Dear Leah...

I can't believe I'm actually posting a new blog! LOL!

Time is flying by so fast, I can't believe Leah will be 2 in 5 short weeks! I am envious of my friends' commitment to their blogs as a way to record their children's lives so over the past week I have been compiling a list/letter of sorts about who Leah is at this point in her life. What she likes, what she does, what she says, how she says it. If only I could capture it all in a bottle to open and reminisce upon later in life, but without a personal video crew 24/7, it's just not possible. I had planned to just print this out and stick it in her sadly neglected baby book but then I thought, oh, what the heck, I'll just post it on the blog too! Why not?!

So, for everyone who is interested, here is a glimpse into who our daughter is!



(late fall 2011 - almost 2 years old)



Dear Leah,

You are sweet, joyful, spirited, silly, sensitive, spunky, kind, wild, energetic and simply just full of life....you sparkle!



You love.....

Dancing! anytime, anywhere!

Hats and shoes (wearing them, putting them on, etc).

Wearing your bear Halloween costume, especially the hood.

Wearing your plastic princess crown.

Saying hi to every child you see in every store we are in- you also call every child a baby. You will say "HI BABY!" with a big smile, regardless of age; you have done this to an unimpressed 6-ish year old boy!

Wearing your mittens and not using the thumb section.

Your bunny "Ba".

Elmo.

Mickey.

The Jungle Book.

Tigger.

The Tigger Movie.

Jumping.

Clapping.

Running and kicking a ball with Daddy.

Chasing and being chased.

Tickling.

Sitting under blanket "tents" with Mommy.

Talking on the phone to Daddy, Nana and PopPop.

Sitting with lots of blankets (nemeys) on your lap.

Milk.

Grapes (bapes).

Stickers (stickies) and putting them all over yourself and everyone else and then taking them off again and moving them around.

Climbing on the couch and pushing the cushions off.

Singing!

Having your fingernails painted.

Sharing food with Daddy.

Bubbles.



Silly Vocab

Although you say many more words than this and will repeat anything you are asked, you have a habit of pronouncing some words a little differently. Sometimes you will "flip" the beginning and ending sounds and sometimes you will drop the final consonant all together. And sometimes we have no idea where the words come from!  Lots of kids do this and we love your often unique way of speaking.  These are the cutest of those words and your favorite, most used phrases.



Snake: nake or natch (plural) and "baby nake/natch"

Lunch (breakfast or dinner): nunch

Thank you: tankee

Blanket: nemey

Sticker: sticky

Freckle: beckle

Grapes: bapes

Mickey (mouse)- Nickey

Thomas the Train: Tibby

Legs:  Eggs



Favorite Phrases:

"mommy do" - you usually prefer NOT to do things yourself!

"he go mommy" - giving something to me, this usually follows the "mommy do" phrase.

"no mommy!" - (self explanatory, haha)

"Bug!" - every screw, bit of dirt or leaf, lint or loose thread that might be around the home you point out as a possible bug.

"it tickles!"- if I'm trying to dress or undress you and I ask you to lift your arms you laugh and sometimes refuse, giggling that it tickles and you also does this when I try to snap your onesies and randomly when holding you. Also when I'm brushing your teeth!

"circewls!"- you love to point out circles.

"oh...OK!"- your happy little answer to almost anything.

"kick!"- what you say when you are playing soccer with Daddy.

"I stuck!"- meaning you're stuck somewhere, or just want someone to some get you.

"moont"- pointing to any ceiling light and saying that it's the moon.

"guys"- two stuffed animals, a dog and a little monkey pillow.  You call them both "guys" because I have said, when asking if you want them "what about this guy"....so now you think both their names are "guy".

"nake! Bad nake!"- The Jungle Book's character Kaa, you will say this when he is on screen.

"moe peeze": more please; almost always referencing food....you are your father's daughter!  and when your Daddy is eating he will always share his food with you and you are relentless!  "moe (more) peeze!  moe bite!  moe dat (that)!



When seeing two (or more) of the same thing, like two ducks pictured in a book, you will point to one duck first and say "duck!" and then point to the other duck and say "moe (more) duck!" or "two duck!"



You have also started to name colors; so far you seem to know: pink (peenk), green (geen), yellow (ellow), purple (pupel).

We just love you so much and we are so proud of the little curly headed person you are becoming!  You are strong and spirited but you have a very soft, sensitive little heart.  To us, you are perfection!