Emiline

Dear Emiline,
Please forgive your mother for the number of posts I didn't write about you. I adore you and treasure you and if you are ever tempted to compare the number of posts about Jane to the number of posts about you in your early life, I want you to know that all my posting about Jane had much more to do with me becoming a mother than about Jane as my daughter. Besides, she doesn't have a Milestone Marker.

I'm about 20 days late here, but I wanted to write about you at 18 months. There is soooo much to say and feel about you. You're energy is unflagging, you're delight in games and laughing and fun is limitless, you are an intense joy to me. So here is a typical story of a day with Emiline.

You usually wake up early, around 6:30 or so. You are learning to be more and more quiet as you learn more and more to follow Jane's example (in all things, I might add!) But sooner or later, you get excited for the day and your excited shrieking to Jane about one game or another, the sound of you jumping in bed, or your happy songs very quickly draw me to your room. As soon as I open the door, you become silent waiting to see what I'll do, what game I'll play. Sometimes you even pretend to be asleep and then shriek and giggle when I turn on the light. You are always ready with a "morning!" (mahnin!) and a good morning kiss. Then we change your bum, and you always play your "bum up!" game. Lately you want to wipe yourself and I let you, but only after I explained that "mommy first, then Emiline." Now when we wipe, you tell me who goes first! You have gotten so much better at being patient and I love to hear you say in a sing song voice "patiently!" (paslahley!).

As soon as I zip up your jammies you jump (literally) and run (literally) out of the room towards the kitchen. You are a fabulous eater in the morning and will usually eat twice what Jane does in the same amount of time, or less. I always get your food first, then Jane's, then your seconds, then Daddy's, then sometimes your thirds, and then mine. Although Grandma and Grandpa might disagree, I think you've gotten to be a much cleaner eater as of late. You love the challenge of eating cereal. And you love to dip anything in syrup. Dipping is one of your favorite things to do and you always narrate it: "dip! dip! dip!" Also, we put away the booster seat and let you climb up on the stool and stand, kneel, and/or sit (usually all three repeated a number of times) for meals. You really like this freedom and you don't abuse it, most of the time anyway.

You regularly talk in sentences and it's not unusual for you to put several together. Grandpa has been glowing for a month or more now about how intelligable you are. I've been understanding you for awhile now, but he sure gets a kick out of your language. Grandpa usually pops in during breakfast and lately you've been greeting him with a "no, Grandpa Lloyd!" (no blapa-Yoid). I think this started because you didn't like his scratchy morning kisses, but now it gets such a good reaction out of him you keep it up.

After breakfast we clean up and get dressed. You've started putting your plate in the sink, even though you can only reach it on your tippiest tip-toes. But you are very good at tip-toe and do it at least half of the day. You have one muscular lower half, my darling! You still love to take off and run after I get your pants on but before your shirt is on. And you love shoes of all sizes.

You play really well in the morning, you are so fresh and alive with energy and curiosity that it is a joy to watch you interact. Your favorite toys are balls, blocks, babies, and the play kitchen and it's food. At least once a day you get engrossed in books and about every other day, you clear off the entire bottom shelf of your books. You love to make food for me and bring it to me and wait til I tell you how yummy it is. The babies is a new thing, but you enjoy holding, patting, and caring for them more than Jane has (to this point, at any rate). You are very good with blocks- either wooden or duplos, I'm always impressed with your patience and dexterity. And Balls? Well, they are by far your favorite. You love to tote them around play catch. You also like necklaces or purses or anything you can put around your neck.

You love your sister and (most of the time) play nicely together. You love to do whatever she does and you've started copying her in less exciting ways, too. Like you think it's a game to complain "ow!" when I do your hair, even though you have very little and it's never tangled, you always say "ow! it hurts!" (ow! i huwts!) because Jane always does. You've also started trying out being picky at meal times and not trying something unless I force one bite into your mouth (which is never really forced, I hold your head still and you open your mouth and happily take whatever I'm giving you). It's like you want to play the same food game (Easy Way or Hard Way) that Jane plays.

Anytime you hurt anyone, or could have hurt someone, you are very quick to say "sorry!" and "it's OK!" (sowwy! iss O-Tay!) You are quick to hug and pat someone who is sad and you give your kisses liberally. You love to "tuddle" with your mommy, as well as jump and climb on whoever is holding you like they are a human jungle gym. You love to sing "Wash the Ladies Dishes" or the alternate version I made up, "Wash the Baby's Britches." You never get bored of it. You love Ring a Round the Rosies. You love to sing and are always surprising us with the lyrics and melodies you have learned. You learn and do everything with gusto, including music. You love to sit at the piano and play and sing. It's often much better than you'd expect from an 18 month old. You still fall pretty often but less often, and you haven't had a real bad head bump in a little while (knock on wood). You are always ready with a smile if you can sense a game is in the works and while Jane is motivated by logic, you are motivated by play, adventure, silliness, and anything or anyone with a twinkle their eye. You've learned to blow your nose.

You still nap once a day (yay!!) for 1-2 hours. You don't usually fight it and are pretty easy to cajole into laying down. You also wake up pretty well from naps, too. You are not usually sad or not for very long. You love to be outside and go for walks and eat snow (which you call snowman or "nohma!") and of course jump. In the afternoons, we usually go for a walk and then I let you two watch something. You love to watch Dora or Diego with your sister (but usually only with your sister) and you do know some Spanish words- like the words for climb, push, wait, (I get shouted at to stop more in Spanish than in English from both of my girls), you love to shout "olla! hello! olla!" and the last few days you even say "Buenas Suertas." You also count fairly well in both languages, although your English is better (you always leave out 4 in English). Your colors, however, are still mostly English. Although when asked, most things are "Green!" followed by "pink!" followed by "yellow!" (gween! peent! lellow!). We quite like that Dora and Jane have piqued your interest in Spanish. By the way, the Map is your favorite Dora character, followed by Boots. You love to sing the Map Song.

Speaking of songs, you recognizably sing:
Teach Me to Walk in the Light
I Am A Child of God
Nephi's Courage
3 Songs from our Harmony Kids musical (Come on In, Shine, and Give a Gift This Christmas)
You Better Watch Out
Christmas Everywhere
The Days of the Week Song
I'll Be Nice
Away in a Manger
The Wonder Pets theme song
and the Glorias from Angels We Have Heard on High

I'm sure there are more, but that's what I've got off the top of my head.

You are also advanced at all things potty. You've been telling me for a while when you are going potty. You would steal Jane's panties and put them on. And this last week you had several dry night/nap diapers. And then a few days ago you had two successful potty uses while sitting (copying) Daddy in the bathroom. So yesterday we started potty training! You are doing really well so far and seem to be getting it and enjoying it.

I'm amazed at how grown up you already are. You are learning so many things- how to be reverent, how to be patient, how to obey quickly and exactly, how to be kind, how to keep trying. Your play has started to be imaginative with characters and stories.

At about 7:00 pm, you start to get really hyper and start running around really fast in circles and jumping and rolling and giggling all kinds of hilarity. We let you run a bit and chase you a bit and get your jammies on, preferably your pink monkey jammies (you're favorite). You will always stop to read stories with us and you've added to your favorites all the potty stories, Go Away Big Green Monster, and Go Dogs Go, you even like the I'm a Big Sister book. You really love to say prayers and you don't just repeat everything I say. Sometimes you change or add things and it's really neat to see you start to understand it. You don't fight anymore for bedtime or family prayer, I think you even enjoy it. Very rarely do you fight us to get into bed. More often you don't lay down right away. But you are not a complaining child. And while you do have a strong will, you also will be persuaded. You sleep really well almost every night, cuddled up to MiMi, Mouse, Cow, and Ducky.

And you still only have three molars out. That fourth one is killing us!!

Emiline, I'm so glad the Lord sent YOU to us, WHEN He did. I can't imagine our life without you and you are a near constant source of joy, happiness, and excitement. While your energy can be exasperating, it's true, your light is inspiring. I love you, my darling non-baby. I can't wait to see you grow more and more and I hope and pray that I learn the best ways to parent, nurture, discipline, encourage, and adore you.

Love,
Mommy.