Hhhmmm?

Dear Zoe,

Sometimes, when I ask you a question, you will look at me and say "actually" and then press your pointer finger to your lips and say "hhhmmm". Sometimes that is your whole answer... and sometimes you will give a "real" answer.

Where in the world did that come from?

You make me giggle.
Mommy

Night and Day, I Love You, Too

Dear Zoe,

Today was a bit of a rough day. Not odd... you're a toddler. You had moments of wonderful behavior and moments of meltdowns.

An example...

When we went to dance class at the YMCA you walked all by yourself, like such a big girl. You held your umbrella for the rain and walked right next to me all the way to the door.

When we left dance class you were a different child. You dilly dallied down the sidewalk. You stopped right in the middle of the parking lot. I had to drag you kicking and screaming to the car. You cried and kicked all the way home.

Night and day.

Sometimes it's hard to ride the roller coaster with you. It makes for long days.

But then tonight... tired and ready for bed... with no coaxing from me... you came over to me, hugged my lap and announced "I love you Mommy. I love you." And each time I would answer "I love you Zoe" you would respond with another "I love you Mommy".

What a way to end the day.

I love you Zoe!
Mommy

Cousins

Dear Zoe,

Right now you have 4 cousins: Larisa is 5, Avery is 4, Alex is 3, and Nina is 6 months. You have had your very own version of each of their names. Not one of them was "correct" for you in the beginning.

Larisa = Issa
Avery = Wavery
Alex = Ax
Nina = Eena

You corrected yourself on Alex a couple months ago and now actually say Alex. Issa turned into Risa just a couple weeks ago. And just yesterday you said "Nina" for the first time. Just another way your language skills are growing!

In January we will be adding a new cousin to the list. Can't wait to hear what your version of the new baby's name will be!

Love, Mommy

More Words

Dear Zoe,

More and more words. You use full sentences now (sometimes). You answer "yes" and "no" and mean it (usually). I can go through a list of snacks and you can tell me which one you want. You can ask for a specific book you want to be read. There are still times you struggle with getting your point across... times when we frustrate you by not quite understanding... but we're getting there.

Some of your new interesting words (and some that have been sticking around)...

Noodle = nuddle (like puddle)
Butterfly = bu-fly
Mickey Mouse = E Mouse
Kitty cat = E cat
Robot = oo bot

You also have a few things you say that you've kind of worked out as your way to say things. Like when you want to be picked up and carried you will say "carry you?" and reach your arms up. I think you just picked this up since I will ask you if you want me to carry you. Before I pick you up to do the stairs, or walk across the grass I will ask "Should I carry you?" I think you just figure the process is called "carry you" because it's what you say every time.

You've also started saying "my try?" I think it's a combination of "my turn" and "can I try?" You use it exactly for those things. If you want a turn on a swing... "my try?" If we're eating something and you want some.... "my try?" If we're using a pen and you want to write..."my try?" If I'm drinking ice coffee and you want a sip..."my try?" And, it it's something you can't really have a turn with (like scissors) you get quite angry and repeat over and over "my try, my try, my try?"

You have also claimed the outside. You will bang on the door and yell "my outside!" Usually it means you want to go outside... or you're upset that we've made you come inside before you were ready. It seems you like to make sure everything is yours.

You've also really started copying everything we say quickly. The other day Mommy got her new Harry Potter book in the mail. I showed Daddy and said "Isn't it just so exciting?" You've been saying "o exciting" at random times now. You also picked up the word "amazing" although I'm not sure when we said it. And I've heard you say "cute" and "cool" a few times.

We really have to watch what we say around you now... you're like a little sponge, absorbing every little word. It is so exciting to see you learning new things every day. We can't wait to hear what you say next!

Love, Mommy

More Words

Dear Zoe,

Daddy and I are now jotting down words and things on a notepad on the fridge whenever something strikes us... or when we remember something you've done in the past. It is just so fun to experience new things with you.

When something has been too hard for you to pick up you've always made sure to show us how you struggle. Exaggerating your lift and grunting, even if you were only pretending to try so hard. Now you've added the word heavy... only you say "heaby". You'll pull and pull, then look at us and just say "oh, heaby" and keep trying until we help.

Along with "heaby" you also learned to say "reach it". You do your same struggle... but with arms in the sky. Usually it's about something on a high shelf, or the kitchen counter. Anything too high for you to get. You just stretch and stretch and finally say "reach it, reach it". I have a very hard time not giving you something when you make such an effort. Luckily it's usually something of yours that you want.

Grammy recently gave you some stickers. Oh were they fun. You were so excited and told everyone who would listen "my stee-kahs". Now I just love to give you sheets of stickers so I can hear you say "yeah, stee-kahs!"

A favorite "game" of yours has been to pretend to sleep. The first time you did it you were on Daddy's and my bed. You put your head on the pillow, motioned for help with the covers, looked at me and said "sleepies" and closed your eyes and started to snore. It was so funny. It made you giggle so much when I did "sleepies" with you. Since that first time it has become a rather regular game. Sometimes on our bed, sometimes on the couch with a pillow and blanket. Sometimes in random places. Always you will announce "sleepies" and then close your eyes and snore. You also expect us to join you. We have to lay down, pull up the covers, close our eyes, and snore. At that point you'll always yell "ee up Mommy!" or "ee up Daddy!" Your version of "get up!"

The newest thing you do to me is ask if you should eat something. You'll hold up whatever it is and ask "Eat it?" And then you wait for my response. Usually whatever you find is food. Something you've had for snack. A cheerio, a golf fish, a piece of cracker. You're pretty good about responding to my answer too. I'll say "yes" if it's something you just ate... and you pop it in your mouth. I'll say "no" if I have no idea how old or where something came from. When I say "no" I'll usually offer you something else and you accept it as a fair trade. Occasionally you're not too happy about giving something up though. The most recent "eat it?" upset was a boogie (eeww). Finger in the nose, boogie out. You looked at it, looked at me and asked "eat it?" I guess you expected a "yes"... because when I said "no" and took it with a tissue you had a regular meltdown. I have to say, I was quite impressed that at 23 months old you thought to ask before just popping it in your mouth (again, eeww)!

Love you bunches,
Mommy

Commands

Dear Zoe,

Sometimes you are a very demanding little girl. I'm sure one day soon we will mind that you think you can tell us what to do. But, for now, it's kind of entertaining.

You especially like to tell us when and where to sit down. The very first time you did this was in church. We were all standing up, but I sat you down on the pew. (You're getting very heavy!) You pulled at me, then patted the bench and said as clear as day "sit down, Mommy, sit down, Mommy". Since then you let everyone know when you'd like them to sit by you. It's something you say very clearly. No one questions what you are saying. You put great emphasis on each word.

You also have picked up saying "come on". When we go somewhere and you are walking, I will usually try to keep you moving by saying "come on Zoe, come on". Now you say that to everyone and everything you want to come your way. (And, as you say it you use this sweeping arm motion. So funny.) We've heard "come on Mommy" and "come on Daddy" numerous times. I know Grammy has gotten it quite a bit too. My favorite though, is when you use it on things. "Come on, boo-yeahs" (when the wind is blowing bubbles away from you). "Come on, bee" (when the carpenter bees are at the roof line). "Come on, kitty" when the neighbors cat is across the street. "Come on, baby" when you're ready to take your dolly up for a snooze. Who could say no when you say "come on"?

Hopefully as you get older your "commands" will remain as sweet!

Love,
Mommy

Words

Dear Zoe,

Part of the reason to start these letters was to remind you (and ourselves) of some of the cute ways you said different words. It will be difficult to write them down in the way you pronounce them... but I'll do my best. Every day you say new things... some very clearly, and others in your own way that we have to decipher.

When you first starting saying "Mommy" it sounded very similar but with "nn" for the "mm".
Mommy = Monny

For "Daddy"... it was similar... "b" was in place of "d".
Daddy = Boddy or Bobby

"Where are you?" always sounds like one big word. It has slowly become more clear... but still one big word.
Where are you? = whe-ah-yee?

The same is true for "here you go". One word.
Here you go = ee-ya-go

Other simple words are...
Doggie = Dough-gie
Bubbles =boo-yeahs
Berries = bay-yees

That's my list for today. I'll try to add more as I think of them. Listening to you chatter is one of my very favorite things.

Love,
Mommy