22 months!

Wheres my girl at?
oh...ALL OVER. :)
you are so energetic, always doing something and it usually involves Baba. you LOVE that brother of yours SO fiercely.
You are jealous when I hold babies, and I know thats going to be rough for you when the time comes. but Ill do all I can to work through it! You are still particular, when you want cuddles YOU WANT CUDDLES. and when you dont want them..YOU DONT WANT THEM.

you know some shapes: triangle (ankle!) and circle (tertle) and we will practice more as the days go!

You know how to count some!
"One...Two....Three....Ten....Seven...." (work in progress)

you LOVE wrestling (or NingNing as you call it) and you walk around saying "CEEENNNAAA!!!" and "bum bum bu bummmmm" John Cenas theme music. its bonkers! last night you got up and wanted to watch wrestling sickly like at 5 am. it was silly!

You love Caillou (too much!) and you say "Cy-woo!" you like Sid (call him Kid) and you love Elmo (Ehmo) and "ee-ee and butttt" and Abby and "bi brd" youre so wonderful! you know the color Blue, and thhaaaats about it.

you love to be moving, jumping off of things, climbing onto things, running or doing your adorable march/stomp/sachay (sp?)

you have a variety of other words that just pop up from nowhere!
Santa
Makah (milk)
Bah-boe (bebo/pacifier)
bites
water, lyall, word world (all sound like ow-wow)
Bunny
Cah-ee (carly)
Daddy
Bahbah
Ey-yit (elliott)
Ow-Wom (william)
Gu-yin (julian)
mmmmmah (grandma)
goos (shoes)
boots
couch
Box
Tot-tot (favorite, aunt Meemy's dog)
pupup (puppy)
goose (juice)
Buggy (blankie)
eh-sode (episode)
NO! (a favorite!)
Dannah (Dayna), Ben, Ess (wes), Teeeenah, (Catrina),
Owsiiiide (outside)
Whyyyyyyyeeee? you ask why a LOT.
Cold, Hot, icky, Sick.
co! (this is chair and cuddle and car)
you also have some sweet phrases:
"Mama cuddle too please"
"Mama Night night too please?"
"Mama WAIT!"
"Daddy come home soon?"
"Mama go bye bye too?"
"Carly, sit! good girl! carly need bites!"
"dont want to"
"Daddy cook bites?"
"Maya's turn!"
"Sorry Mama hitting" (this one you have to say a lot!)
"Lay Bahbah's bed!" (or mamas bed, or big bed...anything but Mayas bed)
"Buggy please?"
"new bygee please?" (diaper change)
"I too mama" (I love you mama)
"Toty mahk" (chocolate milk)
"Tattee mahk" (fancy milk ((milk with a splash of creamer)) )


you can repeat just about anything we tralk to you about in the CUTEST voice. you have a gnarly lip tie, and you have a lisp. but its all you and all wonderful. I love you and am SO proud of you. You are learning more and more, and I hope to get more one on one time with you over the next few days :)

im SO proud of my almost 2 year old girl. I can hardly believe its been that long.

every bit of you is wonderful. its feisty and busy and spirited. and I love you. thank you for showing me that girls are awesome and cool and lovely and for being mamas special better half. you LOVE all things. Ninja turtles, cars, action figures and wrestling, pretty nails and pretty hair and dresses and pretty jewelry. youre wonderful.
Thank you for loving your baba and for loving your daddy and for loving your mama. and for having special places for each of us. we would be SO lost without you.
i love you more baby girl.

halloween memory.

Just remembering wonderful halloween memories. 

I love you!

desiderata.

remember this Sweet Girl.

Dipes.

walked in on this today. 

youre wonderful. 

Poop.

you dont like to be called out on your pooping. 

but this is what happens sometimes. 

im keeping this. because your future "love of your life" will want to know this exists. 

and it makes me SO happy. 

We Can Do Hard Things.

Remember this quote: 

"We can do hard things."

its up in your room right now, a sign I made for you as a reminder. 

this certificate is my induction into the National Honor Society for Junior Colleges. 

I am working hard, and my 3.86 GPA so far is proof. 

Never give less than your all. and no matter what, your true and honest ALL will ALWAYS be enough. 

love you!

Sickly

My sweet Narae, you are fighting an ickly virus. Apparently your body isnt handling it as well outwardly as your spirit is, because your eyes are swollen, you have spots all over and you have been sleeping poorly, but frequently. 

You are still the most beautiful girl in any room!

You are doing amazing, your spirit is such a fighter! Im so proud of you. Feel better soon sweets!

This makes me laugh, and an update

Phone surprises! You are so sneaky, getting our phones, tablets, laptops at every whim. You are so verbal now too! I get bossed around a lot, demands of cuddles and sleeping and bites. You're precious, even in your incessant asking if "why?!" And "mommy waiiiiiit!" And"mommy night night too!" And "mommy Maya hunkee bites!" You're precious and learning si much. Im so excited to keep raising my little spirited girl.

Did I post this already?

I love you. You're just wonderful. Even when you don't sleep, I may be sleepy and cranky but I love you deeply

Sibling love

:)

Awkward family photo

It's hard to get us all smiling, but it's so nice to see us all in the same picture that isn't a selfie. But oh how I love this family! Sweet blue backers :) im so excited for daddy and my sixtieth :)

Christmas.

We picked out the tree today! Mama has a hard time with holidays, and it stems from a less than wonderful past. but I decided that this year Im taking holidays back. Im giving them new meaning. Im jumping in, and changing my thoughts, making traditions. and making memories worth remembering. 

I love you. thank you for loving me and learning with me. 

Mamas new tats

You probably recognize this guy from mummas cards. He is my reminder that "there are NO small acts of kindness."

this is the tattoo I have with Daddy. an instruction manual for love, if you will. Hold on to me...all of you silly little backers.

This one. Oh. swoon. this one makes me SO happy. I just SOAR. 

:)my babies names among the dandelion wish. I will ALWAYS take your wishes cast upon me...and you are a grantedd wish of my own. love you!

So you woke up

Wanting to watch "ningningning" which is narae for wrestling. I just bought baba and daddy tickets to see wrestling at the big place for their birthdays. Looks like we have another fan in the house :)

:)

:)

In one of mammas classes, there is an adult woman with her teenage daughter. They are takign the class together and when I see them, it makes me smile. I am so excited to do all of those things with you....classes, pedicures, pie dates, shopping trips. I am so excited for all of it!

youre going to be one of my bestest friends my love.and I am so happy for it.

Bath time cuddles

sentences. and opinions. and humor.

it's very strange to me that you suddenly erupted in sentences. small ones, yes, but sentences. you can say things like Yay Maya! and Mommy and Daddy! and I Cook! It's marvelous and I will NEVER tire of hearing your voice. i LOVE it. You still also say largely untranslatable gibberish, but its yours.

And your opinions.
Maya Narae, your opinions.
You have thoughts and wants and dislikes and desires and I am learning them every day when you make it perfectly clear.

You laugh. you think things are funny. and sometimes, when you do, its this completely goofy laugh that just makes me laugh so hard. youre adorable.

you are SO in love with brother. you are head over heels for him.
he loves you back and its amazing.
i love seeing you both together.


as i write this i am hearing you remove your diaper. and my word Maya Narae, you are just a feisty girl that gives me both a big challenge each day and the most love a girl could give a mom.
I LOVE having you as my daughter and I am SO glad that He and you chose you for me.
love you baby girl.

My babies

Love!

Unprovoked cuddles. I love love love this.

And brother just announced he has farted three times

Caddies!

Our as you cash them "papes!"

Farmers market with rose!

Daddy cuddles

Popcorn

You and Zaine ate the entire bowl. Piglets!

This touches my heart. I love the love you share.

:)

Unprovoked cuddles.

This makes my day. 

This melts me

This too.

Remember

I held your perfect body in my arms right as you were drifting off.  I ask "are you my girl? " you nodded.  I ask "do you know that I love you?" You nod again.  Within moments you are asleep.

So simple. 

Yet I will pay every single day you remember these things. 

You are my girl.
And I love you more than I'll ever be able to explain. 
My sweet moon.
Precious Maya Narae.
Please never forget.

18 months

My sweet girl is 18 months. 
You are so feisty and wonderful.  You can climb to the highest pointin any room if given the chance.  You love milk.  I try to pet other things,  nope,  all milk.  You went through 7 quarts one week. You love to sing these days and you sing along to the radio and tv with your "words".
You love your kangaroos,  cars,  Elmo and Abby. You are very vocal,  and somewhat demanding in your strong willed way. 
You can say lots of things:
Uncle
Dada
Mama
Baba
Kaka is Carly
Kaga is kanga
Hi,  erro and buhbye are used a lot.
Purple and turtle
Outside
Puppa is puppy
Please
Ahdee has always been Thank you
Baby
Bite
Sky
Abby and elmo and cookie and you try so hard to say grover.
Mimmy is kimmi
Bababall is basketball and nana is banana and mok is milk (Julian used to say moxx so it is so cute) and so many more in the moment is amazing!
You can say come home "um hOne!" And hone is also phone. You love talking on the phone and you take mine every chance you get.
You love love to watch Daniel tiger "Tye!" And word world "ow wow". And sid the science kids.  You are very curious,  always pulling things from the pantry or climbing on something or figuring something out.  This morning you climbed from your crib to my bed to wake me up.  You talk about peepy and poopy and going potty, you are going to be easy to potty train I think.  You love water,  swimming "immy" and bath time "bata!" You always try to drink what isn't yours. You have a real knack for finding mischief and your just learning.  You take or things and run away,  you climb up onto the counters while I go to the restroom or do laundry.  You hide things all the time.  You pick on brother all the time,  hitting and kicking so we are working on that. You are surprising me every day and I love that you are mine.  Crazy little Roman candle and you mean everything to me moon. 
I'm so thankful for the first 18 months and eager to see you grow. 

Oh you

I woke up this am to you having climbed from your crib and onto my bed. If course we had to come watch Elmo.
Love you babe.

Almost time

Fear

If I take even just a minute to think about ever being without you,  I break down.  You are my world and I love you so deeply.  So so deeply.
I carry your heart, I carry it in my heart.  And I will not leave your heart ever, my loves.

sweet girl.

i shared this with my friends tonight about you. please never forget these word:

This little baby girl is so tender with her beebee. She got up, placed this doll on the pillow beside us and said "nigh nigh beebee. Nigh nigh beebee."

She is my Muse. 
She is fearless and determined and carefree and passionate about everything and a sweet soul. 
I hope to be all of these things along with her.

you inspire me.

just something i posted on fb about you. 

love you!

 Im 17 months pp my second child, my beautiful girl. Im grateful for her, because of her i started truly looking at my body in a different light. While i do currently push towards a more fit body, i no longer look at the scale, no longer have a goal weight, and no longer allow myself to put myself down. how disparaging it is to say negative things, which does nothing to hurt the body in which they are aimed at, only the mind inside. I truly do embrace the parts of my body that wont change no matter how fit i get, the new breasts that nourished both her and my older son and their younger sibling when we expand our family, and these stretch marks that cover the midsection, little marks to remind myself of the incredible bond we got to share, 40 weeks prior to anyone else. i LOVE this body. Im working on making it stronger, but no longer do i focus on how much it weighs only what it can do. because ive seen it do some downright AMAZING things, and I am excited to see more. I want my girl to look at me in awe and wonder and see someone strong and dedicated to myself as well as her and her brother and father. that starts in me and has nothing to do with my body so much as it does my heart, my words, and my effort.

my sassy girl.

17 months.
17 wonderful, challenging, learning, growing months.

its no secret you are the biggest firecracker ive ever met. the best little feisty roman candle. and im totally smitten with you. you are beautiful, kind, feisty, wily, smart, and so determined.
youre headstrong, strong willed, determined, and you know what you want. you know what you hate. and you know what makes you happy.

you laugh a LOT and the laugh is a goofy guffaw and i LOVE it. it explodes from your mouth like a little explosion and its so cute!

youre words these days are:
"I DID IT!" but more like "ididit!!!"
Outsiiiiide? and then OUTSIIIIIDE!
mama, dada, baba, meemee (kimmi), Kayka (kayla), Car-ree (carly)
Babbo (bebo, the binky)
uhhhh-UHHHHH (any time we want you to do something you dont wanna do, like get out of the tub or any place we are swimming. YOU LOVE WATER.)
Preebee (pretty, this is anything shiny or girly...nail polish, mamas ring, necklaces, etc. you love girly things, yet you play with cars and ninja turtles. i love it!)
Bites!
Pees (please)
Hi and BuhBye
Ah-djee (the same every time, we have learned this is Maya Narae for "thank you")
ba-ba-ball (basketball, THATS MY GIRL!)
ni-ni (you now put yourself to sleep. i miss your cuddles and hope they come back!)
Ka-ga (your kangaroo)
beebee (baby)
Mi-mi (milk milk)
mmmhmmm (in your good moods, youre usually up for anything lol)
ticki ticki ticki - this is your variation of "tickle tickle tickle and you do it when you tickle.
and so many other things in your baby language :) i LOVE learning to speak your language as you learn to speak mine. sometimes you just babble and babble and im excited to hear those thoughts as your language progresses!



you can also sign a few words:
dada
uncle
funny
please
sorry (you have to use that one a LOT because you are quite the hitter...for no reason)


you have perfected the baby eyeroll. ive NEVER seen a baby do it. and you do.

you know what eyes, mouth, nose and hair are and will point to them.

you have a very specific bedtme routine. you want flower pillow, zoo blanket, kanga, violet, milkmilk and one or more bebo's. its so sweet.

we still cloth diaper and you drink organic cows milk and goats milk.
you love to play outside all the time! i cant keep up!
you love swimming and water and all that comes with it.
you climb onto EVERYTHING that you can.
You run EVERYWHERE. you recently had your first big bonk where yuou fell hard on your nose and cut it. we had to take you to the doctor and it was scary. as we speak you are trying to climb on me at the table. so imma go cuddle and play with you :)

i love you Moon baby!

vacation!

So in June we took a ten day vacation to California! We drove 7 hours on day 1 and spent the night in a small condo, and then resumed our trip the next dy another 6 hours. you guys did AMAZING! Daddy and I set you up with movies and games to play on the tablets while on the drive and you guys did great. matter o fact, even though we drove straight through on the way back, took a 2 hour detour as well, you were better behaved than even your cranky mama!:) 

here are some highlights!

  this was taken in Brookings OR right before the Cali border.

This was in the hippy Haight Ashbury distrcit in Sn Fran!

Maya Narae with her acessories. she left them the whole time!

On treasure island with my boy!

Mama, Tia Jess and Narae!

I love all of your faces Dear Narae!

YOURE JUST THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN ANY ROOM!

Windy hair makes mma look silly.

my new fave picture. you love riding on dad.

at lunch with Narae!

my babies enjoying a soft pretzel while dad and mom try a sushi burrito. 

EEK!

mama likes sushi...but this was rough! 

 COFFEE DATE!

 this was at an amazing place called the exploratorium! These lockers served two purposes...holding items and the handles were musical handles!even touchign them was musical!

awesome!

 my sweet boy learning.

when you hit the drum the ground vibrated beneath you!

 hot and cold coils together make your hands confused!

different colors mask the scent and tricks your brain!

 more science and music :) the music changes where the tiles lay.

learning our skeleton :)

this was cool. you got to put what you always wished yuour name would be. 

julian chose Judith. Underneath it asks why. Julian then wrote because "my momy calls me that."

 mind illusion...feels like velvet!

What jude would look like with 2 left and 2right sides.

a real brain eeek!

this was crazy, one of the many perspective exhibits...this is a wall of words people have learned after 2011. empathy...terrorism...sadness :( but i loved how there were things to teach human perspective. there was an exhibit of just a video of people laughing...you couldnt help but smile...then one of them sad...you couldnt smile :( it was weird but cool. then another to help see each other the way others see us...it was wonderful!

 shadow rooms!

listening domes. sitting in them you could hear exactly what your partner across the room was saying...even at normal talking levels.

teaching teamwork! it was a 5 person pac man game!

 learning about tornadoes.

37 years and a LOT of toothpicks.

 yellow light room!

more shadow dancing

 fun with mirrors!

 loved this!

chocolate steam :)

 handsome daddy walking his babies.

man youre handsome sonshine.

my baby girl!

trolley cars!

right before the boat ride with dad under the bridge.

pier 39!

shopping with Tia

 my pier girl!

you went all around. so adventurous. your fearsome nature will keep me on my toes for life.

you both loved Jessica so much. Id not seen you take to someone so quick and i loved it!

Family.

Beautiful little flowery princess of a girl. i love you!

baba wasnt in the mood but i took it anyway.

family.

Daddy's girls!

not ours but someone wrote it and i love that we got to see it!

sand family! with carly too! Julian HAD to draw happy faces...

i loved our family vacation, my first ever in fdact! We had a great time and we are just smitten with you both!

We also got to see Auntie Jorden, Grandma June and Autnie Kayla too. it was wonderful for the most part and a blast and im so thankful for the memories.

Ill tell you the rest when youre older. but know this, no one loves their littles like daddy and i :)

kisses!