dear kaya (3.25 years)

Dear Kaya,
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You are becoming such a little lady. You always say “please” and “thank you”, with almost no prompting from me, whenever it’s appropriate. You still love to help me with anything you can. Lately, you get very excited about helping to fold clean towels and washcloths. You also love to help unload the silverware from the dishwasher.

Because I’m a little late writing this, you have now “graduated” from nursery at church, and started the Sunbeam class. Your nursery leaders absolutely adored you, and told us that you had a sort of “calming influence” on the rest of the children in the class. I’m so proud of you for being a gentle, kind, attentive student.

Speaking of being studious, you enjoy our “homeschool preschool” so very much. You ask to do some kind of school activity every single morning, and I think you really cherish our time together. You tell me that you always want to stay home and do school with mommy instead of going to school with a teacher, but we still have a couple of years before we need to decide on that.

Singing is one of your very favorite things. You are excellent at memorizing songs and can pick up right where I leave off if I start singing one for you. You even “conduct” music and reenact church singing time at home with us.

You make up complex games and stories and are so good at independent play. When we’re together, I’m genuinely starting to feel like we’re just “hanging out” with each other. You’re so much fun, and I love hearing your ideas and what you have to say. You make me laugh every single day with your antics, whether you crack a joke or come into the living room wearing my pants and Kaelyn’s sweater over your pajamas._MG_0329Suddenly, you seem so very tall. You wear mostly 4T shirts and dresses these days, and I can’t believe we only have one more size until we’ll be shopping for you in the girl’s section.

You are so nurturing and loving toward all creatures, especially baby animals and human babies, too. You want a real puppy for your birthday, and you frequently talk about having another baby sister sometime in the future. You love to pretend that you have a baby in your tummy (really just under your shirt), and you’ll sing the “welcome baby” song from Daniel Tiger, and then your baby is “born”. Haha.

You take a 3-hour nap every afternoon. It amazes me that you still do, but I think we are both grateful for the rest.

I love you so much, Peeky. I’m so grateful you’re a part of our family!

Love, Mommy

dear kaya (2.75 years)

Dear Kaya,

You turned two and three quarters of a year old in June, but as is the norm lately, I’ve put off writing this, just because I have so much to say about you, my sweet daughter. I save up all these tiny details in my mind and mentally draft my letters to you so many times before I actually write them.

If I had written this back in mid-June, it might have been a completely different letter. Kaya, you have endured and persevered through SO much in this past month and a half. You are an amazing example to me of strength, love, and forgiveness.

Even though you were hurt by Jax, you never stopped loving him. You instantly forgave him, and you’ve risen above the possibility of letting a traumatic experience change who you are. You still love animals. You are not afraid.

You are strong._MG_7999I don’t know what I did to deserve to be your mama, sweet girl. You are so very tender-hearted and (almost always) looking out for your little sister.

You tell me when your stuffed animals are sad, tired, or miss their mommies, and then you nurture and cuddle them. You are always taking care of everyone, real or imagined._MG_8848The little things in life are your favorites. I love how easy it is to surprise you with something so small and see you find joy in it for weeks. Anything with an animal or Olaf on it is sure to win your heart these days.

You’re becoming so self-sufficient lately, too. You sometimes insist on making your own sandwich, and you’ve even started cleaning up your own toys without being asked. I can’t remember when our living room has ever been so tidy!

_MG_7985When we aren’t out on a walk, in the car, at church, or grocery shopping, you like to pretend that you’re doing all those things! I find it so funny when you grab your baby and your purse and start “driving” places.

_MG_8000Peeky, we love you so very much. You light up our lives in a way we couldn’t have imagined. You may still be small, but you’ve taught me so much already.

Love, Mommy

dear kaya (2.5 years)

Dear Kaya,

I’m a whole month late on writing you this letter, mostly because there is so much to say, and it’s so hard to sum up all of you into just a few paragraphs.

You are a little girl with a giant personality. In public and around people you don’t know very well, you’re quiet and shy, but with friends and family, your energy can fill up a room! You’re crazy and hilarious, sweet and gentle. You, my first baby, have a special way of making my heart so full it’s about to burst. The love I felt for you from the very beginning continues to renew itself day after day._MG_6915

You are a comedian, always making jokes and waiting for us to burst into laughter. You love to make Kaelyn giggle like crazy, whether you’re tickling her or saying some funny phrase.

You love to have your picture taken, and sometimes even ask me to take one (if I don’t already have my camera out)! You love to take pictures and videos of us, too, and will usually try to get us to look at the camera by saying “Look! Olaf!”, as if he’s standing behind you. I love your imagination. You also love to pretend to cook, talk on the phone (usually to Uncle Jeff), and soothe your “crying” baby doll or Kitty.

Speaking of Kitty, he’s still always wherever you are. You carry him under your arm, just like you have ever since you could walk. He’s real to you and is your very best friend. I love watching you care so deeply for something. You’re so nurturing, gentle, and loving both to Kitty and your real baby sister. It doesn’t matter how many times I wash him; he still seems to have a brownish tinge to him, although once upon a time he was a fluffy orange. He’s worn out from the adventures you have together each day (I think sometimes, as your mom, I could say the same!).
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I hope I always remember that feeling I get when you run over to me and hug my legs in between your trips down the slide, or when you come out to give me one more kiss and cuddle before you go to sleep at night (even if it is just your way of stalling bedtime). You are a daddy’s girl through and through, but you show me a tenderness that I hope will always be there.

Out of all the nicknames you have, you decided that you like to be called “Peeky”. We used to call you Baby Bird, then Birdy… and when we’d play peekaboo, we’d say “peekabird!” instead. Peekabird was shortened to Peeky, and I thought it was hilarious when you started referring to yourself that way. You know your real name is Kaya, but you prefer to use your nickname for sure.

You love animals and being outside. Even when we’re indoors, you load your baby and Kitty up in your shopping cart and pretend that you’re taking them for a walk._MG_6918I never want to forget the way your hair curls and glows a deep golden hue in the sun, or your big smile and gorgeous hazel eyes. You are so beautiful, inside and out.

_MG_6924I love you, Peeky. You are the light of my world.

Love, Mommy

kaya- 24 months!

I know I said that last month was going to be her final “monthly update”… but I have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote that. Of course she has to have her two-year update! After this, though, I’m just going to do them quarterly._MG_4146_24monthsHeight: 35 inches (80%)
Weight: 23 pounds 1 ounce (7%)
Head circumference: 18.75 inches (54%)
Clothing size: 12-18 month pants, 24 month shorts, 18 and 24-month onesies, 2T tees, and 12-18 month footie pajamas and 2T summer jammies. We’ve mostly moved on to size 6 shoes, but there’s definitely still room to grow there.
Eyecolor: Hazel/Gray/Greenish/Light brown.
Teeth: 20.
Eating: This girl either eats really well, or hardly at all. We switched to Greek yogurt and she hasn’t found a flavor she doesn’t like. She begs for cheese (even if she just hears me opening the bag in the kitchen), and still loves pasta and Mexican-type foods.
New words: She usually says a few new words every day now, but there were so many this month that I didn’t even make a list. Some of my favorites to hear her say: tomorrow, apple pie, and pumpkin. She’s also started to put together a couple of words… i.e. she’ll say “Jax… home” when we’re in the car.
Favorite things: Her shopping cart, any animals (real or fake), pretending she’s a puppy, slides, holding Kaelyn, reading, balloons, dancing, and hugging/doing silly things to Jax. She’s always finding a new way to climb or hang on something and pretend she’s a monkey.
Dislikes: She doesn’t like going to nursery alone, but I can get her to do it (through tears and holding on to me tighter than ever) during my Friday institute class. Michael takes her on Sunday and still can’t just drop her off.

She’s also been very attached to Daddy this month (ever since he wasn’t home to put her to bed one night). She asks for him as soon as she wakes up and again periodically throughout the day. She even tells me her animals are crying… and when I ask why, she just says “Dada”. Obviously she doesn’t like when daddy isn’t home.

Sleep: Bedtime is around 8:30 pm and she’ll still sleep about 12 hours. Naps are usually 2.5-3 hours long, but we did have a week where she’d wake up crying and cranky after only 1-1.5 hours.
Milestones, etc.: -She’s really started to play with her friends and not just next to them. It’s so fun to watch!
-Her memory and ability to associate things has definitely improved. We can say one word or line from a song and she’ll start singing another part!
-She’s great at playing pretend and building towers.
-I can give her almost any instruction and she’s able to follow it.
-She tells me when she goes pee or poop in her diaper… but I’ve tried sitting her on the potty and nothing has happened yet.

This month’s letter to Kaya is here.

kaya- 23 months!

This is it… her last-ever monthly update. Once she’s two, I might just do them quarterly. It’s so crazy that we’re already here!_MG_3786

Clothing size: 12-18 month pants, 24 month shorts, 18 and 24-month onesies, 2T tees, and 12-18 month footie pajamas and 2T summery jammies. We’ve mostly moved on to size 6 shoes, but there’s definitely still room to grow there.
Eyecolor: Hazel/Gray/Greenish. There have been days lately that they look extremely green!
Teeth: 20.
Eating: When she likes something, she really shovels it down! She’s most obsessed with cheese and yogurt. Pasta and Mexican are her favorite dinners. She started using a regular cup for drinking, but still doesn’t want milk (unless it’s been turned chocolate by cocoa puffs). Apples, bananas, and raisins are her favorite fruits; green beans are her favorite vegetable.
New words: Suddenly, she says at least one new word every day! I kept a list this month, but there are probably more I forgot to jot down: Ducks, Mama, Dada, clock, heart, boom, star, backpack, nut, bone, grass, whoa, wow, blocks, pop, my, cup (“up”), off, dirty, door, bows, wall, towel, home, up, eyes, honk, poo and bowls. Phew, that’s a lot!
Favorite things: Playing outside, her shopping cart, pretending she’s a puppy, pretending everything is a slide, holding Kaelyn, and hugging/doing silly things to Jax. She also climbs on anything and everything, so lately I keep calling her “Monkey” (and she always responds with “Eee! Eee!”)
Dislikes: She still won’t stay in nursery by herself.
Sleep: Bedtime is around 8:30 pm and she’ll still sleep about 12 hours. She also still takes a 2.5-3 hour nap, although we have had a couple days lately where her nap has been about 1.5 hours instead.
Milestones, etc.: -Finally, she’s TALKING! No sentences yet, but she uses words all the time now! It’s so much fun to hear her little voice and see her get excited about learning new words.

-She tries to get dressed, but her only success is putting her shoes on. She has taken off her own shirt, and for the first time ever, her diaper. GASP! Hopefully that means we’re close to potty-training.

Dear Kaya,

You are almost TWO years old! You’re the most fun girl I’ve ever met, and you make my heart feel so full. In such a short time, you’ve grown from a tiny baby into such an amazing little person.
_MG_3806You fill up our days with laughs. I hope you keep being the crazy monkey that you are, and I can’t wait to celebrate YOU next month!

We love you Birdy!

kaya- 22 months!

(written July 21st)

I feel like a lot of the little details about her are the same as last month, but somehow, she seems so much more like a little girl now instead of just my baby!

She would not sit still for a picture. I think I probably asked her “where’s Daddy?” or something like it for this shot, but I’d like to think she’s shrugging her shoulders because neither of us are quite sure how she’s already almost two years old!
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Clothing size: 12-18 month pants, 24 month shorts, 18 and 24-month onesies, 2T tees, and 12-18 month footie pajamas and 2T summery jammies. Some size 5 shoes fit and others are too small. Size 6 still seems huge though!
Eyecolor: Hazel/Gray/Greenish.
Teeth: 20.
Eating: She still has the same favorites, and will do anything for cheese, yogurt, or a fruit snack. If she sees the bag of shredded cheese, she excitedly says “CHEESE!” a bunch of times until I give her some. I won’t argue with her love for dairy- she still doesn’t drink milk from a cup, so at least she’s getting calcium this way.
New words: Cat, meow (“mmmm”), quack, cupcake (“cu-ca”), polka dots (“dadots”), pool, beach, pacifier (“pass”), and bye-bye (instead of plain old “bye!”). I still feel like she speaks in gibberish most of the time, but I have noticed that the inflection of her nonsensical sentences has started to sound a little more like English.
Favorite things: Being outside is her favorite thing ever. She still loves Kitty more than anything, and she follows me around all day with her shopping cart. She loves gently rubbing Kaelyn’s head, kissing and changing her own baby doll, and rocking her Kitty. Other favorite toys include her cornpopper and beach ball. She’s still a chapstick-stealer and loves to have her toenails painted and wear a million headbands all at once.
Dislikes: Staying in nursery at church by herself. Also, she’s been afraid of the vacuum for a while, but I never remember to write it here. She was full-on crying over it yesterday!
Sleep: We haven’t done so great with putting Kaya down at a decent time since we had Kaelyn. Kaya has been going to bed late (8:30 or 9 some nights) and then not waking up until about 12 hours later (and a lot of mornings, I’m the one getting her up). She still takes a 2.5 to 3-hour-long nap which I definitely appreciate more than ever these days.
Milestones, etc.: Someone learned how to use the big-kid swing at the playground this month!Processed with VSCOcam with hb1 preset

She’s also just the biggest monkey ever. She’s so thrilled to hang from the monkey bars and climb up this mini “rock wall” at the park. She’s super fast at running now and can throw a ball a decent distance!Processed with VSCOcam with a5 preset

She talks all day long in what seems to be her own language. I love it, but I do wish I could understand her!

Dear Kaya,

How are you suddenly so big? You’re totally crazy (but what did you expect, with your dad and me as parents?)!

These days, you’re super sweet and you love playing “mommy” to your Baby and Kitty. You also pretend that you’re a puppy and crawl around “fuffing” (instead of “ruffing”!) all day long._MG_3380

You’re energetic, and love to make us laugh. Sometimes, Daddy and I wonder what we ever did for fun before you came along, because we certainly never laughed as hard as we do now. We love you princess!

kaya- 21 months!

(written June 21st, all except the letter which was added July 2nd)_MG_2896-2

Clothing size: 12-18 month pants, 24 month shorts, 18 and 24-month onesies, 2T tees, and 12-18 month footie pajamas and 2T summery jammies. Size 5 shoes are starting to get a little small but still work.
Eyecolor: Hazel/Gray/Greenish.
Teeth: 19! Her top left 2-year molar came in this month!
Eating: SO MUCH FOOD! She is a little piggy and I just love filling up her belly. She has a salad (just like mommy!) just about every day. She is obsessed with olives (between the two of us, we can eat a whole can in one sitting), yogurt, and cheese. Her favorite foods are vegetarian chili, bean burritos or tacos, and pasta. I also started letting her have fruit snacks, which quickly became an ultimate favorite.
New words: Ball (“ba”), bush (also sounds like “ba”), baby (“ba-BA!”), yuck (“ck”), Jax (“ja-ja”)… and here’s the big one: “no!” She answers no to almost every question… unless we ask her if she wants to go to Myrtle Beach. The answer to that question is still a resounding head nod!
Favorite things: Playing outside, bubbles, puppies, ducks (rubber or real), stuffed animals, and pushing her shopping cart. She also loves to do everything to Kitty that I do to her (change his diaper, wash his face, feed him her snack, etc.)
Dislikes: Staying in nursery by herself.
Sleep: Bedtime is around 7:30 or 8, and she is usually up at 7:30 am. She naps for about 2.5 hours in the afternoon.

Dear Kaya,

I meant to write this before your baby sister arrived, but she surprised us all and came a little early. It’s so important to me for you to have these short letters though, so I figured late is better than never.

You really are my big helper these days. You help me start the dishwasher, load the dryer, and feed Jax. I love how much you love helping!

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We spent a lot of this past month finishing things that needed to be done before Kaelyn came. You were so patient during all of it, and you even loved trying out some of her things (like the infant car seat)! I love how silly you are._MG_2889

We were sure to get in some quality time at the playground, too. You love to be outside and running around! Some of my favorite recent memories are of us sitting together and blowing bubbles.

You might be my big girl now, but you will forever be my first baby. I love you sweetie.

Love,
Mommy

kaya- 20 months!

(written May 22nd)

“Say cheese!” _MG_2686Clothing size: 12-18 month pants, 12-18 month shorts, 12-18 month onesies, 2T tees, and 12-18 month jammies. I did bust out her 18-24 month onesies and summer jammies, but there is definitely still room to grow in them! Size 5 shoes.
Eyecolor: Hazel/Gray/Greenish.
Teeth: Eighteen.
Eating: This has been a great month as far as eating goes. She’s back to loving yogurt (seriously, she gets sooo excited at the grocery store about it that she barely lets us put it in the cart instead of straight into her mouth). The flavors she loves include cherry, strawberry, strawberry-banana, blueberry, and raspberry. And she’s still addicted to cheese! She loves to eat salad and pizza, too. We still give her a muffin in the morning, but lately, she hasn’t finished it and would rather have cereal or yogurt. It makes me so happy to see her fill up her belly with good food!
New words: Hooo-hooo (like an owl), stick, blue, bye-bye, boo!, crocodile (it’s in one of her books), shoes.
Favorite things: Playing outside, bubbles, ducks (rubber or real), stuffed animals (Kitty is still the favorite, but she really loves her lambs and puppies, too), reading books, riding her rocking horse, and jumping in her old exersaucer!
Dislikes: Bees and being told no? But who does like those things?
Sleep: Bedtime is anywhere between 7 and 8pm, and she wakes up between 7 and 8am lately. Naps are about 2.5-3 hours long and start anywhere between 11 and 1 pm these days.
Nicknames: Just because I know one day we’ll forget, these days we call her: Bird, Birdy, Peekabird, Peeky, Stompy, and Sweets.
Milestones, etc.: -She blows kisses with her hand.
-She gives kisses on the cheek!
-She’s now a pro at fake sneezing.
-She could wave goodbye before, but now she does it to everyone and everything all the time.
-She is starting to put a couple of words together at a time… really just with “bye-bye” though. She’ll say “bye Daddy” or “bye-bye toes” when we’re putting her shoes on.
-Michael has always done a “3…2…1!” countdown with her when they play and act silly (something crazy usually happens after the “1”), and so now she’s started counting down too! She does it before she goes down the slide or jumps/falls on purpose. It’s pretty hard to understand though, so I’m pretty sure no one besides Michael and I would have realized that she was counting.
-She can point to most all of her body parts when I ask where they are!
-On a less-than-happy note, real tantrums are starting. She screams tremendously loud when we do something she doesn’t like (and sometimes she’ll just scream for no apparent reason at all).

Dear Kaya,

Before we know it, you’ll be two years old! I guess we’ll stop counting the months at that point. I still can’t believe we only have one more monthly update before your baby sister gets here! You are definitely getting ready for her- you practice changing Kitty’s “diaper” just about every day (a million times a day), and you ask to read your “I’m a Big Sister” book pretty often. You even kiss the baby in the book!_MG_2588

I love that you are such a little monkey these days. The playground is probably your favorite place (and we’ve been going there a whole lot lately)! It’s so fun to watch you climb and discover new things on your own. Even though you’re so busy, you still make time to cuddle with me, and that’s one of my favorite parts of being your mom.

kaya- 19 months!

(written April 21st)_MG_2030-2

Clothing size: 12-18 month pants, 12-18 month onesies, 2T tees, and 12-18 month jammies. Size 5 shoes.
Eyecolor: Hazel/Gray/Greenish.
Teeth: Eighteen!!! Out of nowhere, I noticed her lower 2-year molars poking most of the way through. I’m not sure how I missed their debut (especially since I do brush her teeth every day). It’s so crazy to me that she got them so early!
Eating: She’s back to being picky again. She’s a cheese-aholic (especially since we introduced her to the string variety) and only wants to eat off our plates. Sometimes, she’ll eat my salad with me, but she mostly wants just cereal, pretzels, or peanut butter. She still loves Mexican food, but it just depends on her mood whether she’ll eat it or not.
New words: Cheese, stretch, tickle, go, cocoa, quack, ruffruff, and bawk (like a chicken)! She’s still not talking a whole lot, but she’s definitely making a lot more effort lately. She is pretty much a pro at animal sounds!
Favorite things:
She is suddenly SO obsessed with ducks- real ones or the rubber kind. She gets so excited and quacks like crazy. She also loves going outside/running around, going down the slide, cuddling, bubbles, “reading” to us, and riding her rocking horse. She’ll also drop everything and dance for Luke Bryan, Keith Urban and Taylor Swift!
Dislikes: 
Nothing that I can think of.
Sleep:
Bedtime is around 7-7:30 pm, and she wakes up around 8 or 8:30 am lately. Naps are about 2.5-3 hours long and usually start around 1 pm.
Milestones, etc.:
– She’s using a lot more words.
– She started going to nursery at church… sort of. She cries as soon as we get in the room and we can’t leave her side.
– She is a great helper. She throws away her own trash, empties the dishwasher with me, and helps load the clothes dryer.
– She can point to her toes, nose, ears, eyes, and mouth when asked!
– She gives hugs by request… cutest. thing. EVER.
– She can go down the slide all by herself!

Dear Kaya,

You are such a little monkey these days! We try to get outside and wear you out on every sunny afternoon we can. I love taking you for walks and seeing you stare at the world around you. You really love pointing out all the sheep, ducks, and puppies that we pass by!_MG_2064I’ve started to ask you “where’s your baby sister?”, and you’ll point at my belly. If I ask you to, you even give her a kiss! I just know you are going to be her best friend and my biggest little helper.

Love, Mommy