Thursday, December 01, 2011

November 2011 - Recap

My dear sweet Big Sister o' Charlie Bear,
You're all about schedules. You like to know what we're doing each day, and in what order we're doing them. Sometimes I show you a picture schedule; lately, though, I just tick things off on my fingers. Well you, my little master negotiator, have started ticking things on YOUR fingers to change the schedule. Case in point:

Me: Nat, it's time for a bath.
You: What's after bath? (actually it's more like WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I don't WANT to take a bath!!! *continued wailing and gnashing of teeth for 10 minutes* THEN you ask what's going to happen after the bath)
Me: (ticking off on my fingers) Take a bath, put on jammies, brush your teeth, read a story, go to sleep.
You: (ticking off on YOUR fingers) Pway (play), bath, jammies, book, seep. We pway first and I don't need to bwush my teeth.
Me: (glaring at Daddy because he's practically falling off the couch from laughing so hard at the exchange between us)

Your life is one big musical, with "Jesus Loves Me" as your theme song. Seriously, if there's a millisecond of quiet, you immediately fill it with song. I don't know if you're uncomfortable with silence or if you think Daddy and I are uncomfortable with silence, but it's like you feel every waking second of the day needs to be filled with talking, singing, or some other noise. Case in point, let's revisit the above scenario.

Me: Nat, it's time for a bath.
You: What's after bath? (actually it's more like WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I don't WANT to take a bath!!! *continued wailing and gnashing of teeth for 10 minutes* THEN you ask what's going to happen after the bath)
Me: (ticking off on my fingers) Take a bath, put on jammies, brush your teeth, read a story, go to sleep.
You: (ticking off on YOUR fingers) Pway (play), bath, jammies, book, seep. We pway first and I don't need to bwush my teeth.
Me: (glaring at Daddy because he's practically falling off the couch from laughing so hard at the exchange between us)
Me: Come on kid, scoot it to the bathtub.
You: (as you're walking to the bathroom) WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! (cue tears, gnashing teeth, and general discontent)
(2 nanoseconds later)
You: JESUS YUHVES ME! DIS I KNOW! FOR DA BIBLE TELLS ME SO!
(2 nanoseconds later)
You: (remembering that you're mad about taking a bath) WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
(2 nanoseconds later)
You: YITTLE ONES TO HIM BEYONG. DEY ARE WEAK BUT HE IS STWONG!
Me: (my head explodes trying to keep up with whether you're about to be mad or prepare for an encore)

Speaking of Jesus Loves Me, you like to change the lyrics to that song. Perhaps Daddy and I (mainly me, cuz I'm probably nerdier than Daddy) use too many grown-up words with you, but something I often say to you (like when you're in the middle of one of your AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! fits) is "Natalie, your attitude is completely unacceptable. Please act like a big girl." Well you, my little Creative License-r, decided to sing "DIS is unacceptaBLE! Dis is UNacceptable! DIS is unacceptaBLE! DIS IS UNACCEPTABLE", all sung to the tune of Jesus Loves Me. Mmmmm, this humble pie sure is tasty.

You like to sing the blessing before we eat - it's the song you sing before lunch at Mother's Day Out every Tuesday. It's ridiculously adorable. There's a part that goes "We will ask your blessing", but with your awesome lack of L-pronounciation, it sounds like "We will ask your be-yessing".


I almost feel like I've run out of things to teach you. I've actually felt this way for almost a year now. You picked up on shapes, colors, letters, and numbers so quickly that I'm not sure what's next. Algebra? The Dewey Decimal System? The 50 states in alphabetical order? I've been floundering for a while and then I remembered some advice from a friend who said to teach you my phone number and Daddy's phone number. Well it took a grand total of 30 minutes before you could easily repeat our phone numbers. The speed with which you can memorize something absolute floors me. You also know how to spell your whole name. Again with the flooring of your mother.

The biggest news this month is that you became a big sister. Wait, I take that back. You like to remind me that you've already BEEN a big sister for the past 9 months. (Excellent point, kid). I'll rephrase: This month, you became a big sister to someone who doesn't live in Mommy's belly anymore. You've done remarkably well for having your world turned on its ear. You're a great big sister to "Baby Chaw-yee". You like to tell Charlie 'good morning' when you come into the living room each morning, you like to point out his tiny features (specifically his fingers and nose), and you like to show him your books, toys, and stuffed animals. You also like to to tickle him - and you're totally impressed when he responds to your tickling (even if his response is just a snort or a wiggle). You don't like it when he cries, but Daddy and I try to remind you that Charlie doesn't know how to say "I'm hungry" or "I'm tired"; all he knows how to do is cry. Sometimes, though, when he cries, instead of getting panicky, you come up to his bassinet and say "It's okay, buddy! Don't cwy!" You're a great helper - you ask to throw his diaper away, you bring him a stuffed animal when he cries, you boop his nose when you feel it needs booping (which is often). Periodically throughout the day, you like to come up to Charlie, give his soft head a little rub, then continue on to your destination. Daddy and I are so SO proud of you. Seeing you with Charlie, interacting with him in your own perfect and unique way, makes our hearts so happy. You are the perfect big sister for Charlie.

This past month, you seem to have grown and aged by leaps and bounds. I was told by many people that as soon as Charlie arrived, you'd seem bigger to me. It sounded silly, but dude, it's so TRUE. You seem so ... grown up. Your hands seem particularly ginormous. Big kid hands. Hands that were the exact same size on November 8th, but somehow, on November 9th (actually November 10th, since that's when I first saw you after Charlie was born), your hands seemed like they belonged on a 2nd grader. I stopped picking you up when I was probably 7 months pregnant, so the first time I picked you up after Charlie was born, I was all "DUDE! When did you get so HEAVY!?" You were all "DUDE! You keep feeding me! I'm going to GROW!" Thanks for that little reality check.

As cool as I think it would have been for Charlie to have been a girl, I'm stoked that he's a boy. The main reason I'm stoked? I can still call you my best girl. I love you more than my heart can profess; I'm proud of you more than words can describe; you will always, always be my best girl. And I will always, always consider myself immensely blessed to know and love you.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy


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Headlines for December 1, 2011:
  • School picks blackboards over iPads
  • Kanye tops Adele in Grammy nods
  • World-traveling sea turtle comes home
  • $13,000 stuffed in suit accidentally sent to Goodwill
  • 97 mph! Santa Ana winds batter LA
  • Sandusky Threatened Boy's Family

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