Three Years

My Dearest Joslyn,

Just over a week ago you turned three years old.  This milestone has been probably the toughest for me to swallow because you make it known to us every day how grown up you have become.  It's hard to even refer to you as a toddler, as you are such an independent little girl through and through.  There are just so many things that you've accomplished and so many ways that you have changed over the past year.  This update will be quite the doozy I am sure, so bear with me while I do my best to write about them.  Here we go!

The past year has brought along many new things.  We took you on a big plane ride for a holiday in Banff last spring, you attended your first wedding in the summer, we saw the return of the Winnipeg Jets with which you proudly shout "GO JETS GO!" whenever there's mention of them.  You even recognize the jets logo and colors anywhere, as well as the sound of a hockey game playing on any TV in the house.  A die hard fan already is quite the endearing sight to see.  You have become completely potty trained and moved out of your crib and into your big girl bed (without bed rails even) and are completely in love with your big girl room.  You now swing on the big swings, do up all your own buttons and zippers, and you know how to spell and write your own name perfectly.  The letter S was the hardest of all, but you just recently mastered it and can be found writing your name on every piece of paper and craft you create.  It brings us such joy to see that beautiful name of yours adorning each and every project that comes home from daycare, so keep up the good work sweetheart.

Some of the things you've learned is your birth date "February ten", that you need to be 5 years old to go to school (which you talk about wanting to do all the time), and 16 to drive a car.  You know where to find our house and Marjorie's house on a map, and you know your address.  You have an amazing sense of direction when we're driving in the car, and remember points of interest all over the city.  You love to be chief helper whenever help is needed.  From helping the little kids at daycare, to shoveling with daddy, cleaning the house, and making cookies with mommy - you are always eager to lend a hand.  This also plays out in the absolute care and concern you always show for other people.  I've never seen anything like it.  When you and daddy bonk heads, even if you are hurting yourself, the first thing out of your mouth is always "are you okay daddy?".  When Abby falls down and hurts herself, you always ask her if she is alright.  We recently got together with Abby at her house and I took particular notice of this.  There were several times where Abby had fallen or hurt herself, and you were right by her side asking if she was alright and helping her up.  It made me so proud to see that the well being of your friends and family obviously mean the world to you.

Some things that you especially love are wrestling with daddy, giving mommy "emsiko" kisses, Tinkertown which you talk about all the time - even in snowy weather, the color pink, princess Aurora (because she's the princess with the pink dress of course), and tobogganing on the hill behind our house.  You often talk about being able to swim in your turtle pool when the snow melts, and you love doing puzzles - of which you've upgraded from the wooden peg puzzle variety to jigsaw puzzles.  You think giving zerberts/raspberries is just about the funniest thing ever and crack up wildly whenever you give one.  You also love to sing.  From commercials to Christmas carols, not-so-age-appropriate songs like "I'm sexy and I know it" (literally we heard you say those exact words a few weeks ago and were none too impressed - even the M&M commercial on TV plays that song now) to nursery rhymes, you are constantly singing.  Even when papa Rene and Marjorie are talking on the phone when you're at daycare, papa tells me how he laughs because he can always hear you singing in the background.

You are completely enamored with a Disney princess game that you got for Christmas and you love bribing us to play with you several times per day.  It's actually quite a fun game; a memory game that we thankfully enjoy playing as well.  However.  I don't know how you do it, but you somehow manage to beat us every single time.  Seriously.  All you need to do is see a piece one time, and you've memorized where it is for when the matching piece shows up.  It is amazing.

You have recently started calling us "Mom" and "Dad" which actually drives me a bit batty.  I think you are too young to call me anything but "Mommy" and so I am often trying to correct you into calling me the later.  When I hear you call me "Mom" I just picture a teenaged girl standing before me wanting to borrow the keys to my car.  I still hear 5 and 6 year olds call their mothers mommy, so I can't be all too out to lunch on this one.  Here's hoping I can nip this one in the bud.  A few other things to note is that you had your first dentist appointment about 4 months ago, that didn't quite go as well as we'd hoped.  You were really unsure of why some very nice stranger lady wanted you to open up your mouth, and so you just didn't.  Haha.  But you got to ride up and down on the fancy chair and even got to take home some stickers so that seemed to leave you in happy spirits.  Which is more than I can say for Santa Claus, whom was still the scariest man of all this year.  Can't say I can blame your actions on both accounts my belle.  Perhaps we'll have better luck next time.

This year you have come leaps and bounds in your swimming.  You've always been a little fish, but it was during your swimming lessons in the fall that really showed us how far you've come.  You are very independent in the water - even wanting us to let go of you so that you can swim by yourself, and jumping into the water full force.  Several times I was approached by other parents sitting pool side who wanted to know how old you were.  You just had so much fun and gave the class so much spirit it was cute to watch.  We also took you ice skating for the first time, and your favorite day ever was the day daddy took you out skiing.  Your ability and again your independence just blew us away.  And then there's dance class.  Oh you love dance alright, but I'm not exactly sure how seriously you take it.  I wonder if it goes a little too slow for your liking because you have been known to find other things to occupy your time when class drags on in parts.  Things like putting your tutu around your neck and in such fashion making up your own dance for the (hysterically laughing) parents, to engaging in private conversations with Abby and giggling loudly during class.  We've even had to leave class early due to your stubbornness in not wanting to listen to the teacher.  It will be interesting to see how you act in school situations years from now.

The way you communicate is something else that has changed significantly this year.  You speak so clearly and have full blown conversations with us now.  We hear funny things like "Uh oh, Daddy's not going to be impressed" and "can you help me with this please? I am having issues with it" which just make us crack up.  You have a few words that you pronounce incorrectly but I never want to correct you on them because it's just so cute to hear.  For example, your dance teacher Stephanie is "Snefani", your favorite sandwiches are "Peter and Jam", you always want to do things "beside yourself" (by yourself) and the good fairies in Sleeping Beauty are "Hauna, Fauna, and Merryweather".  The word "poopie" is just about the funniest word on the planet and will make you laugh that infectious hearty laugh of yours every time you hear it.  With every photo session you have, your father and I can be found frantically shouting "poopie" in the background to get that perfect smile.  It's truly a proud moment for us.  Really.  lol.

You love wearing dresses at all times.  Dresses to daycare and princess dresses at home.  But the one dress you always ask to wear is the "bunny dress" that we picked up at Kmart in Grand Forks last year for about $3 dollars.  It's cotton, it shrunk significantly the first time I washed it, it's faded, and just not all that nice looking. But that cracks me up because of all the nice dresses we buy for you, you pick the one that is by far my least favorite and request to wear it ALL the time.  Who knew?!

 You also love your bedtime stories.  We read 2 books at bedtime every night, but what's new to us is how quickly you memorize the stories and are able to recite them back to us.  You have completely memorized books like Strawberry Shortcake's Spooky Night, The Paper Bag Princess, Corduroy's Christmas, Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin, and Fancy Nancy.  When we read your books to you, we make up all sorts of voices for the characters.  Then when you read them it's the cutest thing ever to hear you make the same voices back to us.

So this three year update came a little late.  Probably later than any other update before it.  But that has a lot to do with the time of year it is.  We are expecting your sibling to arrive any day now and have been tackling last minute preparations for his/her arrival.  You are very excited about becoming a big sister and speak about it all the time.  You tell us how you're going to show the baby all of your toys, how your first choice in baby names is Cinderella, and that you think "we will all go see a dentist who will help take the baby out of mommy's tummy".  (Is that what you thought they were trying to do to you when you had your first visit??).  You say you think the baby is a "brother just like Abby has", but after further explanation that a brother is a boy you quickly receded that guess saying "no I don't like boys, it's a girl".  I am nervous and a little sad that you will no longer be the only child in our lives.  I hope that in the next few years, in your your little person mind and understandings, that you don't feel like you've been replaced or that we love you any less.  My goal is to always make it clear that we have more than enough love for both you and your sibling and that we love you equally and unconditionally.  You are so very special Joslyn.  You will always be special and will always be my little girl.  Forever and ever.

Love,
Your Mama Bear

Two Years

My Dearest Joslyn,

Today is a very special day my dear.  It’s your second birthday!  We cannot believe the little girl who stole our hearts in what seems like just yesterday, has turned two whole years old.  The time has gone so quickly, which I believe to be a testament to all the fun we’ve been having along the way.  We have done our absolute best to spend the utmost quality time with you when we are together, and showing you all the great things the world has to offer (your favorite of which is Tinkertown, as in these frigid winter months you still talk of visiting there on a weekly basis).  Keeping your body active, your mind engaged, and showering you with love and affection have been our main goals for you.  We hope that we’ve done as good a job as possible, and that you feel fulfilled and happy always.  We are so proud of the little girl you have become.

You have a few favorite pastimes that you really love to do.  You love to read stories.  Which isn’t much of a change from the way it’s always been, but now you love to “read” them to us.  You will flip the pages and make up your own stories to go along with the pictures.  You also have many of your favorite books memorized so you know just what the pages say.  It is quite hilarious as we listen along trying to keep a straight face, because we don’t want you to feel intimidated in sharing these great stories with us.  As for the story book pages you haven’t memorized we hear things like “here comes the big bad woof!” which is ironically what I used to call him when I was your age.  You also tell us how “Thumper is eating grass” and “Ernie’s sitting on his blue potty”, neither of which have anything to do with the written words but my lord is it ever cute how you make it up as you go.

You also LOVE to sing.  I repeat.  You LOVE to sing.  I’m pretty sure you know every nursery rhyme ever made, and you’ll even do your best to sing along with Mommy when I’m belting out the tunes on Power 97.  Your favorite right now is “On my foot there is a flea” and you laugh hysterically at the part where we hit your foot and say “take that you flea!”  You can recite the entire alphabet song, and you sing “the wheels on the bus go open and shut” which cracks me up.  Over Christmas you especially loved Jingle Bell Rock, Dominic the Donkey, and I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.  I can’t tell you how glad we are that Christmas is over until next year when I’m sure you’ll be asking us to replay these songs over until we want to puke.  Again.  Oh the things we do for the sake of our little girls happiness.

You have found an interest in TV over the past couple of months, which we haven’t really seen in you before.  Your favorite show is Barney and this is the part in the update where I tell you how much I truly, and I mean truly, love you.  Because that Mr. Barney and I go way back, and its an unfortunate thing.  You see he was your Auntie Rihana’s favorite character on television when she was your age (thank goodness Grammie has long since thrown out the Halloween costume), and so I had to watch a lot of his shows back then.  In fact, I’d say I probably watched all of them.  Fifty times over or so.  I was pretty sure that if I ever had to watch another episode of Barney in this lifetime, I’d grab the first unsuspecting Barbie doll in sight and poke my eyes out with her feet.  Who knew that Barney would have lived as long as he has anyway?  Damn dinosaurs.

You’ve also really taken to the characters from Toy Story lately.  You haven’t seen the movie but Marjorie has a bunch of the dolls from the show and she has told you who each of them are.  You are always talking about “Buzz Lightyear” and “Jessie” and you refer to the cowboy character Woody as “Hee-Haw” which is really cute.   You also know all the characters from Sesame Street and thanks to your mommys influence, and the DVD’s we have, the story books and clothing line, you really love Sesame Street!  (This makes up for the Barney debacle).  You know exactly who Oscar the grouch, Zoe, Elmo, Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, the Count, Cookie Monster, Grover and Abby Cadabby are.  My Little Ponies are also a big hit at home too and you have many of their toys and accessories to keep your attention.

Some developments that have taken place since my last update are that you’ve learned all of your colors:  Black, Brown, Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Yellow, White, Pink, and Purple.  When asked what your favorite color is, you always answer with Pink.  You can count to ten.  You have also learned all of your shapes:  Oval, Square, Rectangle, Heart, Diamond, Circle, and Triangle.  You can recite the letters that spell your name and you are becoming increasingly persistent on sitting in a big chair without your booster seat.  We’ve also seen the recent addition of writing and eating with your left hand as well as your usual right hand, and we are wondering if you will become ambidextrous.  That would be neat!  You know the last names of all the daycare kids, including Marjorie's last name and you will call them by their full names often.  The funny thing is that you know all of their last names before they've had a chance to learn them.  You have been going around saying "my name is Joslyn Moisey" for so long now, that they just assume Moisey is their last name too.  To this day they call themselves "Abby Moisey" and "Ashley Moisey" (to name a few) and you are the only one who refers to them by their correct full name (and their last names are not easy to say.  Even the French one that you somehow pronounce perfectly).

You have also been showing signs of independence which had led me to believe that you turned 2 several weeks ago.  You have always been great at saying please and thank you, but lately you have been demanding that you "do it by myself” or that you “had it first mommy!” and have become somewhat territorial with your toys and other belongings when others are near.  It's something we think you’ve picked up from the older girls at daycare, and as a result we are currently working on sharing your belongings and enforcing that you must wait your turn.  Oy vey!  Let’s hope those ‘twos’ aren’t as terrible as people say they are.

You love to wear dresses and tights.  You have a thing for your “fancy boots” as you call them and try to put them on all the time.  Daddy has one heck of a time fighting with you in the morning to put on your warm winter boots instead.  It’s a good thing we included them in your two year birthday photos because we sure wouldn’t want to forget about that little love of yours.  Your favorite toys are your leap frog “puter” which you’ll pull out the second mommy goes on her computer at the kitchen table.  You’ll say “where’s my puter?!” wanting to be just like mommy and will run and get it.  You also love the big kitchen we bought you for Christmas this year, as well as your leap frog stuffed dog named Violet.  Daddy has programmed Violet to say your name, and sing the songs you like to sing, and to like the things that you like.  For example Violets favorite animal is a Hippopotamus, her favorite food is pancakes, her favorite color is pink, and her favorite song is the alphabet song – which you love to sing with her.  She has become your best friend around the house (aside from Nikki) and you save a spot in your crib for her every single night.  Speaking of Nikki, you are always taking care of her for us.  You love to feed her treats from the pantry and leave treats in her kennel downstairs as well.  She sure loves having you around, but her vet gave us quite the lashing for the unexplained weight gain at her last check-up.  Oops!

You are incredibly attached to your father and I right now, and you get very upset if either one of us is missing at any given moment.  You seem to be especially attached to me and it seems I can never leave your sight right now.  Ever.  Which is okay because as much as I want you to be independent in the things you do, you are also still very young and I want you to know that I will always be here for you.  On Sunday afternoon we dropped your daddy off at a Superbowl party and you were very upset to learn that he wasn’t coming home with us.  You will always ask for us when one is missing, which I think is so endearing.  You’re our special little girl and we are happy to know that you love and appreciate the presence of both your father and I.  You have a favorite funny word right now that you like to repeat all the time.  It’s the word "Boobie".  You will full on guttural laugh whenever you say the word or when you hear someone else say it.  We have come to the conclusion that you have no idea what it means, but I think that because we are failing miserably at stifling our laughter, you have realized that it is a funny word.  To us and in the way it sounds.  So you laugh because it’s just what we do.  It’s very cute.  You are also completely intrigued with anything that has to do with skiing.  You love to wear your little ski boots around the house, and you get so excited when we take you to the "ski hill" to watch us race.  We can't wait to get you on your own set of skis.  Daddy has said that he may try you on them in March when the weather is warmer.  "Racer ready?!  GO!"

Tonight we are making a special birthday dinner consisting of all your favorite foods.  (It’s a good thing we didn’t start this tradition last year as we’d be feasting on pureed butternut squash and prunes!).  The menu includes chocolate chip cookies, meatballs & mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and yogurt.  Yummy!  You also had a special little party with your daycare friends today.  Mommy sent party hats, a special cake, and handmade sesame street chocolates for everyone.  You also wore a special ‘birthday girl’ t-shirt and Marjorie took some pictures of the festivities for us.

 

You have turned my life upside down and filled it with love these past two years sweetheart.  It is mind blowing to think that it’s even been two years when it seems like such a short time ago I was holding your whole little self in the crook of my arm.  You are growing and changing so quickly.  Not a baby anymore, but officially a toddler.  I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next.

Mommy loves you so, so much.  Up to the sky and down the ground!

Love,

Your Mama Bear

Eighteen Months

My Dearest Joslyn,

Today you are 18 months old and now more than ever we have really seen a lot of changes in you over a short period of time. In the past few months you have developed in so many ways and it is really nice for us to see. Your vocabulary, your attention span, and your understanding of the goings on around you are amazing. One and a half years seems like a good age to give you an update, so here we go!


You have always been drawn to your books. While you sure have your fair share of running and playing, you have also always loved to sit on your own or with us and go through your books. From even as young as 6 months of age. Well the latest thing you've taken a great interest in is puzzles. You will keep your attention focused on a puzzle until it is complete. You know how to twist and turn the pieces, moving them ever so slowly across the board in order to get them to fit. That just amazes me!


We also can't help but notice how lately you've been trying your best to outsmart us. lol. We see you go after something that you know you're not supposed to have (like the remote control) all the while keeping one eye on us and one eye on the prize. Wondering if we're watching you so that you can essentially go in for the kill. You've also pulled out the fake cry when you want our attention and have taken a few stabs at whining too. Those things don't go over too well with us, but it's pretty funny to watch you try anyway. The other night we were eating dinner and you started banging on the table with your hand. We told you to stop and that 'we don't hit . . .', but you continued to do it to a lesser degree all the while watching us sheepishly for a reaction. I'm telling you Joslyn, it is so hard not to laugh in situations like these where you're testing the limits.


Another time you tried to outsmart us was when we recently gave you a time out. A bit of background on how your time outs work is that we always put you on your bum in your time out place, and if you try to get up we will tell you to remain 'on your bum'. Then we go about our business while keeping one corner of our eye on you during this time. Well wouldn't you know it, on this particular occurrence you started scooting yourself (on your bum) into the living room where we were sitting. We could see what you were doing the entire time and found it extremely difficult to control our laughter. It. was. hilarious. You very obviously knew that you were in trouble for something which was why you were placed in a time out. You also knew that you had to stay 'on your bum', but this time you figured if there were a way to move throughout the house while remaining on your bum and not getting caught . . . you might just be up for the next lotto 649! The best part of this was when we'd turn our heads to look at you, you'd stop dead in your tracks. As if to say you had been doing nothing wrong. To think we wouldn't have noticed you until you'd magically appeared in the middle of our living room. That is hilarious little one. I'd just like to know how a parent is to keep a straight face?! lol. Ugh, smart girl!


You have been talking non-stop the past few months sweetheart. You now reiterate pretty much anything and everything we say and you are able to complete short sentences. From things like "blueberries" (which sounds more like "boobies" - you should see the looks you get when you shout it as loud as you can at the grocery store) and the name of your little boyfriend "Isaiah" at daycare (which you pronounce per-fect-ly), to "one, two, three, seven, ten" (we'll work on that) and "ready, set, go!". You're like a little sponge, repeating darn near every word you hear. It's a good thing mommy has kept her trucker mouth at bay because we have yet to hear you say anything undesirable. Your dad is convinced that you're just waiting with baited breath to whip one out on us at the most opportune time. Lord help us, lol.


There are a few children at daycare who aren't quite as verbal and so Marjorie has shown all you kids how to use sign language for certain key words. Since you are able to say the words too you will not only say it but also sign it at the same time. (If that isn't one way to drive home your requests, lol). If you want milk you say "milk" and will do the sign for it. Same with "more" and "please" and "thank you".


You know the sounds that all the animals make; dog, cat, cow, duck, sheep, bird, rooster, horse, lion, and crow. I painted your little toes for the first time this month to which you couldn't stop admiring. Thanks to Marjorie you have mastered the art of drinking from a cup so there have been no more sippy cups or bottles for quite some time now - (insert tears of outgrown baby status here). You love to water the flowers outside with your watering can. You know how to clean up all your toys and put things back where they belong - dirty clothes in the hamper, blankie stays in your crib, turn off the light when leaving your room, shoes go on one shelf, and books on another. We've had so much fun together this summer. We've gone to a few different beaches, lots of parks & playgrounds, Tinkertown, the splash park, Harbour View, and many many "siiiiiiims" (swims) at Grammy & Papa's.


You spent your very first night away from home last month, and it really couldn't have come soon enough for us. While we love to spend all the time with you we can, it's also important for you to have time at your grandparents' place just like mommy and daddy did when we were little. This is how bonds are formed and special memories created. Your great-grandparents hold a very special place in our hearts because of the time we spent with them and we only want the same great things for you sweetie. You spent your evening at Grammy and Papa's and from what we hear you all had a fabulous time together! (As did we at dinner and a movie). As I write this, we are also in the process of moving to a new home. We have found something that we think is perfect for our little family and we anticipate many happy times will be shared in this home in the future. So strap on those cute pink jelly shoes of yours sweetheart because we're a Moisey-ing on! :-) (lol. I know, I know).

 
Some adorable new things you've been doing as of late are walking on your tippy toes, climbing yourself up into your highchair, saying "thank you" for just about everything, and "bless you" for sneezes, thinking the 'scratch and sniff' stickers on one of your board books really means 'sniff and lick', saying your name like "Josh-inn!", riding on the canister of the vacuum, exploring your potty and having many successes under your belt, giving and blowing kisses, pointing out every "baby" within a 3 mile radius, saying "yes" you want a time out as soon as we try to threaten you with one - can you say "backfire" too my dear?, and blowing bubbles while trying to lick the wand at the same time.

 
It is just crazy to think of how much we love you peanut. Happy 18 months!

Love,
Your Mama Bear

Twelve Months

My Dearest Joslyn,

Today you are one. One whole glorious year old. Since the day you entered the world you have given us so much to be thankful for. As humbling as it is, this past year with you has been one incredible gift after another. We love you Joslyn more than words could ever express. Always.


This past month has been a bitter sweet one. Spending time with you is my most favorite thing in the world, and we've had a lot of it this month. But it has also come with some sadness. The countdown of my return to work has been a constant run on my mind. Knowing that I am one month, one week, and now days away from going back has me completely terrified. To think of living my days away from my sweetheart is a very unsettling feeling to say the least. But one thing I know in my heart is that you will be okay and you will flourish in your new environment. You will kick some major daycare tookus my dear. Because that's the kind of thing us Moisey's like to do!


Over the past month we have strategically worked you into Marjories home. You and I have had play dates there together, lunch there together, a few hours there by yourself, slept there through nap times, and up to full days a few times per week. You are happy, healthy, well engaged, safe, and most importantly loved at Marjories. Abby has become your new little friend at daycare. She is one month older than you and she adores you! From the moment you enter the room she showers you with hugs and smiles. We're delighted to see how well you've adapted to these new surroundings and circumstances. We couldn't be happier with the new friendships you've made.


You have a new obsession this month. It's a problem really. It's the phone. You are constantly after the phone in our bedroom which to your convenience is situated within arms reach. If we've left the door to our bedroom open, we always know where to find you. Sitting happier than a pig in poop, playing with your new favorite "toy". We've even been witness to Nikki being bowled over in order to get to it. You pick up the phone, fling it onto your shooulder (not up to your ear) and say "HELLO!" Over. and over. and over again. You seem to want to hear someone's voice on the other end, but on the few instances where I've put you on a call with your father from work, you become as quiet as a mouse. It's so cute to see you're reaction. 'Someone's talking to me!' 'Someone's really talking to me!' You love to press the buttons on the phone, which leaves me with some fear that a future phone bill will soon show outbound charges to China! Oh heavens, I hope not.


Another saying you've picked up this month is "Hi Nikki!". Your dad has always had a habit of calling out "Hi Nikki" as soon as we return home from somewhere. To announce our arrival to Nikki who has been left waiting for us. And now you do it too! It never fails. Every time we come in the house, you should "Hi Nikki!" and go off looking for her. You've also really started playing with Nikki this month. You chase her around the house, laughing hysterically all the while. It leaves us in stitches, and we know Nikki loves the attention you give her sweetheart. (Most of the time). ;-)


We took you with us on a little 4 day vacation to a cabin we rented. It was a beautiful timber framed cabin out on the lake near Grand Beach. We had a lot of fun reading, relaxing, sun setting, dancing, hot tubbing, snuggling, sleigh riding, fire building, and you especially loved running all over the cabin. With all the space it had, we found it difficult to keep you confined to one area. It was a long weekend we really enjoyed as a family. Just the 3 of us, without any outside influences like computers or phones to keep our attention away from each other. It was fabulous!


A few new things this month include your ear piercing on January 25th. You did extremely well sweetie, not even feeling one of the piercings (thanks to a little Emla cream), and we've been twisting and turning the days away since then. One of the reasons we felt it important to have your ears done now is so that I would be home to properly look after them for you, cleaning and turning them a few times per day and without much notice from you at all. Mission Accomplished!


You have also learned how to walk backwards this month, how to jump up and down, how to play catch with a ball, and you love to throw yourself into your toy box to reach the toys at the very back of the box. You insist on eating any and all food from our dinner plates, you love to tackle your dad when he's lying on the floor, and thanks to Marjorie you've discovered a new love of Kraft dinner. You also love to play tea party and know how to make pretend sipping noises with your cup. You will also share your cup with me and wait for my sipping sounds. I mentioned to your dad that in a very short time, I see him sitting at your tiny childrens table and chair set, sipping tea with your dollies, as he sits dressed in fine jewels, white gloves, and tiaras. His response? He's looking forward to it. Almost as much as I am.


The theme for your first birthday is Care Bears. We had a birthday party for you on Saturday with daddy's side of the family, and we'll be having another party for you this Saturday with mommy's side. Two parties sure is a lot for such a little girl! But you only turn 1 once, and we thought it might be difficult to fit everyone into our home comfortably in one party. Lucky for you! I picked Care Bears this year for a few reasons. One, they are just so darn cute (especially the older style 80's care bears), and secondly because we just generally love bears around here.


Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining and it is very warm for February. A perfect day to celebrate your very first birthday. With it being a Wednesday, your dad has taken the day off and we have set our sights on skating on the river at The Forks. (We'll handle the skating part, you can just sit back and enjoy the ride from your sleigh. I mean, what are birthdays for anyway?!) We will also spend some time with Auntie Rihana today, and enjoy a nice chicken dinner which is slowly cooking away in the crock pot at this very moment. Then maybe a little cake and a few presents.


Today is your day. Thank you for the single most amazing 12 months of my life. We are so proud of everything you are and everything you do. One sure looks good on ya baby!

Love,
Your Mama Bear

Eleven Months

My Dearest Joslyn,

The past month with you has been an extra special one for a few reasons. The first one being the celebration of your very first Christmas with us. In case you're reading this and haven't already figured it out, your mama LOVES Christmas. It is the be all and end all of special holidays for me, and it just got about a thousand times better having celebrated it with you this year. As if there isn't already enough to be thankful for, we are eternally grateful to have you with us.


Christmas day was perfect. You gave your daddy and I the best gift of all. You slept in until 10:30. That's right . . . ten-thirty! It gave your dad and I the opportunity to wake up, pour ourselves a coffee, start breakfast, open some gifts that we'd picked out for each other, and enjoy a few hours of quiet time. It was the perfect start to our day, and so we can't thank you enough. The best part about this however was the fact that as soon as you got up, we were prepared to make the rest of our morning all about you!


We weren't too sure exactly how much you'd be into Christmas this year, being as young as you are and all. But you completely surprised us. Presents were a lot of fun. More so for the wrapping and boxes than anything else, as your favorite part was ripping the paper off piece by piece. With each rip of the paper, you'd let out a big "WOW!" as if what you'd just done was the most thrilling thing in the world. It gave us as first-time parents the opportunity to see Christmas through a new set of eyes. We really took notice of the little things that perhaps we wouldn't normally see, and only because you'd brought them to our attention. You took to Christmas like a real trooper. There were a lot of late nights, a lot of family in mega-stuffed rooms, and some not-too-familiar faces popping up to see you. But guess what? That's what makes Christmas so special. The bringing of loved ones together to give thanks, and honey we are truly blessed by all that we get to experience with our loved ones during the holidays.


A few of your favorite gifts were 2 baby dolls you'd received. The first of many I am sure. We honestly didn't think you'd know what to do with dolls just yet, figuring you were a little too young for them, but your reaction was just amazing. Right from the first moment you laid your hands on them, you put them over your shoulder. Rocking them. Cuddling them. Kissing them. Swaying back and forth while saying "AWE ...". I'm not sure where you've learned this, other than seeing how we are towards you, but it is quite amazing that you knew just what to do with them! A little mommy at heart we see.


You have found a great love this month of imitating everything and anything we say or do. You follow us around the house watching our every move. If we stomp the floor, you stomp the floor. If we make a kissing noise, you make a kissing noise. If we cluck our tongues, you cluck your tongue too. If we say something, you repeat it to the best of your ability with the same number of syllables. Interesting! As a result of this, you and I have developed our own little way of carrying on a conversation. One where I think you really believe we are communicating with each other. It starts by either you or I saying a word that only has one syllable. It then continues going back and forth between us, saying another word that sounds just like the last. It goes something like this:

Mommy - "Up"
Joslyn - "Dup"
Mommy - "Hop"
Joslyn - "Dop"
Mommy - "Hip"
Joslyn - "Kip"

. . . and so on. These little one syllable conversations could go on forever. You just love trying to repeat something you've heard. It's really very cute.


A few other things we've discovered this month is that you love to be sung to in the car. By that I don't mean throwing on one of the several Sesame Street CD's we have for you to listen to. No. I mean you want US to sing to you! Can you imagine?! All I can say Joslyn is this. It is reeeally bad. Especially your father. (sorry honey) It would be one thing if we either A) didn't know all of the words, B) sang completely out of tune, or C) had zero timing & rhythm, but unfortunately for you my dear, we are clearly D) all of the above. My guess is that the reason our singing keeps you quiet is because you're trying to figure out how we've just run over a pack of squirrels for the thousandth time in our car. It's just us sweetheart, and I'm sorry. :-(


On January 9th we had you Baptized. We hadn't intended to wait as long as we did to have it done, but we were just having way too much fun with you that time slipped away from us in a heartbeat. It was important to your father and I for you to be Baptized, so we are very glad it's now been done. This month you have really started clapping your hands. If someone says anything remotely close to "Yay!", you start to clap. Your favorite word is "WOW!" but you also said "All done" a bunch of times this month. You have a new obsession with rearranging the kitchen furniture. You love to push the chairs around the kitchen, and to also push your highchair back to its spot against the wall once you're done eating.


I can't believe that the next letter I'll be writing to you will be for your first birthday. Sometimes I look at you in awe, turn to your father and say "I grew her". "I. GREW. her". I just can't believe how far you've come and how much you've grown, and in such a short about of time. No longer the little baby, now with your own "babies", you're turning into a little girl. One that I just couldn't be more proud of.

Love,
Your Mama Bear