean that at bathtime, instead of me having to fight you to get you undressed, you do it yourself, then run in, sometimes stopping to pee in the potty on the way.

Almost 2 weeks ago, we started a new bedtime routine for you. You lay in your crib and mommy or myself sits next to you, reading and holding your hand while you fall asleep. So far this has helped you sleep longer and be more enthusiastic about being in your room.

Grandma and Grandpa came for Christmas and holy crap are you in love with Grandma. Right off the bat you told her all about the bird and snowman on your shirt and from there on out it was love. You hung out with them for 2 of the days they were here, running in circles around their hotel room and showing them how damn funny you are.

I think you're about to grow because right now you're eating everything in sight. That's a good thing, because somehow you've turned into a very skinny little kid. The upside is that you get to be rear-facing in your carseat for a good long while yet.

I know I say this every month and every day, but it's true. Being your mom is absolutely as amazing as I'd ever dared to dream. Happy 20 months, kiddo.