Cut Lip

Dear Isabella,

Today you fell while you were running (yup, running!) and bit your top lip. You hardly cried so I didn't think you hit your face, but then you touched your mouth and there was blood. I panicked just a teeny bit but you handled yourself like a champ.

You are a very "determined" little girl. I put that in quotes because Grandma says you're determined - I say you're stubborn! At dinner, usually you won't let me feed you anymore. You insist on feeding yourself. Of course you get about 50% in your mouth and 50% on your arms, face, lap, tray, chair, cat...Poor Orange! You're still not very good at using a spoon. When you try to use a spoon, if you get any food in your mouth it's just a coincidence. But you are very, very "determined" and one day soon I know you'll get it right.

You are testing your boundaries every day and it's fun to watch your personality blossom. You're truly a toddler now, but I still call you my little baby, and I probably always will. I promise by the time you're a teenager I won't call you that in front of your friends.

You still talk to your Abuela in Mexico almost every week on Skype and you talk to Lolo and Lola (and Aunty Cayla) in Hilo on FaceTime sometimes. This has made you very interested in technology which we're still trying to hide from you.

We went to Barwick Playground at Punahou on Father's Day and you had fun running around and playing with leaves. You're still a little too little to be interested in the swings or see-saw or slide. But you're getting bigger and stronger and learning more and more every day!

Love,
Mommy

That's My Girl - Simply Organized!

Dear Isabella,

Your latest hobby is sorting toys! You have a basket for your wooden blocks, a pouch for your MegaBlocks, and a pouch for your "baby toys" (the toys you had and outgrew at Aunty Gladys's house). You know which toys go in which containers and you love dumping them out, and putting them back in the correct place. That's my girl - organizing from the start!

Then again, you also sometimes place a book in the middle of the floor with such purpose and matter-of-factness that maybe you have some unconventional ideas of what "a place for everything and everything in its place" means!

Or maybe you're just a normal toddler. :)

Love,
Mommy

Growing Faster Than The Speed of Blog!

Dear Isabella,

I can hardly keep up with you! It has been a while since I left you a note so let's try and play a little catch up..

You are almost able to run now, so it's getting tougher to keep up with you. You love walking around carrying a purse especially if it has something in it. When you're carrying anything, you walk around the room so purposefully and seriously, as if you are on a very important mission.

You have a little chair at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and for some reason you like to put your toys on it and then sit on top of your toy in the chair.

You are a total bookworm! Book after book you bring to us and sometimes you like to "read" (turn the pages of) the same book over and over. It's the first thing you go for every morning.

You're also learning how to put your Megablocks together. Daddy and I can't wait till we can get you real Legos and have a Lego table! We promise to share.

You are becoming a bit opinionated my dear. At meal time sometimes you can be very picky and stubborn. We went through a few days that you hardly ate! And another few days where you only wanted zucchini. And another few days where you would only eat if you could feed yourself! And you have a little temper on you - if you can't do something right away you have been known to throw the toy down in frustration. One night you even jumped up and down a couple times in anger. Hmm, I wonder if that temper is from me or Daddy... :)

And this has been true for a while but you still LOVE putting toys inside other toys. In the bath, as long as I give you a cup and some toys that fit inside, you could probably stay in there all night! Putting them in..taking them out..putting them in, in a different order.. And you're so determined about it, very focused.

We have been taking you in the baby pool in Grandma and Grandpa's yard or taking you to the beach for the past few weekends. You sure love to play in the water! You're not so sure about sand though..

The other day I thought I heard you say "no" as you shook your head, and then a few mornings later I heard you imitating Daddy when he was making a cow "moo" noise from a book. Are those your first words, Bean? Let's wait till you say "Mommy" and just call that your first word. :)

You follow directions pretty well, including when we tell you "no" and you are very helpful cleaning up your toys. You help me pick up your blocks every day (because when we open the block bag, you excitedly dump them out EVERYWHERE!) and are also good about putting your books back on the shelf when we ask you. Sometimes you even put a toy back in the box before we even ask you to! When we ask you to give us something you've picked up off the ground, you mostly do right away. I'm so proud of you (and we feel lucky to have such a good, smart little girl)!

That's all for now, Isabella. We are so blessed to have you.

Love love love,
Mommy

What's It Like To Be A Toddler?

Dear Isabella,

You had so much fun on your birthday! You played with all your guests and you didn't need a nap. What a big girl!

This week you have been so happy to have your own shelf on our bookshelf and you've been playing nicely with all your new toys.

You don't drink formula anymore - just cow's milk. This makes me kind of sad because it means you're getting to be a little girl instead of my little baby.

You are also learning to wink...kind of. If Daddy or I wink at you, you smile and blink back at us. You think it's so funny!

The other day I was giving you a bath and you stood up and even though we have a nonslip mat, you stepped backwards and slipped. You bonked the back of your head on the tub floor and you were so scared and crying so hard! Mommy felt so bad for you. But in a couple minutes you were ready to play in the bath again. Mommy and Daddy were so proud of our brave girl. And good thing too because you were so dirty from playing hard that day!

So now that you're officially a toddler, what is it like? You seem to have fun every day and you're such a happy baby. Sorry, toddler. You still love swinging your legs - we'll have to break that habit before we take you to the movies.

When we tell you, "kiss!" you open your mouth wide and wait for the person to kiss you. It's pretty funny.

Love,
Mommy

Happy Birthday Isabella!

Dear Isabella,

Happy first birthday my little angel! I cannot believe it has been a year. I am so proud you are mine, I can't believe how beautiful you are, and I am so grateful for how you make me smile every single day.

You're already such a big little girl. Walking around with confidence, having fun carrying two toys (or more!) at once, learning to play with Orange nicely, making friends, practicing feeding yourself and learning to point at words you know. You're so smart and determined. I love the determined look you get on your face when you are trying to do something new.

I think back to when you were a newborn. You were so little - I think you have doubled in height at least! I remember you sleeping in your bassinet beside our bed and watching your little legs go up...then down! And up...then down! I hold your hand now and marvel at how little and chubby it is.

I made a video for you birthday. I hope you like it. I love you, Bean.

Love,
Mommy

Walking For Real

Dear Isabella,

Well I guess it's official: you are a walker. You still crawl when you're in a rush but you are walking more and more every day. I'm so proud of you and I love watching you grow and develop your personality. It's funny to get to know your little mannerisms.

I'm a little sad too. This year has gone by so fast. I hold you at bed time and think of the little wiggle worm with a floppy neck you once were, bundled in your magic blanket. Now you're a curious little monkey just like Curious George. Can you please slow down my little Bean?

Love,
Mommy

Mommy's Engineer

Hi Isabella!

The other day I showed you how to stack your Playskool rings a couple times and you seemed to sort of understand the concept.

Then today you took your rings and just started stacking them correctly all by yourself! You are so smart!

You always want to see how things work and you sure do learn quickly. I tried to get you to do it again but you lost interest pretty quickly. I hope you're not like me when you grow up - once I figure out I can do something I don't care as much about doing it anymore.

Here's a video of you doing it until you lost interest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHW83MaBSz8

Love,
Mommy