Dear Emmylou,

On Tuesday, you turned seventeen months old. I have to confess that I had to go back and count on my fingers to be sure just how old you were! That should tell you how big you're getting. In fact, that's what everyone says when they see you now-- how much you've grown and how you're not a baby anymore but a little girl. While I do miss that little baby, you sure make the transition easier for me by being so much fun to be around. Maybe I shouldn't tell you this, but I've never been much of a fan of toddlers. Listening to the whining, tantrums, and exhaustingly chasing around a 2 foot tall human tornado just never appealed much to me (maybe that's still coming?). So I guess that's what has been most surprising to me these days: that I actually LOVE to hang out with you! That you don't hamper the good times but actually make them better! I can't tell you how thankful I am that you were on your best behavior on our big trip. Actually, I don't think it was your best behavior, I think you were just being yourself. Anyway, I was worried for weeks that it was a mistake to try taking a one and a half year old to Europe, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I can honestly say it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without you and your humor and enthusiasm. It's too bad you won't remember the trip, because believe me, you had a great time. Your favorite things on the ship were the bank of glass elevators (those never got old for you: "oooh, oooh, oooh!" [pointing/running/getting on the wrong elevator]), seeing the live music every night (especially the trombone and drums in the Big Band orchestra and going to the piano bar) and the never-ending pounds of blueberries and watermelon brought to you by the waiters. Out in the cities, your favorite things were seeing various European dogs ("woofs"), eating lemon granitas, and running your own cross-continent spaghetti/pasta taste test.

Now that we're home, you're back to your usual favorite antics: wearing whatever shoes are laying around the house (you've even figured out how to put flip flops between your toes the right way by yourself) and trying to call foreign countries on the phone when I'm not looking. I figure you might be bored without having a new European country to explore each day now, so I've been trying to take you out as much as possible. Yesterday Grammie came in and we took you to Barton Springs where we watched the swimmers, played on the playground and then shared snowballs on the train ride around the park. Before we went, we had lunch at Shady Grove where (I'm embarrassed to say) you sat on top of the table-- we tried a booster seat rather than a high chair but it wasn't so effective because you just climbed out-- but you impressed me as you dumped out all the sugar and Sweet 'N Low packets from their holder and then restocked them, sorted on your own by color. Where did you learn to do that? And a few days ago you matched animals in a book, sliding open a window to reveal an animal and then pointing to the same animal on the facing page. I'm just wondering-- are you like a genius or something? Anyway, I'm so proud of you and all of the new things you're learning.

What a fun month this past one has been. Maybe it's sweeter because I didn't expect it to be like this, but I simply couldn't ask for more. I love, love, love being your mom and I know getting to your eighteen month milestone will be a blast.

Love you,
Mama


Probably calling Azerbaijan...




Trying on a couple pairs of shoes...