Dear Trixie,
This month you turned 30 months old which is two and a half, and just recently you’ve started to tell people that you’re two, and now we’ve taught you to tell people that you’re two and a half, although you tell them that you’re two and a half and five. I just roll with it.
I could go on and on how it’s unreal that you’re 30 months, how you were just a baby yesterday and how it all goes so fast. All of this is true, but it’s getting cliche. sigh…
As usual we’ve had a busy month. You’re still doing ballet and are loving it! We started with a new teacher and she was impressed with how you incorporated some ballet stuff into the free dance time. I beamed with a lot of Mama pride when she complimented me on your behalf. She’s also impressed with your turn out. Again the Mama pride. Although I’m not too shocked, your Daddy and I are both freaky flexible, and I suspected that it would show up in you too. You do love to dance and love the outfits. I love how you stare at yourself in the mirror in the studio, studying your reflection from all angles. I love how it’s so innocent, you’re not being vain in a snotty sense, just seeing what you look like. It’s so sweet.
We’ve also started gymnastics this month, and I am a little worried that it might be a little advanced for you, although you seem to be adapting well. I think your ballet is helping with some of the technique and having a whole month of listening to a teacher under your belt is helping you to listen in gymnastics where the concepts are much harder at this time.
In the first class you had to jump into a pit filled with large blue foam blocks and I thought you would love it, so I helped you into the pit. By help, I mean shove. To my dismay you did not like it and developed a fear for the blocks. It’s taken 3 more weeks and you’re just starting to get over your fear of the blocks. I think too that you’re primed to be afraid of something. You’ve been talking a lot about how something is scary and how you’re scared. So in return Daddy and I talk about how it’s okay to be scared of something and how you can be brave and how you can always tell us about what you’re scared of and how we’ll protect you. I’m assuming that this is age appropriate, and I assume that you’ll cultivate some more fears, so I promise I’ll stop pushing you into pits of foam blocks.
You still love Hudson as much as ever. You dote on him all of the time. Running to tell me if he’s unhappy or upset. I’ve started to let you and him nap together without me there, and you’ve started to call for me when you wake up so you won’t leave him alone since you’re cautious for him. You don’t want him to fall off of the bed. It’s awfully cute, although I do suspect that one of you is waking the other from nap time, but it’s okay because you both generally have 3-4 hour naps in the afternoon.
As always your eating is a source of stress for me. You continue to taste everything, but just not a lot. Your weight gain has slowed, but I’m not worried, you are healthy. I can generally sway you to a new food by proclaiming how much I love it. I’ve started giving you milk kiefer for your nap time bottle and you seem a little uneasy by it’s tanginess, but after I tell you how much I love it, you declare that it’s your favourite. (As an added bonus you have less tummy issues with kiefer milk than with regular milk.) Recently you’ve added chicken from a restaurant to your list of foods you ask for, along with noodles and rice. You still eat about one good meal of every five (with you just picking at the other 4) and you eat best in a social situation. You are also amused with Hudson and how much he loves to eat. You’ve also started asking for candy, which baffles me since I don’t give you a lot of candy! Your favourite snack is a bag full of freeze dried peas and corn, with several strips of nori or kim and some dried fruit. I generally have a baggie of this mix in the diaper bag to entice you with at baby boot camp or as a snack when you’re hungry in the car. I am so happy that you love seaweed as much as I do, and it’s most amusing to watch people’s reaction to how you can eat so much of it.
This past month you’ve started recognizing more sight words, which just happened randomly. We’ve been playing with letters for a while, and we talk about people’s names corresponding with the letter, like H is for Hudson. But now you can sight read these names. You also like to point out letters and numbers on buildings and such when we’re out and about. I think you’ll be reading very soon. You’ve started to tell stories and often read to Hudson. I know that you’ve just memorized the book, but that’s where it all starts. Although sometimes you deviate and create your own story, which is pretty amazing too.
Potty training is the same, although we’ve started to go diaperless out of the house too. You’re still stubborn with it, and refuse to go if I remind you. It has to be on your terms. But you’re pretty good about it, unless you’re overly excited. But that’s okay too. That’s why we carry extra clothes around with us. After all you’re only two and a half and five!
Sweet girl, I love being your Mama. Everyday is more amazing than the last and I am so grateful.
I love you.
love,
Mama.