Yes, it has been a disgustingly long time since the last post. I've started getting some freelance work again, so all my free time has been spent working. Which leaves me how much free time? Exactly.
But! Today is Tallulah's 2nd Birthday! She's talking in full sentences now, and often sings little songs to herself (usually riffs on some of her favorites, like Elmo's Song or Frere Jacques or Twinkle Twinkle or Rockabye Baby.) Sometimes the songs are accompanied by little dances. She has several: the stiff legged side-to-side, the jerky hip-wiggler, or her "chicken" dance, in which she shrugs her shoulders and says ""tuck tuck tuck!" She's so freakin' cute that it's really unbelievable. It's hard for me to express how overwhelming I find her cuteness. I find myself laughing with delight at her antics several times a day. She calls me Yummy Mommy during our not-long-for-this-world nursing sessions, sticks toys down my shirt as a goof, commands me to eat her fingers, begs to hold (and taste) the "waddermelon lip baum" or eat "pirate booties" ("pirate booties? In a bowl, right here? peeeeeease?")
The incredible toddler love of repetition has started with a vengeance. Her great-grandparents Allie and Tom send her an e-card today that she insisted I repeat at least 30 times. She loves her CDs, too -- They Might Be Giants' NO and Here Come the ABCs are her current faves, and she likes to see the videos for her favorite songs ("Q U? SEE it?") over and over again.
She has many small plastic animals, and every morning for the past few days she has taken a few of the animals and arranged them around the cats' food bowl as if they're eating. Once she brought over a couple of little bowls and put an animal in front of each one. One had a cow at it, and behind the cow, a rhino. I asked her if the rhino was waiting in line, and she said yes.
Oh, and the other day, she sat down on her new potty during pre-bath naked time, and she actually peed! In the potty! And then she pooped during her bath, which was fairly horrifying and kind of took the wind out of our proud potty-success sails. And on the further parental pride tip, she sort of drew a letter Q! She drew a looping circle, and then a sketchy tail across part of it. She was copying a Q I had drawn for her (at her request.) I swear, it was amazing, and so far unrepeated. But still! Writing!
Because she is two (today!) Lula is now magically allowed to eat chocolate and peanut butter. (not necessarily together, though I've heard that combination is delicious.) So today Lula had her first real taste of chocolate, in cupcake form. It was a little hard to tell, because she seemed to enjoy the frosting very much, and things got a little messy there, but: I believe that she's not a big fan of the chocolate. Maybe later. (Her mom loves the stuff.) Next up is peanut butter, which means that, thank god, I might be able to make her a PB and J sandwich for lunch every now and again. It's hard to pack a lunch for a kid who almost exclusively eats mac and cheese or pizza at each meal. Sometimes chased by a small bowl of cottage cheese or cereal (Mighty Bites, Daddy cereal (Wheat Chex) or Mommy cereal (varies).)
That's it for now. It's way past my bedtime. Happy Birthday, Tallulah sweetie-pie. Your parents love you times a million.
- Sarah.
