At 20 months
Dear Libby Lu,
You are so precious to me. If you are awake, odds are that you're in my arms. Or, holding onto my legs. Or, insisting that I sit within a foot of you to watch you play. You say "Uv Eww" now when I tell you that I love you which melts my heart. Occasionally you wrap your little arms around my neck and squeeze. That is almost always followed by a serious look, then a pucker, then a smooch, and then a giggle.
Your sister loves to say that you are "happy to tears". She is very right. You test us with your emotions. Sometimes I have to fight back a chuckle when I see you work so hard to get a tear after I've told you "No". Usually though, your tears come quickly and easily and, if they are genuine, the laughter soon follows. It is when you are trying to get your own way that they last a while. Part of that is your age...you're testing your boundaries. Part of that is your personality.
You are fiercely independent. I feel certain with that independence will come loyalty. You want things on your terms and I forsee that as being something we will battle over for a long time. You come by your stubborness naturally. It will make you feel at home around the rest of your family as we all seem to have inherited the stubborn gene.
Your vocabulary is exploding and your activity level is, well, active. You like to be moving...walking, marching, dancing, twirling, climbing, crawling, rolling, riding, bouncing...all the "-ings". You don't subscribe to the "I-can't-do-that-because-I'm-small" philosophy. While you stick close to me in the house, you like to roam the minute we head outside. Lately you've been grabbing my hand and pulling me to the door saying, "Outside, OUTSIDE!" You say "no", "mine", "Addi", "Mommy", "Daddy", "Zo", "dog", "eye", "nose", "please", "head", "hair", "shoe", and "weee" daily. This morning you started saying, "Where Addi? Addi?" over and over again. When I took you upstairs to see Addi, your face lit up as you exclaimed, "Addi!"
I love watching you. Watching you do things and concentrate on things. Watching you copy your sister. Sometimes I can get you to do something by asking Addi to do it first.
You pay attention to everything. I could sneak things like cookies by your sister pretty easily. That is just not the case with you.
I love my time with you before your naptime and when I put you to bed. We read a book, then I hand you your monkey (with an "Ee-Ee, Oh-Oh" and a kiss, kiss, kiss on your cheek) and your blanket, you lay your head on my shoulder and I sing to you. Sometimes you "sing" with me and sometimes you interrupt me to point out my "eye", "nose", "mouth", "head", "hair", and "ear". Other times you look up at me and tickle my neck. I love it when you just lay your head on my shoulder and pat my arm. After two songs, I say prayers with you and lay you down. You almost always smile at me as I shut the door. I cherish those few minutes every day.
I cherish being your mother. You are an "unknown" for me...a second-born in a family of first-borns. I pray for God's guidance and wisdom in raising you. I pray that you will have a passionate, intimate relationship with Christ. And, I pray that I will be used to help mold you into a person that the Lord can use for His service. You are a blessing and I am so thankful for the gift of YOU.
Love you,
Momma
You are so precious to me. If you are awake, odds are that you're in my arms. Or, holding onto my legs. Or, insisting that I sit within a foot of you to watch you play. You say "Uv Eww" now when I tell you that I love you which melts my heart. Occasionally you wrap your little arms around my neck and squeeze. That is almost always followed by a serious look, then a pucker, then a smooch, and then a giggle.
Your sister loves to say that you are "happy to tears". She is very right. You test us with your emotions. Sometimes I have to fight back a chuckle when I see you work so hard to get a tear after I've told you "No". Usually though, your tears come quickly and easily and, if they are genuine, the laughter soon follows. It is when you are trying to get your own way that they last a while. Part of that is your age...you're testing your boundaries. Part of that is your personality.
You are fiercely independent. I feel certain with that independence will come loyalty. You want things on your terms and I forsee that as being something we will battle over for a long time. You come by your stubborness naturally. It will make you feel at home around the rest of your family as we all seem to have inherited the stubborn gene.
Your vocabulary is exploding and your activity level is, well, active. You like to be moving...walking, marching, dancing, twirling, climbing, crawling, rolling, riding, bouncing...all the "-ings". You don't subscribe to the "I-can't-do-that-because-I'm-small" philosophy. While you stick close to me in the house, you like to roam the minute we head outside. Lately you've been grabbing my hand and pulling me to the door saying, "Outside, OUTSIDE!" You say "no", "mine", "Addi", "Mommy", "Daddy", "Zo", "dog", "eye", "nose", "please", "head", "hair", "shoe", and "weee" daily. This morning you started saying, "Where Addi? Addi?" over and over again. When I took you upstairs to see Addi, your face lit up as you exclaimed, "Addi!"
I love watching you. Watching you do things and concentrate on things. Watching you copy your sister. Sometimes I can get you to do something by asking Addi to do it first.
You pay attention to everything. I could sneak things like cookies by your sister pretty easily. That is just not the case with you.
I love my time with you before your naptime and when I put you to bed. We read a book, then I hand you your monkey (with an "Ee-Ee, Oh-Oh" and a kiss, kiss, kiss on your cheek) and your blanket, you lay your head on my shoulder and I sing to you. Sometimes you "sing" with me and sometimes you interrupt me to point out my "eye", "nose", "mouth", "head", "hair", and "ear". Other times you look up at me and tickle my neck. I love it when you just lay your head on my shoulder and pat my arm. After two songs, I say prayers with you and lay you down. You almost always smile at me as I shut the door. I cherish those few minutes every day.
I cherish being your mother. You are an "unknown" for me...a second-born in a family of first-borns. I pray for God's guidance and wisdom in raising you. I pray that you will have a passionate, intimate relationship with Christ. And, I pray that I will be used to help mold you into a person that the Lord can use for His service. You are a blessing and I am so thankful for the gift of YOU.
Love you,
Momma
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