19 months

Dear Isabel, 

These pictures were taken on the weekend you learned how to hoist yourself out of your crib, lower yourself to the ground, and reclaim your control of naptime... ;)  I must admit that I felt a surge of pride when I saw what you could do... It's no small athletic feat, considering the crib bar is at your chin... Your determination, obstinacy, independence and fearlessness are traits that I hope you never lose. 

When I found you at your bedroom door, red faced and snotty nosed and banging for your freedom.. I had to keep myself from laughing and smiling.. It was a sight...One that I was not expecting... I thought we had another few months before you figured out how to do it.  

These days, you twirl and dance and spin when we play the Lonely Goatherd song from the Sound of Music record... You repeat almost anything, in your voice... You put your baby to bed, and say "nigh nigh baby"... you take our hands and lead us through the house to whatever it is you've got in your mind... if you see a schoolbus in a book, you run into another room to find your toy schoolbus... you do this for pumpkins, turtles, baby dolls... you understand SO MUCH and are talking constantly - fluent in your babble.. and adding more words to your vocab all the time.... we love your vocab... 'monkey' sounds like 'mama'... 'coffee' sounds like 'caca' (you and i make my coffee together most mornings).. you say 'milk', 'baba', 'nigh nigh'... 'no', 'bye', 'hello', 'yeah', 'please' is 'theee'.. 'cheese' is not far from that sound... you say 'dog'.. 'yogurt', 'gorilla'... 'blueberry' sounds like 'bebaby'.... if you find my cell phone, you say 'mama' and you bring it to me.. same with dada's cell phone.... OH and i cannot forget-- you sing the clean up song (to yourself!) when you're picking something up and putting it where it belongs.. it sounds like "neeeee nah .. neeee nah" ... your aunt cait and gigi taught it to you fyi... you love putting your dirty clothes in your laundry basket, helping me clean, helping wash dishes, and you will throw anything into the trashcan that we ask you (and some things that we don't)..... ;) 

You are our most favorite, most fun, MOST goofy and silly and sweet person..

xx

M 

May Days

{head-wear is a Beaufort Bonnet}

That is our toddling, teething {first 2 are finally debuting}, signing {she signs for all-done! though i think she means 'pick me up now please'}, spinach slurping {she loves it- string cheese too - and strawberries, duh}, yelling {ask me about the lunchtime concert for Hozier that we attempted, ha!}, kiss giving {she kisses her doll baby! and us!}, uh-oh saying {she says it for fun, and for oopsies dropsies} goofy, grinning, laughing, stroller-loving, precious little angel pie. 

I could not have dreamt of a more joyful little creature.  

And oh man, what a creature she is!!  Will and I often look at each other, as she's walking all over the place, squealing & laughing, and we say with our eyes -- "WHERE did she come from?? WHO is this tiny-baby-person-creature and WHAT do we do with her??"

It's quite fun, this age. 

xx

Cassie