month twenty two

Stella,
I am losing count of these months. You are getting SO BIG. Really, you are. I got a call a few weeks ago from the "Immunize by 2" group, and I had fallen behind on your shots. Oops. So I made an appointment and you were pretty excited to go to the doctor. He was going to help you be really strong like Daddy. It turns out Stella, you went from being the fat kid to being the tall skinny kid. You measured at 35.5 inches tall and 28.1 pounds. That puts you in the 94 percentile in height and 72 percentile in weight. The doc even said it was ok for you to drink empty calories such as juice or root beer since obesity is not a problem. After 4 shots we went straight to the "Doceey Store" and got you a diet coke. I'm not sure who needed it more me or you, those were 4 very painful shots, accompanied by a very sad cry.
Not only are you a giant, you are sleeping in a big girl bed. After a rough couple of nights you figured it out. You even started to fall asleep in your bed, and you don't even throw a fit when we lay you down and leave you.
You like to say the prayer when its time for bed, its all part of your procrastination of the inevitable. You fold your arms and close your eyes, then mumble some inaudible jibberish and when you are done, you jump up saying AMEN! It melts my heart. You ask to say the prayer everytime we sit down to eat, even if we have forgotten. You are already keeping your father and I in check.
You also have become sort of a safety monitor. I am not sure I want you to grow to be that kid. You won't stop yelping about our seat belts until you have seen us buckle them in. "Mommy, Buckle Up!" When I succesfully click in my seat belt, I get a great "Good Job Mommy". You don't do this to just me, you do it to everyone. You call everyone out who is in the car, you make sure they have their seat belt on. Then if the driver goes around a corner to fast, or hits a bump in the road, the back seat driver commands "BE CAREFUL MOMMY" or "BE CAREFUL DADDY". I'm having visions 4 years from now and you are wearing a yellow vest with a pad of paper yelping at kindergarteners who are running down the hallway.
Last week we went out and got you a new purse. I was really tired of you stealing mine and running around with it. So I scrounged up an old wallet, you have your dad's old broken blackberry and your sunglasses. You even have a tube of lipsmackers. You are so cute with it, and put all the items in and out of your purse. We have to take it everywhere we go, especially when we go outside. You will gather it up and say "Bye Mommy, See you later. I"m going to work now." How do you know that you have to go to work? I don't leave the house to go to work? I go downstairs. You must be picking up quick to the ins and outs of life.

You don't really say any uncomfortable words yet, which is nice. Although if you drop something, you will say "Dang it". Or when someone sneezes, "Bless you". When I do something you approve of, you tell me "Good job Mommy." Apparently we are all about positive reinforcement in this household. Although you did pick up a few phrases from your cousin Finley. "Mom, I NEEEED some water." "Mom, I NEEEED to go outside." "Mom, I NEEEED another cookie." Stella I'm not sure you neeed any of those things, but it sure is cute when you try to negotiate with me.
We started potty training this month, and oh my you are like a puppy. Really cute until you pee all over the floor. You really love taking off your "big girl undies" to go "pee pee in the toilet". We have succesfully learned that you love to be naked. Thats what you ahve learned from the potty training, not to actually go in your potty, but to be naked, ALL DAY. You love it, in fact a tantrum ensues the moment i come after you with your pull ups or even your cute elmo undies. No way, you want to be naked, and you need all of your clothes off to go potty. Not just around you ankles. But all clothes must be removed and left in a pile on the floor. It is easier to just let you go naked, although it makes the puddles on the floors larger. Its a good thing for cans of spot shot, which is in every dog owners home.
You are so grown up though, you love your new bed and get so excited that you can go potty in the toilet. You talk to me, you tell me about your day, you argue with me. I feel like I am negotiating most of our conversations. We negotiate bed time, nap time, how many kisses and hugs I am going to get. We negotiate your lunch and breakfast, and when you want to go home. Although exhausting, I wouldn't have it any other way.
I love you June Bug, you are pure happiness in our lives. You make things exciting and fun. You bring us back down to the basics, you teach us how to say prayers and eat simple food. You help us find joy in plucking grass out of the lawn and throwing it down again. Thank you for teaching us patience and kindness.

Love Love