23 months!

Maddie,

You've grown so much in one single month.  I am not sure if it's because you've been with me for a month and not around little kids your age or what the reason is but your vocabulary has soared and I can all of a sudden have conversations with you and know that you understand me.  I can understand you as well.  It's such a nice feeling to talk with you.  In some aspects this has been a tough month for each of us while in other aspects I think it's been stellar.  I've made every effort to get you out and about and you have really loved doing so.  A couple of weeks ago you started mentioning your school friends which made me sad.  You even cried their names at nap time.  You went from crying "Mama, Dada to  Emma and Lu-lu"  That broke my heart.  Sleeping has been difficult for you at the new apartment.  You started noticing the fact that you could hear our upstairs neighbors walking overhead and I explained to you that it's just the people walking.  Now, everytime you hear them walking you yell "people walking!"  They get up super early in the morning and you have been waking up when they wake up...5:45 or so.  Naps are tough too especially when they are home and walking around and you are frightened.  One day you cried and cried and I wanted to badly to yell upstairs "stop walking"!

Well,  Daddy and I are sitting here and you are in St. Louis.  You will be there for a few more days and I can't wait to get you back home.  I miss you and so does your Daddy.  I was so sick a few days ago and now I feel much better.  While I miss you like crazy Daddy and I have gotten so much done for your return home and the new babies arrival.  She is due in just 7 days.  I am anxious to have our family together and whole.  I am anxious to meet your sister and to have you meet your sister.

Can you believe it's 17 days until your birthday!?!  I can't.  I have been thinking of special ways to celebrate your big day even though we won't have family in town.  I have some ideas!

Here are more pictures of your new school from our visit a couple of weeks ago.  I am eager for you to begin and for you to get to escape the house two days a week and just be a kid.  I think you will need the break with a new baby at home and it being so cold outside.

You love to be covered up.  You lie down and say ni-ni?  Asking to be covered up when you say ni-ni.

We went swimming a couple of weeks ago at the YMCA.  We got you a new swim suit and you were such a ham in front of the changing room mirror.  You loved your suit and you and I had the best time in the pool. We sang songs and threw our ball and went to get it.  We jumped and so much more.

My girl after waking up.

We made Christmas cookies the week before Christmas and had so much fun.  Daddy made cookies from scratch and we decorated them with icing and sprinkles.  You were much more into decorating the cookies than the gingerbread house.

On my birthday this year I wanted one thing.  I wanted to spend time with Maddie.  Good quality time doing something she would love.  So, I took you to an indoor waterpark and we played for a couple of hours. You surprised me.  You didn't want to play in the toddler area you wanted to ride on the lazy river over and over and over again.  When it came time to leave you threw a pretty big temper tantrum but that's how I knew you had fun.  You snapped out of it, we got dressed and you fell asleep on the way home.  That night we had pizza and spent time together as a family.  It was my idea of a perfect birthday.

Putting your Christmas gift together.  You loved your house.

You loved your big bear from Mimi, too.

All dressed up for Chinese dinner in Chinatown.  Merry Christmas.

The morning after Christmas in your new monkey pajamas.

One morning you were in a cranky mood and cracked Wilson over the head with your hand or a toy and I asked you to apologize which you refused to.  A half hour later I was busy doing something else and looked out of our room to see you giving Wilson a hug (a headlock hug!)

Just minutes before leaving for the airport to spend a week with Mimi, Markie, Aunt Nancy, Uncle Shawn, Carson and Lilly.  I was so torn up sending you away.  I was so sick, you were getting sick and I wanted to spend as much time with you as I could before your little sister arrived.  I cried as I  said goodbye to you.  It broke my heart.  It wasn't the way I wanted things to happen.

We talked to you by skype on our i pad.

Then I found out the baby wasn't coming on the due date, so Daddy flew to St. Louis to pick you up and brought you back that afternoon.  I missed you sooooo much!  We played peek-a-boo on the drive home from the airport!

This is how we passed time when I felt bad.  Lots of TV and stickers on Mama's belly.

 Maddie on her special sofa bed with sunglasses sticker on her forehead.

My Chicago girl on the "El".

Maddie and her best friend "Wuh-Wuh"

Welles Park - on the Maddie swings

The Day before Harper was born you woke up from your nap with a fever of 101.  Mimi came in that night and I went into labor.  Your fever spiked that night at 104.7.  I felt so helpless not being there.

Medicine gave you energy!

The day after Harper was born you came to visit me at the hospital.  You still looked sick and didn't get to meet Harper but I got to come down to the cafeteria and spend time with you.  I missed you so much.  I will always remember three things about that special visit.  Me getting off of the elevator and you running to me saying "Mama Mama" with the biggest, sweetest hug.  You looking under my shirt wondering where the baby went and showing you a video of Harper and your reaction.  There's a video of you watching the video.  It's so sweet.  You two were just floors away but wouldn't see each other until we brought Harper home.  You and I took a picture.

You and big bear.

I can't believe you will be 2 years old.  Two of the best years of my life.  I love you more than you will ever know.

Love,

Mommy