Cozy // Ibby talks

Dearest Ibby, 

I've been putting off writing a little update here on the blog mainly because I'm so overwhelmed by your cuteness and affection and hilarity and silliness... I just know that a) I can't do it justice in writing.. b) i'm overwhelmed at the prospect of even trying to express it in writing.. which is probably why I take so many pictures.. and c) writing down the cuteness, so as not to forget it later, is just a reminder that twenty years down the road you're not going to be this wriggling, sweet smelling nugget who wants to cuddle cheek to cheek with 'momeeee'... 

Oy vey. 

But oh well. 

So about your cuddling.  It is THE CUTEST thing ever.  Actually, it transcends cuteness and is something that I didn't even know existed.  Some months ago, when you were dropping your morning nap but still kind of needing a morning nap...I'd say to you, when you were getting tearful or whiny, and generally nappish... i'd say, 'let's go get cozy'.. so we'd get your bottle and lie down on the couch with a blankie together...sometimes on my bed..and we'd get nice and cozy.... and this was before you were talking a lot... but you learned what it meant to get cozy ;) so I don't know when, but at some point you learned to say cozy, and now you ask for it when you're feeling whiny or tearful or tired..or cuddly... you say it with varying inflection, which can carry different meanings.... for example, 'cohdee?' (let's get cozy) or 'cohhhdeeee' (this is so cozy and cuddly and wonderful)..'cohdee cohdee' (stay here and stay cozy with me and don't move)  you'll also add some other nouns to paint the full picture of what you want: 'cohdee? bed... bubba'  which means... let's get cozy in the bed with my bubba... or you say it at nighttime when i'm putting you to bed and you want me to lie down with you... 'cohdee?'.... honestly, it is the cutest thing that i've ever heard uttered, so it's IMPOSSIBLE for me to refuse...when you were sick the other day, we were in my bed, watching Elmo, and your fever was so so nasty... you pulled my face in so close to yours with a 'cohdee? cohdee?'.. and when i tried to move my face away from your sweaty little head, you'd pull it back in and say so softly 'cohdee.. cohdee'... 

So.  I just want you to remember, that you can always ALWAYS come lie your sweaty little head next to mine when you're feeling sick, tired, whiny, tearful... when you need to reset... when you need a reminder, when you need a really good cuddle... 

you've taught us so much and you're not even 2... ?!

to be continued.... 

xx

Mama 

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 

A trip to the National Zoo // Izzy's first

On Saturday we ventured down to Washington, DC for a couple of reasons... One of them being that I was dying to take Izzy to the zoo - the National Zoo.  

It was a lot of fun to get out of town and do something different for a change.  

"Makin' memories" as Will says. ;) 

And  of course, seeing Izzy's little face light up when she spotted a cow, and when she found the rocks that lined the walkways {pictured above}... Oh and she loved people watching.. 

But Izzy!! There are monkeys!  And elephants!  And.. so many otters and seals!!!

Ahhhhh, toddlers. They are such special creatures.  

Although we did have a really special monkey moment.. There was one - a gibbon I think? Just hanging out kind of on a chain link fence, less than five feet from us, staring out.  Seeing that monkey and Izzy just watch each other, and connect with eye contact was pretty darn neat..  

We also saw lots of otters.  

So many otters.  

It was a great day though, and that was just our first stop.... 

Next stop: Georgetown Lou Lou for a little window viewing!  

;) 

XX, 

Cassie