Dear Shep,

I think I might regret stopping the weekly updates with you – at least for this little period of yours. You are “chatting” up a storm! We are constantly going from one extreme to the other with you. One day you have us in stitched laughing from sun up to sun down and the next we are almost in tears wondering where we went wrong with discipline. So all in all? I’d say you’re officially a two year old.

For starters, you hate for things to be wrong. What’s wrong you ask? NO CLUE until we have done it. A good example is anything in a wrapper. For heaven’s sake if the wrapper that I have folded down in any way shape or form happens to fall off you flip. I have to re-wrap your nutrigrain bars with the original wrapper at the bast to hold onto until there is barely anything left. Smarties packs? Well we better make sure that they are able to balance in the clear wrap because if I try and say, move them to a bowl for easier transport? Well, you will fall to floor in agony. So yeah, you’re a bit of a stickler for things to be as you wish on the OCD scale.

Another funny thing you are going through is your absolute lack of fear. Seriously kiddo, nothing frightens you. The things that DO frighten you are short lived and you’re immediately begging for more or “waaa” in conjunction with the sign for more. The biggest slide at the fair, the deep end of a pool, and even your Daddy dressed up as a scary mummy – they all thrill you. And speaking of the pool, well you’re in lessons right now and you absolutely LOATHE them from start to finish. You take lessons with Jude and you both fee off each other in screaming contests to see who can last the longest. Your poor instructor is so patient and just keeps on showing you two the ropes. Funny thing is, you’re pretty darn great at it. You kick just like you’re supposed to and this week with Dolly in town and the bravery that comes with your water swimmies, you officially “swam” alone from one end the other of our neighborhood pool with no help from any of us. You light up and we can tell just how incredibly proud you are of yourself. Thing is, we are all super proud of you too kiddo. You’re pretty amazing.

Trains are still your favorite, but you’re starting to love all things planes, animals, and water too. Oh and fish! Fish or “bish” are pretty much your favorite animal. The elephant that you are sleeping with every night and obsessing to bring to breakfast with you every morning is also a hit. George still reins, but lately you’ve gotten into sing a longs too and you are killing it with the motions that go along with that. A big favorite is the “where is ____fill in blank with finger name_____here I am, here I am” song. You bend that little pointer finger like you mean it and ask for more the minute I stop the song. Water or “waya” is your jam right now and you are in love with kicking, splashing, and showing off your tricks to anyone that will watch. You say some long sentence every time you want in a pool that I swear sounds like ” I ride the waves” so I’m going to guess that’s what you’re saying and keep repeating it back to you as I giggle.

You are constantly stealing drinks from adults and rubbing it in with an “mmmmm juice” as you do your closed lip gigantic smile in approval. All food is “bites” and you chew into a smile when something is super yummy in your book. Favorite foods for now are “bish” aka goldfish,
tookies”, “cackers”, peanut butter sandwiches, carrots, broccoli, and turkey. Until I make it that is, then you want nothing and I’m frustrated as ever trying to figure out why you suddenly hate something you were obsessed with the week before. Toddlers are peculiar little boogers and I made your brother promise me this week that he wouldn’t become one.

You defy us, explore boundaries, love harder than anyone I’ve ever known, smile bigger than I thought such a tiny mouth was possible of, and make some of the biggest rat’s nests in your hair each night and for that, I adore you. I’m so ready to take on the challenge each day, and can’t wait to see what the next few months has in store for us…….maybe no diapers? yes? could you throw me a bone on that one?

Lastly before I forget…..I HAVE A NAME!!!!!!!!!!!! Just call me “baba”. On Mother’s Day you called me “baba” and I was so stinking proud to have that. Daddy has been “dada” for a little over a week and I was getting impatient. We’ll work on changing that B to an M, but for now I’m going to bask in the glory that is being worth a name. A sweet friend told me that she looked at it this way…..Mommies are an extension of their babies. I’m simply a part of you, and those pieces of you are not named. You don’t call yourself by name. I liked that. I will consider it fact and think myself special for it 😉

Favorite funnies:

you roll and cut your eyes like a teen girl. No clue where you picked that up

time outs are becoming routine and you know to head straight to the nearest corner.

you fake fall when you want attention and clap for yourself when you land from a slide

you ADORE your brother still and love to walk up to him (and complete strangers) and tickle while saying “ticka ticka”

You shout “uh ohhhhhhhhh” over and over again until I finally acknowledge that you have in fact spilled a drink or peed on my floors

Dece is “cece” and Dolly is “yaya” or “daya” depending on the day. You love asking where people are with your hands up in the question motion