The Scarlett Letters: Imagination and Sparkle

My dear Scarlett,

I'm writing this while you take your little nap. You don't nap often, maybe three times each week for no more than an hour. You still sleep well overnight. I put you in the crib around 8pm on average. Sometimes you go right to sleep - mostly if you've missed your nap that day. Other times you will yap and yap and yap until sometimes ten o'clock! We love to listen to you tell stories to your friends (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Snoopy, Blanky, Bunny, Owl). You talk about things you did that day, you make up stories and scenarios and what cracks us up is that you actually use different voices! Hysterics!

Some of your favorite things lately:

Jewelry. You love your little bracelets and necklaces and have so many of them! You will wear them all at once or choose just a few. You like to put them and out of boxes, baskets and containers over and over.

Memory. Gee-Gee gave you this game in your Halloween treat bag and you just love it! Just like I did as a kid, it was my favorite! We have played it dozens of times already and you are so good at making pairs, your memory is just incredible.

Figures. You've had a fondness for little figures for quite a while now. You have a bunch of them - mostly Mickey Mouse Clubhouse "guys" as you call them. You also have some from the Tickety Toc gang and Team Umizoomi. I love listening to you play with them, setting up little scenes and such. That imagination is really wonderful.

Pearl Jam. Haha that's right. When their new album, Lightning Bolt, came out you were more than happy to listen to it several times a day for several days while Mama acquired her "fix." You even asked for it to be played a bunch of times. I'd look over and you'd be dancing all around the room or enthusiastically nodding in your high chair. When we were in the car the other day one of their old songs came on and you yelled, "IT'S PEARL JAM!!" Proud moment.

"Peanut Butter Cantaloupe" Over the past couple of months anytime we ask you what you want to eat the answer is the same - peanut butter cantaloupe. A peanut-butter and jelly sandwich with a side of melon. Time and time again. It has become a very popular lunch.

The blanket. Lately you can be found several times a day playing underneath a blanket. You choose a few toys, drape the blanket over your head and have a ball. I find it hilarious and adorable.

"Shoods" Because you can't pronounce your F's yet you say "Shoods" meaning Foods. We gave you a big bag of plastic foods for your birthday and you lovvvvvvvvvvve it. You, of course, have your favorites: The apple/tomato (I don't know what it is!), ice cream cone, cookie, banana, potato chips, orange, lettuce, lemon, egg, ketchup bottle etc. I remember vividly how much I loved my fake foods as a kid too. (smile).

Things have been really, really great with you. You are growing like a weed, super tall girl! You're long and lean, I can't keep your pants up! Trying to find you pajamas is pretty difficult. The shirts are all too short and the pants fall off of you. One-pieces are the new norm. You're wearing 18 mo or 24 mo pants and 3T shirts on average. Your shoe size is a 6/7 in case you were wondering. Haha.

Daddy and I are sooooooooooooo looking forward to Christmastime with you this year. I think you will really enjoy it all. Especially decorating the tree. I hope to watch all of our favorite Christmas specials with you so ... get on board! We are excited to start our own little family traditions, making wonderful memories to stay with you for a lifetime.

We love you so much, sweet girl.
xo

Scarlett Letter #9

Dear Sweet Scarlett,

You are now eleven months and two weeks old! When will this end!??! You are much like a sponge these days, just absorbing everything we teach you - and things that we didn't realize we were teaching you! Your latest surprise was the hand gestures for The Itsy Bitsy Spider. I sang the song to you twice one morning and that evening you were motioning those little hands all over the place. My heart nearly doubled. It is amazing - to say the least - watching you becoming YOU. Your personality is nothing short of awesome. I love your silliness, your ability to understand when something is funny, your devilish grin and animated eyes. Let's face it, I love everything about you.

What you love most: 

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - mainly Pluto, the little puppy Bella and the "kitty-cat" Figaro. You always get excited to see the beginning of the show and you always, always dance to The Hot Dog Dance and wave bye-bye as the characters all go home.

Brody - You love to watch him walk around the house and play rambunctiously outside in the back yard. You've recently started to enjoy watching him eat and drink. He's pretty noisy so it always attracts your attention.

Being outside - We put your Around We Go entertainer on the deck the other day and you were loving every second of it! We've had to keep you away from your pretty, pink swing lately because we've had a nasty bee problem. Daddy and Brody were stung several times and Daddy tried spraying them away but they were stubborn! Mama ended up calling "the bug guys" and they took care of those bees for you. It's time to swing again, babygirl!

Exploring - I think your favorite thing to do is to roam the house. In and out of the rooms, zooming around, bruising up your little knees. (You won't wear the heart/band-aid knee pads I got you!) I make sure to sweep up and vacuum the dog hair before we let you loose. You love playing in the hampers- pulling out all of your clothes. You also enjoy the air that comes out of the humidifier - even as I tell you, "no-no" you just smile. You love standing up at the deck slider looking out into the yard at the big tree and watching Bro. And for some reason you have a thing for straps - so you like to stand at your highchair and fiddle with those for a while. You giggle and giggle and giggle as we chase you with stomping feet down the hallway. I hope we can always make you giggle that way.

Vegetables - I am SO SO SO happy that you've been such a great eater so far. I realize that can (and most likely will) quickly change. But for now, when I spread out a variety of food on your tray you always grab the greens first. Broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc. You love sweet potatoes too. And I tried peppers with you again this week and you ate them right up! You have a very healthy diet and I'm very proud of that. I promise to always try to give you 90% healthy and 10% treats.

Your room - Daddy and I spent long hours dreaming up and creating that beautifully sweet room for you. It makes me so happy to see your face light up each time we enter it.

The beach and pool - You've had a wonderful first summer! You really enjoyed going in your inflatable pool at Grammie's house and we even brought it to the beach! I'm so happy that you seem to love the beach! I could've done without the handfuls of sand in your mouth but ... it happens. You didn't even flinch as the waves came hurdling toward you, crashing on your little legs. It may not have been very relaxing for Mama or Grammie but you sure had a blast and that's all that we care about. Daddy and I will take you a lot more next year! You also had your very first taste of Aunt Carrie's clamcakes and chowder!

I guess I could go on and on writing about the things you love - you seem so happy all the time, it appears you love just about everything. Although I can say with conviction that you do NOT love: teething and cherry tomatoes. You've handled your teething remarkably well considering but tomatoes... not so much. Ha Ha.

Mama has been very busy planning your very first birthday! We want everything to be special for you. You're the most special thing in our lives and you've brought us all so much joy - we just want to honor you the best way that we can on your big day. Apparently, to me, that means lots and lots of rainbows. I've been busy making cupcake toppers, signs, invitations, thank you cards, favor tags, flag banners, etc. And Daddy has been spending his weekends working in the back yard - painting the shed and renovating the deck! We are hoping for an outdoor party so keep those little fingers crossed for sunshine!

Today we may have bought your very last tub o' formula! Oh, how the months have just flown by. This past year has been amazing. I hope the next twelve months bring us even more happiness together. Love you "sooooooooooooo much!" xoxo

Mama

I love you more today than yesterday - but not as much as tomorrow.