Dear Bee,
Opps, your last letter was 5 months ago! (Insert cliche about how time disappears…) The idea behind writing these letters, is so that you can read them later and find out what an awesome little girl you were and are! So I guess I better start filling you in on what you are like as an 18-22 month old toddler…
You are non-stop. You are confident. You are messy. You are inquisitive. You are kind. You love to laugh. You are great at sharing.
Your big philosophical question at the moment is why. Why, why, why? Sometimes you ask dozens of times in a row. I (mostly) do my best to answer.
And a lot is going in, apparently. Your comprehension astounds me. You can follow quite complicated adult conversations, and often you’ll provide actions when you hear certain words. I’m hoping you’ll be my charades partner when you are older. Usually you get it right, but sometimes, really cutely, you’ll get things a bit mixed up. You overheard your Daddy saying that he was making homemade icecream the other day. “For me?” you asked. “No, it’s not ready yet”, I explained. “I knee” you pleaded, tapping your right knee to show me just how much. Haha.
You’ve been a bit vehicle obsessed these last few months. On car trips, you call out “Mum!” “Yes?” I reply. “Mum!” you call. “Yes?” I reply. “MUUUM!” you shout. “Yes, Bee, I’m listening” I reply. “BUS! BUS! BUS!” “Yes it’s bus!” I confirm. And then you start moving your hands around and we start singing about the wheels.
My friend Christie from Childhood 101 asked me to take a photo answering the prompt “Motherhood is…” Our answer is in the photos below.
I can’t remember what upset you that day, but I do love the look of concern on my face, that you were randomly holding one of your toy train carriages at the time, and that we were apparently able to work it out together.
JJ is learning to speak Mandarin at the moment, and you’ve adopted one of the counting songs as your new favourite. You play it over and over and over again, dancing along. You’re not singing along yet, but you can say “ni hao” and “xie xie” when prompted.
Mr Banya has also taught you to sing “Purple Rain” as a tribute to his (single) teenage years. You sing it with heart, with passion. Sometimes you break out into song on public transport, and we catch quite a few approving smirks from commuters.
You are joining in at the back of JJ’s ballet class, and it is the cutest thing ever. You can point, twirl, make butterfly movements with your hands, attempt to arabesque and generally do a pretty good job of keeping up with the big girls. You’ve insisted on wearing a tutu, fairy wings, or ballet slippers (or all three) every day for the past fortnight.
Weight wise, you’re back on the charts. We haven’t really done anything differently to get your weight back up. Your appetite must have increased, is all. Whilst I’ve been saying for a while that it doesn’t matter either way, it still does make me feel a bit better for some reason. I guess it means I don’t have to watch it any more. I can relax a little.
You’re breastfeeding on demand – which is usually several times a day, as well as several times through the night. I had in my mind that I’d like to continue to demand feed until you were two years old, before starting to think about reducing the frequency. But I’ll be honest that the night feeds are not the most fun. It’s winter here at the moment, and getting up out of a warm bed in the middle of the night is trying. I reassure myself knowing that your growing brain is appreciating the nourishment, your boosted immunity has helped keep you (mostly) well this winter and your high level of attachment will have psychological benefits both now, and for the rest of your life.
Now that you’re getting bigger, we’re leaving the pram at home and getting out and about on foot more often. We’ve been going on lots of walks, either in the bush, or just around our neighbourhood. You share your sister’s love of nature. You often come home with Camellia flowers for our nature table. You’re great with animals, big and small.
When we pass a neighbour walking their dog, you know to ask permission for a pat, let the dog smell your hand first, and then pat it gently on the back. You’re so good, that we let you and your sister make a wish…
Meet Snowflake, the newest addition to the Banya household! She’s white, she’s fluffy, she’s teeny tiny, and she just arrived on Sunday…. but that’s a another post altogether.
Bee, may your rain always be purple, and your dandelion wishes always come true. Love you to the moon and back again.
xx Mummy
PS: You can find all the letters that I’ve written to my daughters Bee and JJ over on my Parenting page.