Week 61 - 14 months

Dear Jorie,

Somehow another week has flown by and with it the 14th month anniversary of your birth. You were born on the 11th of June in 2012. Your father and I were married on the 13th of August in 2011. So yesterday was our 2 year anniversary.

Your father and I went out for dinner together for our anniversary, and left you with his parents. We sat and ate a grown up meal, dressed like grown ups, and talked mostly about how much you have changed us. About how as soon as you entered our lives, our center of gravity shifted. About how even going out to dinner without you felt strange. We were talking about our plans to visit NYC, and how I hope that in the future we can make more trips down there so you can grow up knowing the city and all of our friends that live in it. We talked about some of the late late nights we had going to Karaoke bars and eating in restaurants where we didn't speak the language. I said we would have to make a trip without you some day and go out like that again, someday...your father said, maybe when you're older...he couldn't think about being away from you for more than a day.

Your father and I have only been Married 2 years, but we have been together for a little over 9 years now. We have history, and so many stories, but honestly, everything changed as soon as you were born. You bring so much to our lives that our wedding anniversary pales beside every little anniversary with you. To me, your 14th month anniversary was more momentous. You have been here for 14 months. Our lives have been this new adventure for that long. And in that time you have become this amazing little person.

There were no grand adventures this week. No zoo, no festivals, no new friends. But there were a million smaller adventures. Saturday morning play time with you and your father on the rug and a long walk through Highland Park with the doggie.

Last Wednesday night, while you were home with your father, you decided to lift up the grate over the cold air return. As soon as you figured out you could do it, and before your father could stop you, you proceeded to drop your bottle of milk down the return! Your father moved a chair over to block the grate, so you immediately went over to the heat grate on the other side of the room to see if you could do the same thing over there. Luckily your father was able to block you out from that one with the high chair, and was able to reach in and get your bottle out of the duct easily. Now we need to figure out a way to secure those grates!

Friday we went to Colie's for dinner and we got you your very own meal. We picked poorly, choosing a tasty sounding peanut butter banana and honey sandwich. Which turned out to be a wrap, which is very hard to feed to a toddler. You did love it though, enjoying every finger scooped morsel and constantly signing for more food more food. You loved it even more the next day when I deconstructed the wrap and blended it all together so I could spoon feed it to you. I'm definitely going to be making some of that to fill the reusable pouches we got!

Your fourth tooth started coming in right after your third one showed up, and it's now perfectly visable. You have all four front incisors! This should make it easier for you to eat all those foods we have to cut into little bits for you.

You have made your love of blueberries clear to us now, I think they might be your favorite food, edging out bananas and tofu. One of these days I should put all three of those out and see which one you choose.

We took your picture against the board at my parents house on Saturday, like we've been trying to do every month since you were born. There are so many lines on the board now, marking your growth. Some times, especially when you are asleep stretched out in your crib, I just stare and wonder how you got so big so fast. You're outgrowing all your clothes almost faster than I can buy new ones. We're going to have to replace all your cold weather clothes soon, since none of your jackets will fit much longer, and you only have a few pairs of pants that still fit.

Along with your new height, you've been getting really good at all the walking and climbing. One of your new tricks is dancing. You'll turn on the music on one of your toys and you'll bop back and forth waving your head from side to side. It's so cute. It makes me smile every time you do it. Between that and going up behind anyone standing up and starting to push their legs around so they walk and you follow, you're quite the mover and shaker.

I love you so much baby girl.