28 Months

I visited her daycare on my lunch break and she was sitting at a table with 6-8 other little ones, playing with play-doh. She wanted to get up when she saw me, but I sat on the floor beside her instead. I was so impressed with her fine motor skills. She was rolling the play-doh into 'snakes' and learned to roll a plastic pizza cutter/wheel while I was there. She quite pleased with herself, and would cut a piece and then give me a high-five.

She loves wearing her blue Disney Elsa princess dress, and loves to wear it to daycare with sneakers. I never want to forget dancing and twirling in the kitchen with her, as I made breakfast and we listened to "This is Halloween" from the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. Daddy came out and said "look at my girls!" as she approached him for a dance.

I read in monthly developmental milestones that she would start playing independently for up to 20 minutes at a time and like clockwork, she started! She loves little houses and figures, and can often be overheard speaking for them and putting them to bed.

We packed a lot of fun into this month, starting with a weekend at the Monarch Beach Resort (formerly the St. Regis) in Dana point. 

We also went to Zoomars on one of the first days they opened, before the crowds. She rode a pony all by herself for the first time, holding on to the saddle and being led away from me. She loved feeding the guinea pigs, chickens, lamas and goats and rode the train. She also loved the huge vat of corn, and stayed in there for close to 30 minutes before decorating her pumpkin that we got to take home.

We bought a 15 foot trampoline this month and she absolutely loves it! Her friend Tommy came over one weekend to jump, but mostly, she wants me in there with her and I oblige. Dad also takes her in while I have my piano lessons every Friday afternoon.

The Long Beach half marathon was my first half since becoming a Mom. I signed up for this race the day I learned that our 4th IVF did not work. It happened to fall on the 3rd anniversary of my Mom's death and I was reflecting on Mom a lot during my run, and missing her like crazy.  I thought of how she would not be at this finish, like she was at so many in the past, but then my thoughts turned to who was there: my amazing, precious little girl. The relief and thankfulness I had when I thought of how fortunate and blessed I am to have her was overwhelming. As I was running, I decided she would be a little race bandit, and cross the finish line with me. It's easy to focus on what we're missing out on when we loose someone so important that we hold so dear, but we need to remember what we do have. I could not ask for a more amazing little girl and cannot imagine my life without her in it. I feel as if my life really began when I became her Mom.

This month we also went to a local fair, Centennial Farms, another pumpkin patch, the Long Beach Aquarium and Disneyland. Although officially fall, the month ended with some days near 100 degrees. Little A continues to pick up new words weekly, if not daily. One day when I picked her up at daycare, I asked her to say goodbye to everybody. "Goodbye everybody!" she proudly exclaimed.

We purchased new baby chicks and a big project for the end of the month was a large coup for them on our side yard. I'm really impressed that my husband did most of the work, with help from his cousin Kevin. The end of her 28th month left us with Halloween  looming, and a lot to look forward to.

Things I don't want to forget about this month:

• When she toots, she says "That's me!"
• Crossing the finish line of the Long Beach half holding her hand.
• One windy morning, her saying "Wolf outside! Huff, puff! Scary."
• Hugs and kisses for Trevi, just because.
• Asking for a baby from Santa.
• On a run, telling her Grandpa was coming over and her asking "Glennie too?"