Month twenty-three letter

My little Maddster,

Twenty-three months ago, exactly, you were 1 hour-ish old and I was completely in love you with you. I was scared and overwhelmed and in pain and so so hungry. But most importantly, I was in love with you and so excited to be your mom. And still I love you with everything I am and still I am so excited to be your mom. And now in ONE month you will be 2. We aren't planning a big party for you this year. It'll just be you, me, dad, baba and dido, I think. We'll have a nice dinner and open a few gifts. And spend time together and be family.  And I'll sit in an awed stupor that I am the mother of a 2 year old.

This month, Maddy, you turned your tantrum game up and up and up! You were losing it almost daily, with any transition. Getting to daycare was hard, leaving daycare was hard, going out at night was hard. I think a lot of it was us, Madds. We weren't explaining things well enough for you to understand what was happening. We'd just suddenly grab you and as you were being wrestled into a jacket we'd be explaining it to you. And that was just too late, you were already confused. Now we're giving you more time, and you are doing better. and we're explaining more. You get it. You get what\s happening to you and you want to have some sense of control over your world. And we're trying.

The last few days, over Christmas, you did wonderfully! You were friendly and social and funny and sweet. You ran the entire time and were into everything and ate too many sweets. But you were wonderful (spoiler for future post that has been started and not yet finished).

Otherwise this last month has been filled with even more words and talking. There has been the alphabet sung and we have 1 through 10 pretty much down (sometimes 4 still gets ignored). And so many new words. I think I still stare at you daily in awe at another word you said. You also now sing with us, in your slightly off key voice. For Christmas you got a drum and guitar (and a tambourine and shakers) and you love to make music. You were wandering around the house yesterday playing the drumsticks on the floor and the cupboards and my leg, testing out sounds.

So many words to just say how wonderful you are, Maddy, and how much we love you. Maddy, you are the best and we love you with every ounce of our being. And in one month, you will be two whole years old. and our minds will be blown.

I love you, Maddster.

Mommy