So many words!

Dear Pea, 

It seems that every day you have at least one new word, if not more. Yesterday was "bubbles." You started saying it to Daddy while he was giving you a bath and today at the playground someone brought a bubble machine and you kept pointing to them and saying "Bubbles!!" and clapping your hands. And speaking of clapping, your new favorite song is If You're Happy and You Know It-you clap as soon as we start singing it (this is often a way to keep you in stroller without a meltdown until we get home) and then shake your feet or stomp them for the next verse.  

Some other things you say:

Bawls!

Nigh nigh! (yup, that's your big girl bed!)

Nummmmmy!

BOX!

You also say "Mups" for Muppets when you watch it with Daddy, request chocolate and animal crackers (though sometimes it's difficult for me to tell chock-la and cack-a apart, it's usually a safe bet that you're asking for chocolate), say "up" and "down" when you're going up and down stairs or the ramp at the playgound, call me Mama (finally! YAY!) and requests baths at every opportunity. You love taking baths!  Walking up and down the stairs is really cute, you hold onto the railing with one hand and my hand with your other one. You walk up and down the stairs to our apartment every time we go out and you climb up the stairs to the slide *by yourself* at the playground. You then sit yourself down and slide by yourself. Often while yelling "GO!" and/or clapping.

up the stairs

down the slide!

You're signing a ton, too. The sign for "eat" is a rounded hand tapping at the mouth; your interpretation of that is to bang your hand against your cheeks. The sign for "thank you" is a flat palm extending away from the chin. Your interpretation of that is to bang your hand against your cheeks. So, basically you ask for food and express your gratitude in receiving said food at the same time. It's pretty hilarious. The distinction is that you say "yummy nummy nummy" while banging your cheek when you want to eat. 

The weather has turned a corner and we are playing outside every day. You have so many friends in our neighborhood and see a lot of them often. Last week at toddler yoga, one of them was a few minutes late and when you saw her and her mama come in, you shrieked with delight.  This morning we met up with some others for a jog and breakfast and you couldn't control your excitement in seeing them.  It's delicious to watch how much you love your buddies and my buddies. 

15 months old!

Dear Pea,
As I was thinking about what I was going to write for this post, it occurred to me that we/you have several "special friends."  SO many! I keep writing about your special friends, and they are all different people, but they are all very special.  These are the people who aren't family by blood, but family by choice. And we were very lucky to have spent the past month surrounded by them. First in Puerto Rico, then at home for a week and then again for a few days in Seattle. Here's the re-cap:

We arrived home from Puerto Rico to a semi-unpacked new apartment. We spent a few days unpacking, building furniture, getting our old apartment cleaned out, getting our new place baby proofed, etc etc and then it was family time!  We had the mamas over to check out our new digs and we hosted your first ever Seder!

Ah, Seder!  Sweet Pea, Passover is my *favorite* holiday, by far. I have such fond memories of Passover Seders and my Uncle David and Aunt Kathy's house-playing with all of the younger cousins, hunting for the afikomen, Uncle David sitting on a big pillow.  And from later years at our FamilyFriends houses, preparing a special vegetarian dish for me to bring (I wouldn't eat meat for a long time), angling to sit at the grown ups table, drinking wine once I got there...So, it is very important to me that you get to have Seder, too.  Last year we were still trying to get in the swing of you, so we didn't make one.  But this year, Daddy got me two haggadahs as an anniversary gift (we've been married TWO years now!) and we had special friends over to the celebrate. It was kind of a shit show Seder, as I'm not used to leading, we forgot poor Elijah and I don't know how to make matzoh balls, but it was just absolutely perfect. You loved the charoset and parsley and tried to shove a fistful of horseradish in your mouth before we stopped you (I had grated fresh beet into it and it was an alluring magenta color-silly mama). You had a ball playing with your guests. I was so happy to have you participate in the rituals and next year I'll be more organized.  Everyone has already been invited back!

And then, we went to Seattle! Daddy had some work there, so we tagged along.  You were such a trooper on the very full flight, happily playing or sleeping for the entire time. As soon as we arrived, we had lunch with Bobob. Technology is really really amazing. You have not spent a whole lot of time with Bobob in person, but because we FaceTime with him so frequently, you totally know him.  As soon as you saw him, you lept into his arms, just like you do with your NY grandparents, who you love to play with all the time! Then Daddy took a nap and you and I went to visit special friend #1: Winnie the pooch!  (Okay, and Winnie's mama)

We played on the playgrounds in Seattle and Bellevue, we visited so many friends and family, we even had another super special friend drive 100 miles just to see you!!

after a LONG car ride for him,  you and BBB check out the playground

And then there were your aunties (and one uncle)!  Oh, my, you have very special aunties!! None of them have grandchildren yet, but they think you are quite the delight and very much enjoy spending time with you. As a result, you are the lucky recipient of much adoration, toys and treats. You take it all in stride, happy to be surrounded by people who love you. 

you are obsessed with stairs and want to climb up and down every chance you get

on the move in a spectacular toy store!

clowning around

You have expanded your vocabulary considerably in the past few weeks. You now say "GO!", "nose" (when pointing to someone's nose), "chocolate" (pronounced chalk-at), "head," "hat," "night-night!"and, my favorite of all, "mama!"  Finally! I'm not gonna lie, you said chocolate before you said mama.  But now you refer to me as mama and it's very very sweet.  You say bye whenever we leave a location or when you're finished with something-no more sign for "all done", now you simply wave your hand and say bye! You nod and say yes when you're approving of something and shake your head and say no when you're not so agreeable. It's really lovely.  I mean, there are some times when you say NO when we really need to you do something, but it is so cool to witness your autonomy.  And to know how much you understand.  Now I'm working on the signs for emotions: happy, sad, angry. 

Okay, here's just some more cute shots of you! You are quite the monkey and love to get yourself into small spaces and on top of toys and equipment.

totally unbothered by the fact that you're sitting on this guy backwards

Puerto Rico

Dear Pea,
We just returned home from our first vacation as a family. We crashed our very special friend's babymoon and played in the sun and surf for 6 perfect days.  You loved the pool; splashing, kicking and flirting in the water every morning and afternoon. You hated the beach, refusing to put your feet on the sand, even if there was a towel or blanket spread out for you. We managed to keep you sunburn free. You ate chicken soup and apples every day, refusing everything else, even the virgin frozen drinks we kept sipping. We all slept in a king sized bed and are having readjustment issues.

Puerto Ricans love children. You were treated like a little goddess, like someone to be celebrated. It really highlighted how much children are simply tolerated here in the states. There, you roamed every restaurant barefoot while all the waitstaff fussed over you. They brought you special treats of shaved ice, rice and beans and fresh mango. They stopped us all the time to tell us how beautiful you are.

This was as close to the sand as you would get. You are firmly in Daddy's lap

close up of the wetsuit

staring it down. Your hair was so curly there!

SPECIAL FRIENDS!

You are standing on the table at a restaurant and everyone there thinks it's charming

strutting

Story time lap sitting

Dear Pea,
You love to be read to these days. And you always want to be in the reader's lap-that is your book listening  place.  Last night as I was trying to get you to sleep, you wanted to be read your good night book (I'll See You in the Morning) again. For like the seventh time. Just an aside-you like to flip through the pages of whatever we're reading during the day and often get a new book a few pages into the one we're currently reading. It's unusual to have less than three books in a rotation, usually reading your favorite parts over and over again. But that good night book-you know that's the only one in bed so you listen to it in its entirety over and over and over. I was tired and was lying down, trying to nurse you to sleep. I consented to one more read, but was still laying down. You tried and tried to find my lap, not able to get comfortable for the book until I sat up and made a lap for you. So cute.  I hadn't realized you only listened to book in laps before then.

Our special friends came over to play with you while I packed for our move. The fact that her lap was already occupied mattered little

14 Months

Dear Pea, 

First of all, YOU ARE WALKING NOW!!  You fall down a lot and sometimes take that as your cue to crawl or knee walk, but you often pick yourself right back up and walk some more. And when you walk, you clap for yourself. It's pretty freaking adorable.

And as much as you're walking around and exploring, you have developed an affinity for places that fit you. You love to sit in your car seat, you make a beeline for the miniature sofa at a playspace, you are happy in the center of playground flowers...

bowl shaped seat

You have become very interested in feeding yourself. You love to hold your fork and spoon while eating, sometimes trying to hold my fork also and still manage to eat. I finally caved in and bought you plates and cutlery all of your own and you love it-trying to get mushrooms on your fork, dipping your spoon into soup...you're such a little person.  You favorite foods these days are mushrooms, chicken and rice soup with veggies, pickles and spinach. You shove spinach into your mouth by the fistful. Our friend who calls you Eliza Belle was over during meal time-her boy was eating banana and strawberries, which you wanted no part of. She watched you practically inhale all your spinach and deadpanned to me "that's not normal." Ha, yes, I know. That's the point. 

serious about eating!

Sweet Pea, we are moving into a new apartment next week. There were some circumstances beyond our control and while we are sad to be leaving our current home (where you were born!!), we are excited for our next adventure. You will have your own bedroom and we even bought you your own bed to try out.  You are excited about the move, too-there are lots of boxes around now for you to play in

nodding, babies and DADADA

Dear Pea,
Lately your big gesture is nodding. You nod whenever music comes on, dancing for you starts with your head. Sometimes nodding to the beat is the whole dance and sometimes you add a torso twist and bounce your knees too.  These nods are slow and deliberate and usually involve looking around the room to see who's watching. If you catch someone's eye, you will nod at them. Amazing. You also nod "yes" when we ask if you want something, or if you want to go somewhere. Even if you want to take a nap or have your diaper changed-you'll nod if you're agreeable.  You shake your head no sometimes, too, but usually only when you're refusing food.

You are still very big into sorting things. You are sort of over wallets, unless it's the real deal (mine), but you still really enjoy putting things into other things. I found my sunglasses in a table drawer, I found an aerobics CD in with your blocks and your blocks on the book shelf.

You have become really into babies. You say "BAAY!" and sometimes "BAAYbeee" and point to babies, dogs, cats and dolls. If there is a dog tied up on the street, you will wave and say "HI BAAY" over and over again.  Once in awhile you will say that a dog is a DAH, too, but usually they're BAAYbees.  We have a little stuffed doll that you're not super into playing with, but you like to tell it and us that it's a BAAAY.

There are a LOT of BAAYbees here. You like to tell me about it

You are obsessed with your Daddy. You love to hang out with him, to follow him around and to talk about him. One of your favorite toys has always been the remote control. A couple of days ago you were playing with it and turned on tht TV. Hockey was on. You pointed to the TV and happily shouted "DADA!" You will hang outside the bathroom door while Daddy is in there, knocking on the door and talking to him.  You want him to read you certain books, want him to take you places and have special games that you play only with him. I will often leave the room but be drawn back in moments later by the sound of your delighted hysterical giggles.

You are such a person these days! You play more and more by yourself, finding things that are interesting to you. Your carseat is a big attraction lately-you love climbing up into it and playing with the seat. You also understand so much! You have a great grasp on language and know what we're saying most of the time

Playing in your carseat

When I asked you to smile for the camera

You wave to people on the street or at Trader Joe's or on the subway. You sign for "milk" and "more" without a moment's pause-you know what you want and you ask for it.  You are attempting to use a fork when eating. You enjoy eating off my fork, eating off your own fork, eating with your fingers while holding a fork and putting food on the fork just to play with.  Mealtimes are pretty entertaining. Okay, life is pretty entertaining. Something about the past few weeks has been so joyous. You are a hilarious, happy, curious, adventurous little monkey. You make my heart burst.

The plan