dear stella // you are a toddler now

dear stella,

it's been a few months since i have written you a letter.  so much has transpired since then and you have changed in so many ways.  it seems like over the course of these past few weeks you have lept many years forward in regards to your maturity and intellect and you've just been amazing your dada and i right and left.

here are few antedotes to fill you in:

on the day before thanksgiving your dada and i decided to take you to the park before nana and papa arrived.  i had been down the slide with you a few times before, but never had you gone by yourself.  after a few times sitting on our laps and practicing our best "weeees" and "whooooas" all the way down, you were bound and determined with your independent mind made up that you could handle this slide business all by yourself.  your mama, who would just happen to stand nervously close when you stepped up those stairs and across the bridge leading to that big-girl slide, decided to let you go as much as she wanted to hold that pudgy hand.  it was so neat to see you beam with pride and joy.  you sat down with the biggest grin and deepest belly laugh, before giving yourself a little nudge to slide down.  my sweet darling, we were so proud of you. 

and then there was that night we took you to a dinner party down the street to a friend's house.  on our way home, we bundled you up tightly so you wouldn't get cold.  what trooper you are, baby girl!  when we reached our welcoming front door, dada lifted up your stroller and took you up three whole flights.  you giggled and let out tiny screams of excitement the whole way up.  i don't blame you, it looked pretty fun.  your dada does pretty cool stuff like that, you know.  after getting you in your flannel jammies and all tucked in, you whispered something so precious and sweet that we now request you it at least ten times before closing your door.  you said, "nigh nigh," for the first time stella, and we melted.  

and wait, there's more...

one evening as you were putting your wooden blocks in a neat little row you started to hum "ba ba black sheep."  we didn't know where you had heard it or how your memorized it but you know it.  we now sing it every night and wait for you to chime in and sing along.  it goes something like, "bahh bath back see hmmm hmmm hmmmmm...."  i am going to record it and show it to you someday.

good gravy little peanut, you are growing up and are now a full blown toddler.  with each passing moment you seem to get wiser and more independent. you still have that feisty spirit of yours and are quite headstrong.  we sure love that about you.  and as much as i long for the moments when you need me for things, i really appreciate that you are finding your own and learning how to navigate this beautiful journey called life.  

love, 

your mama