21 Months

 

Dear Joycie,

As the Christmas season began, you turned 21 months old.  Mama thought it would be fun to snap pictures of you through out the day of December 5th.  The first photo is how we find you each morning – all balled up, socks and covers long since gone….

And a peaceful expression on your face.   It warms our hearts to see you like this – we swear you are almost angelic.

Here are your stats for this month:

• You are 44 inches long and weigh 28 pounds.
• You are wearing 2T in tops, and have moved up to 24 months in bottoms. .
• You are now wearing size 7 shoes.
• After nearly a year (or more) in size 3 diapers, we have finally move up to size 4 diapers.

Your vocabulary is growing at a rapid pace.This month you learned to say the names of all of your classmates at daycare, each of your teacher, and a handful of the other students.   You are asking for help “Hep me, peas” is your go to phrase.

Another big milestone this month is that you went potty by yourself for the first time.  Daddy and I plan to focus on potty training after the holidays as you seem quite interested in getting rid of diapers.  In fact, last week at school, you took off your pants and wet diaper on the playground because you were tired of wearing them.

I think it is safe to say we may be seeing the signs of the “terrible twos”.  No is one of your favorite words – and we are having to use lots of time outs when you fail to follow the instructions we give you.  Thankfully, you are quick to learn from your mistakes – and one time out a day has you back on track.

You enjoy doing things by yourself – like dressing, brushing your teeth, and getting your cup/snacks out of the cabinet.

Daddy and I try to allow you to do things by yourself. But sometimes, we come back to find things like the picture above.  Somehow while brushing your teeth, you managed to unroll an entire roll of toilet paper. All we could do was laugh.

 

You are mesmerized by the lights and ornaments on the Christmas tree. But want NOTHING to do with Santa.  You had a part in the children’s Christmas play at church….and danced/sang to every song.

Some of the other parents said that you were even more behaved than the older kids.  We had to agree – you continue to be a pretty laid back, mild mannered little girl….but there is enough spunk to keep us on our toes.

We can’t wait to see what the new year brings with you, Joycie!

Love,

Mama & Daddy

20 Months

 

Dear Joycie,

Time has gotten away from me and your 20 months letter is nearly 3 weeks late. I am sorry, sweetheart. However, it has been a busy time in our lives.  Between work, school, and church activities, Mama has had little time for blogging.  But better late than never, so let’s get started with your stats:

• You are 42 inches long and weigh 27 pounds.
• Your clothing sizes have changed yet again. You are wearing 2T in tops, and have moved up to 24 months in bottoms. The 24 months are still too big in the waist, but fit you properly in length.
• You are now wearing size 7 shoes.
• After nearly a year (or more) in size 3 diapers, we have finally move up to size 4 diapers.

Your vocabulary is continuing to expand – you are starting to use more 2 or 3 word sentences to express yourself. Your favorite expressions are:

• I want cup.
• I go ouside (I go outside).
• We go to kurch (We go to church)
• Peas (Please) Mama.

This month you have fallen in love with the movie Rio.  You could watch the movie over and over again.  While Daddy and I do not let you do that, we do allow you to watch it some in the evenings, and we love to hear you sing “Rio, Rio” with the movie  and dance to the music.

You are starting to show signs that potty training may be in our future. You often tell me “I go pee-pee” or “I go boo boo” when you are wet or have a dirty diaper.  You have done this without prompting from Daddy or I.

You are still trying to assert your independence and strong will, and sometimes with shout “No Mama, No Dada.”  But general, a stern voice gets your attention, and you follow our requests without much fuss.

Joycie – You are such a delight to us.  We continued to be amazed at how quickly you are growing, learning and changing. And even more amazed at how much we are changing with you.

Love,

 

Mama & Daddy

19 Months

 

 

Dear Joycie,

Last Wednesday, you turned 19 months old. This month has brought lots of new accomplishments and a few challenges, which we will talk about in a second, but first for memory’s sake, here are your stats:

• You are 41 inches long and weigh 26 pounds.
• Clothing sizes are still all over the map for you.  Your pants range from 12 months to 24 months, and your shirts are now 18 months (in tunic length) to 2T (because your arms are so long)
• You are now wearing size 6 shoes – apparently, your feet have hit a growth spurt.
• You now have 12 teeth.
• You are still in size 3 diapers….and I am thinking you are going to be in those sizes for quite some time

Now on to the accomplishments.  In the past month, you’ve expanded your vocabulary to include “Quiet”, “Lay down”, “Daddy/Mama gone'”, and “Mine,  mine, mine”.  You are now able to undress yourself and have mastered the art of putting on your shirt, pants and shoes are still tricky.

You continue to adore your cousins and were so excited when you Lacey and London had sleep overs with you.  99% of the time, you play very well with them, but there are times where you do not want to share….and sometimes you take the toys they are playing with. 

I think it is safe to say that you’ve started experiencing the “Terrible Twos” (ahead of schedule) as there are days where nothing we do makes you happy, you refuse to follow directions, respond to every question with a loud “No!”, and if you are disciplined become a shrieking, crying, fit-throwing little girl.  We have to remind ourselves that you are trying to learn your boundaries, and we try to respond with patience and grace.  Thankfully, your bouts of temper are short lived, and within  mere minutes are smiling, happy girl returns.

This month has been a bit scary for Mama and Daddy.  In recent days, you have started experiencing “seizure like episodes” – so you are going to seeing a neurologist soon. We have to admit that Mama and Daddy are worried, but we know that God’s is fully in control and taking care of you.

You have been a joy to us since the day you were born and we just know that God has fantastic plans for you.  You already show a huge love for Jesus – dancing to worship music, wanting Mama to read to you from your picture Bible, and bowing your head so sweetly during pray. We pray that we can continue to foster that love in you, and that Jesus will use you in a mighty way!

We are so grateful to be your parents!  We love you sooooo much!

~Mama and Daddy

18 Months

 

Dear Joycie,

You are now 18 months old….nearly 19 months old as Mama took a little to long to get around to posting this. But better late than never. Here are your stats for this months:

• You are 40 inches long and weigh 24 pounds.
• Clothing sizes are all over the map for you. Since you are long and lean, you can wear anything from 12 months to 24 months. For example, on Sunday you wore a dress that was size 6-12 months. Today you have on a 24 month top and 12 month shorts. 
• You are now wearing size 5 shoes and should be in size 6 by the end of the year.
• You have 10 and a half teeth. There is another tooth on the bottom that is attempting to come in – we can see it but it has yet to break the skin.
• You are still in size 3 diapers….and I am thinking you are going to be in those sizes for quite some time.

Your vocabulary continues to grow. This month you’ve learned to say “Sit down"’, “Come on”, “Up”, and “Hold Me”.

You are learning the names of the various people in our life – both friends, family and schoolmates.  You still love music and dancing.  Whenever you get frustrated, I often turn on your kids music cd and the tears stop immediately.

This month we have started weaning you off of your “pap”.  We went from having it all evening, to just a bed time, to only in the car, to not at all for the last few days.  You are still finding a few stray paps here or there (I wonder how many we bought over the last 18 months), but we are usual able to take them without incident.

You are starting to assert your independence – wanting to pick out your own shoes, dress yourself, or climb into your own car seat.  We are both proud and dismayed by this – as it is a reminder that you are growing up.

We love you to the moon and back!

~Mama and Daddy

17 Months

 

Dear Joycie,

You are now 17 months old….and becoming quite the active little girl. As always, we will begin your letter with your stats:

• You are 40 inches long and weigh 22 pounds.
• You are wearing size 18 month bottoms, size 12 month bottoms, and size 4 shoes.
• You have 10 teeth.
• You are still in size 3 diapers….and I am thinking you are going to be in those sizes for quite some time.

Your vocabulary continues to grow. This month you’ve learned to say ‘No, no, no’, stop, shoes, oustide, ahts –at (what’s that).

You can point out various body parts including your hair, head, teeth, tongue, hands, arms, feet, and tummy. When asked you can make the sounds of dogs, cats, cows, and ducks.

If we had to choose your favorite toy, the Dora the Explorer guitar and microphone would win. You love to play with them, dancing and singing along to the music. However, you love being outside more than anything.

Daddy is in the process of building you a swingset so that you can enjoy the hot pink swing that Nana and Papa bought for you.  When you aren’t swinging, you like to explore the yard – picking up sticks, rocks, and dirt.

At school, your teachers say you are very loving. Each afternoon when Mama picks you up, you give your teachers hugs, blow kisses to your classmates, and tell everyone we pass bye-bye.

You are a constant source of joy for us.  The silly faces you make, the funny noises, and your infectious laughter warm our hearts so much.

Love,

Mama & Daddy

16 Months

 

Dear Joycie,

Another month, another letter – one more attempt for Daddy and I to capture all the memories that we want to cherish for years to come.

Let’s start out with your monthly stats:

• You are wearing 18 months tops and 12 month bottoms. The 12 month bottoms are still big in the waist, but it is mostly because you are so long.
• You are holding steady in size 3 diapers.
• You now have 10 teeth – cutting 6 in the last month and ALL at the same time.

Your vocabulary continues to expand. In the last month, you have learned to say “No, no, no”, “Shh”, “Amy”, cup, and juice.  You are also learning the various sounds that the animals make.

You absolutely love music. At VBS last week, you climbed on stage every night to dance with Mama as we led the worship music. In the car, you point at the radio and insist that I turn it on….and then happily clap your hands and kick you feet in time with the music.

You are quite the little ham…..you love to make silly expressions and funny noises so that you can be the center of attention.  You are also growing more and more inquisitive – exploring the world around you.  You especially love to be outdoors – where you can play with rocks, sticks, and anything else you find in the yard.

As bittersweet as it  may be, Joycie, we have to say that you are growing into an amazing little girl!

Love,

Mama and Daddy

15 Months

 

Dear Joycie,

Another month has come and gone, and now you are 15 months old.  With each passing day, we see less of the tiny baby that we brought home from the hospital, and more of a beautiful little girl.

 

This was another month full of exciting changes for you. To begin with, you cut 2 more teeth, bringing your total up to 4 – 2 on top, 2 on bottom.  At daycare, you moved from the baby room to the 1-year old room, where you have already become the “leader” as your teacher calls you. Each morning, you walk down the hall, open the door on your own, and go inside to find a friend.  Then you turn around give me a kiss and say “Bye.”  At day’s end, you blow kisses and wave bye to your teacher and your friends.

In the last month, you have become more adventurous – looking to learn anything and everything about the world around you – which sometimes gets you into trouble.

You love to ride on the 4-wheeler or tractor – and it doesn’t matter whose driving. You laugh so big as the wind blows thru your hair, and you clap your hands with excitement. 

You are learning to point out your body parts. We have mastered head, eyes, and tongue – which you show by sticking it out and wiggling it. And you all say “so big” if asked how big you are.

Speaking of how big you are, here are your stats for this month:

• You weigh 22 pounds, and are 31 inches long.
• You wear 18 month tops, 12 month bottoms, size 4 shoes, and size 3 diapers.

We love asking you various questions and watching your response – either a big head shake yes, a small head shake no, or a quizzical look if you are not sure….and the occasional yes and no.

 

You are changing every day Joycie, and each changes excites us as we fall more and more in love with you!

Love you lots,

Mama & Daddy.

14 Months

Dear Joycie,

Today you turn 14 months old. Can we take just a moment to grasp the fact that you are over a year old – we say it all the time but you are growing up so fast!

It has been a busy month for you. It began with a week long trip to Orlando. While Mama was in seminars and lectures, you led the life of leisure with Nana Nancy and Papa Babo back at the hotel. You loved playing in the pool, riding the elevator, and jumping on the bed. During one the rare moments of free time, you had dinner with Goofy and Pluto – and were in awe of them. Daddy and I plan on taking you back to Orlando later this year for a family vacation.

You continue to expand the types of table food that you eat. You seem to get really frustrated if we try to feed you – you want to do it yourself. We are allowing you to feed yourself anything as long as it does not require a spoon.  Your tastebuds are very sophisticated – and if you don’t like it – you’ll shake your head no or promptly spit it out.

Along with the trip to Orlando, you enjoyed your 2nd Easter.  Last year, you were too little to understand what Easter was – sleeping thru most of it. But this year, you woke up early for the Sunrise Service at church and were so quiet as you watched Papa Mike preach.

After sunrise service, you put on your pretty Easter dress and we went to church. After that, we had a huge Easter dinner at Aunt Lane’s.  You were so wore out that you slept thru lunch and the Egg hunt. But you had already hunted eggs at your school and at church. 

In terms of your growth here are your stats:

- 31 inches long, 22 pounds

- Wearing size 12 months shorts/bottoms and 18 months tops. (You are long and lean)

- Still in size 3 diapers and probably will be for a bit longer.

- Your feet have grown and you are now wearing size 4 shoes.

 

Joycie, you have a huge zeal for life. From the time you wake up in the morning till you go to bed, you are full of laughter, smiles, and lots of energy. Each day you teach us something new, make us laughter, and of course marvel at how something so awesome belongs to us.

We love you so much!

~Mama & Daddy