21 Months Old

Dear Eva Kate,

You turned 21 months old on Saturday! It's getting a bit silly to count your age in months but we will keep it up until you turn 2. This is your last update letter until your birthday in 3 months. You are growing and changing so much these days, I wanted to be sure to write down everything so I can remember and tell you all about it years from now. Already when I look back at your previous letters I read about things I had completely forgotten. My mama brain is too busy keeping up with you to remember things like when you started talking or getting teeth. 

Length: 31inches
Weight:  21 pounds
My tiny girl keeps getting bigger. We didn't have a doctor's checkup this month so these are approximate. You were sick a while back and had gotten back down to 20 lbs but I think we've fed you enough since then to help you put another pound on according to our scale at home. Every time I look at you, especially running around in your diaper, you look so tall and kid-like. Your legs look too long to be baby legs :) I guess you have exactly the right legs you need to run around all day! You wear 12-18 month clothes, a size 5 shoe, and a size 3 diaper (we're getting ready to start potty-training over the summer).

Lately your vocabulary is exploding! You try to say new words all the time and I know you understand what you are trying to say. Lots of these words might be mostly understood by me but I can tell exactly what you are wanting to say. You don't usually put words together yet unless it's a common phrase like "thank you" or "here you go." I love hearing you talk to me. Some of my favorite words to hear you say lately are "markers" "cookie" and "slide" - it is so awesome to realize how much you are learning! You also understand so much of what we tell you and are great at following directions. The other day we were getting ready to go somewhere and I turned to you and asked you to go into my bedroom and turn off my radio and you did exactly that! I know I'm your mother, but I'm pretty sure you are the smartest toddler ever :) 

When we go out together people often comment on your personality, referring to you as a "fireball" or "high energy" little girl. That's definitely true. Daddy says you are passionate like me. I say you are active and athletic like him. With that combination you know what you want and are fearless to try to achieve that. You are a master climber. You run fast, VERY fast. You want to explore everything. Eva, I want you to know that I pray all the time that God would help me to be the type of mama you need me to be. My natural instinct would be to protect you and to keep you more calm and quiet...but I want your personality to shine the way God created you to be! I know you will get more bumps and bruises. I know I will have more momentary flashes of worry for you but it's okay for you to be more fearless than me. I will always be trying to keep you safe, but I want you to be yourself as much as you can.

You are extremely social. You love to see your friends and family and know the names of all the people we see frequently. You adore your grandparents and never want to say goodbye to them. You give hugs and kisses to us all day long. 

Your eating habits have become more typical for a toddler. You will like a food one day and refuse it the next. You mostly eat tons of fruit, some veggies, cheese, turkey, and bread. There are other foods that get mixed in often but those are your go-to-favorites. You don't seem to eat meat often. Meal time has become an opportunity to work on manners with you as you tend to want to throw food on the floor. You are drinking some milk from a cup since we stopped nursing 2 months ago but mostly prefer ice water. You love cookies but don't get them very often and will try to swipe pinches of any sweet treat you can reach off a table when we go to parties. 

You usually sleep from 8:30 PM - 8:30 AM right now since it doesn't get dark until later and we've had more things keeping us out later. Every once in a while you will fall asleep in my arms when I rock you, although usually we hear you bouncing up and down and playing in your crib after we put you down. I think you've generally shortened your nap from 3 hours down to 2 hours and the past few days you have refused to nap at all - let's stop that pattern, okay? You definitely still need a good nap to be a happy girl until bedtime. You sleep with your baby doll, your softest blanket, a pillow, your sippy cup of water, and one binky. Oh how you love that binky. You only get to use it when you sleep and I already know it will be so sad to say goodbye to it one day.

I've noticed a few other favorites developing the past month....
Favorite color: purple
Favorite animal: gorilla or dog
Favorite book: your toddler Bible (you love the Noah's ark story) and Barney's 12 Days of Christmas
Favorite show: Elmo (not all of Sesame Street, just the part with Elmo)
Favorite food: goldfish crackers
Favorite song: a little prayer song that I learned in preschool and If You're Happy and You Know It
Favorite music: Raffi
Favorite thing to play: coloring with color-wonder markers

I really love the toddler version of you. I like to watch you play and notice all the little things that make you unique. You make me laugh and smile. You are such a blessing to Daddy and me!

love, Mama