This of course hasn't stopped you from doing some 'terrible twos' practice, but we'll get to that later!
First of all, you have grown so much this year! And you have done so much! You learned to walk around 13 months ( around? seriously! Typical for a second child, right?!) and you started running almost immediately after that! You were highly motivated because it meant you could follow your brother around much more efficiently which is VERY important to you! You think everything Ransom does is highly fascinating and entertaining. This has made you quite fearless when it comes to trying all new things. In fact, sometimes you'll do things that Ransom doesn't even want to do!
You're fearlessness knows few bounds, in fact, you're great about trying pretty much any food that is put in front of you, at least once. And you actually LIKE most things! You will also climb anything and everything at the park and we have to watch you pretty closely! You also found out you really like the swing! Something your brother would never really get behind!
Your very best friend is still "Ellie" the elephant and "paci". The two very much go hand in hand and I know its going to be trouble trying to break you of your paci habit! But for now, you are often seen carry around Ellie pressed to your check and sucking on paci, happy as can be. But as much as you love Ellie you have found room in your heart for other animals too and your crib is comically overflowing with other stuffed animals that have been adopted into your fold. And just as we did with Ransom, we have tried removing one or two of these animals on the sly-but you always notice and call for them. You also know if one of them is not yours. Just yesterday you called from your room during nap time and when I went in to check on you, you handed me one of Ransom's stuffed animals that had gotten into your bed and said, "Bubba!" you were then happy to go to sleep knowing the little guy had returned to its rightful home.
Speaking of sleep. You are an AWESOME sleeper! I know I've said it one pretty much every one of your letters but its worth repeating as many times as it is true. THANK YOU for being such a good sleeper! This isn't to say we haven't had our fair share of sleepless nights and that you haven't started asking for more and more bedtime stories at the end of the day, but for the most part you seem to truly enjoy sleeping.
One of my favorite times with you this year has been our time when Ransom is at school in the mornings. He is there for 3 hours and we enjoy our alone time together! Our current schedule is the two of us dropping him off and then heading to the park where you chill in the jogging stroller ( with Ellie and paci of course) and a snack, at the end of my runs I let you out of the stroller and you run along the park trails and enjoy the morning. We both get some good solid therapy from that hour! In fact, we noticed that during December when we were visiting family, you would get kind of grumpy and clinging from 9-10am every morning! All you really wanted was a snack and to sit in someones lap. I suppose its your replacement for the morning nap, and I will never complain about a slowed down cuddle time! ( most of the time I won't complain! hehe!).
The last 4 months we've been going to speech therapy two times a week. You were not very motivated to talk really at all, and while your daddy and I were not worried at all, you were just unmotivated enough that the pediatricians recommended speech therapy so we've taken good advantage of the free medical care from the military, yet again. This time it comes in the form of 30 minutes of fun undivided attention playing with toys and "talking" to your speech therapist "Miss Kelly". Her name is one of the first names outside of our immediate family that you've learned. If that says anything for the love that you hold for your times together.
The other name you learned quickly was "La-La" which stood for our neighbor "Miss Liz". She, who when we first met her had a prickly protective layer a mile thick, has melted under you and your brothers influence. I am not certain but I have a feeling that the way you run to her shouting La-La every day when she comes out to feed the neighborhood cats ( yup, she's that neighbor), is quite possibly the best part of her day. Tabitha, I hope that "La-La" is just one of many many people that you will bring light to in the years to come, and as you get older may that light that you share be the True and perfect Light of Christ.
Of course, you also bounded with Miss Liz because you too love cats. Your love runs very very deep when it comes to cats. All animals, really, but DEFINITELY cats. Which you call "meow-meow"s. You run at them with arms outstretched yelling "meow-meow"....for some reason they do not share your love for them in return, to your great despair and constant wonder. One of your favorite movies is most definitely the Aristocats ( which you, of course, call "meow-meow" but just like every other little girl of your generation, you love Frozen too.). Luckily you are incredibly chill and don't seem to mind too much when you end up having to watch Cars or Planes: Fire and Rescue with your brother instead. Your brother has a pretty heavy influence on you and your play.You love to wear his clothes, sometimes ALL his clothes at once ( ah-la Joey, which one day you'll get that reference)
One of your other favorite things to do is to color and draw, it looks like you're going to be left-handed, which brings your Mommy lots and lots of joy. Hold on to that one, daughter. What you SHOULDN'T keep up is the continual scribbling on Mommies prayer journals and bible. I'm way over that particular trait.
But, honestly, I treasure even your ill-placed scribbles and the way you dramatically cover your eyes and throw your head down when you get caught or get in trouble. I treasure all of you, my sweet daughter and I am grateful for every day with you. You are truly our gift from heaven and I hope that as your parents we are able to live up to the honor it is to know you and know your special story. A story that has already begun and which we know will only get better and better.
All my love, Mommy
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