Dear Beatrice,
Seven months ago you were were entrusted to us as a beautiful baby, and now I'm reading up on parenting 2-year olds. If I go by the calendar, you weren't really a "baby" when we got you, and you still have 1/2 a year to go before your second birthday, but your actions, disposition, body, everything....have changed so very much in the short time since you came to us, I just can't believe it. You were "younger" than your age in many ways when we got you, and you're "older" than your age in many ways now. Here is a glimpse of you at 18-months old. Look at all you've accomplished and how amazing you are:
Language/Communication*Words: mama (said at least 500 times daily), daddy (200 times daily), Sula (50 times daily), more, hi, nuts, bananas, no, help, up, Joe's O's (your cereal) hat, bubbles, butterfly, noodles, "woe, woe" (you sing the introduction to "Row, row, row your boat")
. You're just starting to repeat tons of words after we say them, but don't quite use them on your own yet.
*Signs: bye-bye, hi, more, help, please, eat/hungry, up, down, all done, book, milk. You just recently started combining 2 signs together, or one spoken word combined with one sign. I was shocked the first time you said "moh" ("more") and then signed "eat."
*You communicate nonverbally ridiculously well. Through gestures, grunts, and a few words and signs, even relative strangers know exactly what you wants. You are very good at getting your needs met. I just told someone today that you remind me of Hocus Pocus, the rabbit in Frosty the Snowman who tells Santa exactly what terrible thing happened to Frosty without saying a word!
*You're starting to do animal sounds and sound effects: woof woof, meow, quack quack, and sirens for fire trucks, ambulances, etc. You also do the yummiest sound when you smell something like a flower or spices, real or pretend, or even when you walk into the grocery store and smell food.
Physical/Motor
*As of this week's doctor's appointment, you are almost 30 inches tall and weigh 21.8 lbs. You've been steadily in the 25th-40th percentiles. 12-month clothing either fits or is getting a tad short in the sleeves/legs. 12-18 mo. fits you perfectly, and some 18-mo. items fit now. Your feet are still so tiny, but growing slowing. Your 12-24 month size socks fit up to over your knees. Good practice for Catholic school!
*You are walking very steadily now, with your arms usually bent at the elbow and forearms are vertical. It's adorable. Whe instructed to "jump" you bend your knees and then unbend them. It won't be long.
*You climb onto furniture pretty well and get up and down from your folding chair at the chair & table set very independently.
*You've been climbing stairs (on hands and knees) and the ladder on your swingset for a while. You're just starting to go down them while holding onto the railing (Daddy taught you both of these skills). You are so cautious and careful it's amazing.
*You like to swing and go down the slide. You're good at holding your trunk up while sliding, but sometimes the landing is tough. You're so light and our slide is super-slippery so you fly down fast!
*You're starting to "dance." Mostly you do so with your upper body and head.
Rosanna was playing in the supermarket one night and you started swaying side to side and "singing" "nanas, nanas, nanas." You obviously thought the song was about your favorite yellow fruit!*You love to stomp your feet when called for in a song or book, and of course clap your hands. You applaud people randomly when you appreciate what you've done. You are unafraid to show your appreciation.
*Your fine motor skills are impeccable. You can pick up very small things and place them where you want them. And you still never put inappropriate things in your mouth! Don't know how we got so lucky on this one. You hand me little pieces of junk off the rug and floor all the time. And you can feed yourself one raisin at a time from a box in which they're all clumped and stuck together.
*You "back in" when you want to sit in my lap and have a book read.
*You're a very good ball roller, not a bad tosser, and can walk carrying things pretty well too.
*You've been super healthy since we got you, have never had a fever or needed prescription meds.
Personality
*You are a focused, laid-back, somewhat serious, affectionate, independent, and joyful child. Aude described you recently as "lit up from the inside out." You are happy almost all the time, yet not really silly or giggly. You definitely have a mind of your own, and I hope this never changes.
*You think before you act, and have since we've known you. What a rare gift.
*You love pretend play, especially pretend eating and pretend from books (you smell every flower on every page, eat the food, etc.)
*You are an amazing sharer and love to give people things.
*You have an incredible attention span for your age. You can play alone very happily for long periods of time.
*You get frustrated when you cannot do something, but rarely give up.
*You handle being upset in an interesting way. You express it briefly, but then reign it in and move on amazingly quickly, especially with people other than Mama and Daddy. Even with us your "tantrums" are pretty mild and short-lived. Being over-tired is about the only thing that can push you over the edge. You handle pain, disappointment, and frustration very easily.
*You like putting things in their place and organizing things. You like to close doors after you go through them and you finish what you start.
*You are getting a "bossy" streak, or maybe I should call it a "director's attitude." You love telling people where to sit and what to do, nodding your head "yes" as you guide them into obeying your commands. Surely you will be a strong leader someday.
*You are just a little shy with new people and new situations, but after a short time you interact fine, just are much quieter than when you're home or comfortable. Even in Vietnam you had a "public" versus "private" persona, and this continues to be true. You can be unbelievably LOUD at home when you get babbling nonstop, and other times you're very quiet.
Chores
*You feed Sula twice daily, carry your dirty clothes from the bathroom floor to the hamper each night, and help clean up toys when we ask you.
Food
*You are an incredible eater, eating three good meals every day, and sometimes a snack in the afternoon. Favorite foods are pho, any soup, eggs any way they're cooked, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cheese, yogurt, lamb, raisins, tofu, oatmeal, salmon, rice, Joe's O's, apples, grapes...honestly I could write forever because you enjoy just about any food that is put in front of you. We found out recently that you don't like spicy food too much though, which I bet will change.
*You still use your hands now and then, but you're pretty adept with a fork and spoon now too. You'd like to be good at chopsticks, but aren't yet. You prefer to use "big" silverware and eat out of "real" (aka breakable) plates and bowls. If you have a bowl anywhere nearby, you'll often end up throwing whatever food is around into that bowl and eating it all together.
*You still have milk three times a day (before sleeping) as well. Your bottle is one of your only "comfort" items. The only others are your thin purple blanket which you sometimes hold when you sleep and, of course, your parents.
*You drink water from a cup with all meals. You prefer it to juices, although I rarely offer juices anymore. You recently showed us that you can use a straw too.
*We've still restricted sugar and junky fats quite a bit. You've had tastes of things and liked them, but we're holding off as long as possible.
Sleep
*You wake up between 6:00-7:00 in the morning. The first thing you do is say "Aaaah Duh-duh" ("Hi Sula"). Next you go out to the landing, choose a book, and sit with it and "read" (even if it's pitch dark!)
*Most days you still takes two naps, with the morning one being a little longer than the afternoon. Both range from 1-2 hours each.
*You head to bed between 7:00-8:00 at night, depending on how your second nap went.
*You don't usually wake up in the middle of the night except to toss and turn or unless you're teething or had an unusually stimulating day.
*It takes you 5-30 minutes to get to sleep, depending how tired you are. At night we have a routine of bath/bottle/books/prayers/music. You pick out the books and place them along with your bottle on the rocking chair in your room before your bath. Then after the books are read and prayers are said you walk over to the CD player, press the "on" button, and comes back to finish your bottle and get rocked.
Loves/Loves Not-So-Much
*Loves: Sula, all kinds of music, organizing and putting things in their place, blowing kisses, looking at our Vietnam photo album, older kids, looking at yourself in the mirror each morning after you're dressed, the marble game, your little Hello Kitty dollhouse, matchbox cars, holding hands, getting AND giving kisses, having your hair stroked as you're falling asleep, stacking boxes/blocks (you can do a tower as tall as you are) and knocking it down, books, books, and more books. Sitting with a book is the first and last thing you do every.single.day. You also like undoing your disposable diaper right after I've put it on after your bath. This is your loudest giggle of the day! You love being home with Daddy and me and just beam when the three of us are home together or head out into the car together.
*Dislikes: When the doorbell rings and Sula barks, it scares you terribly and you literally jump into my arms. You still have little to no interest in any stuffed animal or doll, although as of last weekend you're quite smitten with the butterfly puppet you were given many months ago. You shake your head and say "no, no" every time you look at your red rocking horse Rody.
So there you are my girl, at least as much as I can summon up in one post and can actually verbalize. But please know you are so much more than all of these things to us. There is a spark, a complete soul, and a million thoughts in your incredible eyes that are unable to be written about and that reveal more and more to us every single day. It is my complete privilige to be your Mama and I cannot wait to wake up each morning and start a new day by your side.
The weather
was strangely warm and sunny again this weekend and there is new growth on both rose bushes, as well as a beautiful blossom on the red one. Friday night we went to the gallery opening downtown, where Anthony had two pieces showing (the skateboard and the "abominable mandala" to the right). Saturday was gorgeous. I took these shots in the yard before we left for Truman's 4th birthday party for a pre-Thanksgiving feast. Beatrice had a ball playing with her cousins. It was amazing to see her whirling around their very full playroom, and I couldn't help but think back to the first time she sat in that space, completely overwhelmed and nearly catatonic. She has certainly learned her way around a toyroom! Shame on us, we forgot the "real" camera at home, and Anthony's iPhone died, so we never even got a picture of the birthday boy, but here's one of his 2 1/2 year old brother slowly joining reality after a nap. Saturday night we took some Christmas photos. I was thinking it might take a few sessions to get one that we loved, but we did get several good ones and the card is already being ordered. Today she and I headed to church alone, as Anthony had a meeting, and spent the afternoon together too. We started packing tonight for our trip to Maryland which is now under 48 hours away. It's going to be a busy week with two Thanksgiving gatherings and a baptism. We're also hoping to meet up with Samantha, a "sister" from Bac Ninh who lives in DC. Not sure I will post for a while, but should have plenty of new pictures when we return.
