Quick, before I get Sidetrack'd

My baby girl isn’t much of a baby anymore. On Friday, she will be 19 months old; officially closer to two years old than one year old. I try not to think about that too much, though.

This is the first child that I’ve truly been able to enjoy this early toddler phase. When E and J were 19 months old I was 8 months pregnant. When S turned 19 months old I was 4 days from delivering baby M. It is so much fun to see her develop and learn and grow.

Most of her current milestones involve speech. The little booger is repeating everything and adding new words to her flourishing vocabulary by the minute it seems. At her 18 month check up (23.5 pounds, 31 inches, 25th percentile in both – for the record) I was asked if she had 4 to 10 words; oh yes, she sure did.

Mama (and now Mommy), Dada (now Daddy), ball, dee-dee (blanket), please, thank you, dee-bee (baby), i-eee (eye), ees (ears), nu (nose), be-dee (belly), schee (cheese), bi-bah (ipod), heh-o (hello), hi

And since then she’s added…all three of her siblings names, cu (cup and cut), wa-wa (water), no, my (mine), dog, kitty, ca (car), rah-rah (stuffed tiger), bu (book)

She waves, she claps, she signs please, thank you, amen. She says “I see” and “I want”. She smiles and plays and runs and loves to snuggle in your lap with dee-dee and rah-rah. She likes to look at books as long as she is in charge of turning pages. She loves her siblings and wants to do everything they do. She screams “peas” if you don’t catch on soon enough.

She is a perfectly imperfect full-blown, no going back toddler. As she is just as cute as she can be.

They were still jabbering at 9:00 last night, happy sibling voices conversing instead of sleeping. And now they are still sleeping. Oh what a love/hate relationship I have with you daylight saving time.

So I have a few extra minutes this morning. Minutes to write. To fill this space that I’ve left empty for so many months now.

This week is spring break for our local schools. Since most of our normal activities for the week are cancelled for the break, we will join in the fun. Trips to the fire museum, the children’s museum, the zoo await us.

The weather isn’t as warm as I would prefer this week, in the mid to upper fifties instead of the seventies, but I don’t want to rush the long, hot days of summer, so we will put on jackets and enjoy the things our city has to offer.

The weekend was delightful, temperatures in the low 70s. We had a beautiful spring day on Saturday and enjoyed it playing in the yard with Nonnie and Pops, having lunch out, and visiting the park. Sunday was dreary and rainy, a great day to nap and catch up on that hour of sleep we lost overnight Saturday.

The daffodils have just started to bloom here. A late start this year, but a gorgeous herald of spring. Daffodils and tulips make me smile.

Last Saturday I ran in snow, this Saturday I ran in shorts. Oh spring, you are coming, and I welcome you with open arms.