Busy Summer!

What a summer!*

One thing is clear…Mia LOVES Summertime. Well, I guess that’s not too surprising, considering her family of sun worshipers. As the summer draws to a close and the long days gradually fade, Mia finds herself with a golden glow to her skin and her light brown hair has hints of blonde from being kissed by the sun. She’s had her first couple of haircuts. Ok, maybe her first set of bangs was a touch too short. Personally, I think she looked very Portlandia! They went well with all her tattoos (she’s quite a fan) and her “skinny jeans.” Honestly, I was a bit terrified to cut her hair, but her curls made the experience quite forgiving. Besides, with that face, it’d be impossible to do too much damage.

Mia is quick to correct anyone who calls her a baby. “I’m a toddler!” she declares without hesitation. She readily requests proscuitto and melon for her snack (which she can finally pronounce correctly—no more “nat”) and she loves San Pellegrino bubbly water with a splash of lemonade (that’s how she requests it). Her vocabulary is enormous and, I’m not kidding, she can recite the 50 states in alphabetical order, pausing only to give a shout of glee when she reaches the Os. “That’s Oregon! Mia and Gramma and Bop and Mama and Dada and Reggie and Jakey live in Oregon!” Then she proceeds with Pennsylvania, noting that Dave and Courtney are from there and finishes up with a proud, “Wyoooooming!” We have a wonderful wooden puzzle with all the states and she’s already learning where they all are too. If you ask her who the president is, she says “Obama!” She recently pointed to some Republican presidential candidates on the front page of the Oregonian and declared, “I don’t like them!” She knows her name and address and she’s working on learning my phone number. She is beautiful, bright, fun, funny and everyday I am more grateful that she is in my life.

After Mia’s wonderful June birthday party, the summer took a while to get going. In fact, we had a lot of cool gray Oregon June days and, while we snuck in quite a few days at the park, it didn’t really feel like summer for a good month. Mia was my gardening buddy and was by my side as we tossed seed potatoes in the rich soil and strung up our pea trellis. Mia anxiously notified anyone who was interested what we had planted and she helped me select beautiful, fragrant roses to plant in our Mia Hana Rose garden. While Mia was in daycare for three days a week during the first part of the summer (we dropped it to two after a bit), I was able to take care of things around the house. That, of course, left ample time for super fun activities ranging from trips to the Children’s Museum to raspberry and cherry picking at Lark and Mark’s farm.

In late June, we did an impromptu outing with the some of Mia’s favorite people. Our trip to the zoo with Kara, Gavin, Coen, Pete and Oliver was a blast. It was a beautiful day and Mia was in heaven with her buddies. She talks about them all the time and even named one of her favorite dollies Coen. We had a great time checking out all the animals—especially Kara’s favorite, the Naked Mole Rats. Mia didn’t stop talking about those boys all summer. She loves them and clearly considers them her family.

Mia loves doing things ALL BY HERSELF! She knows to put the tags in the back when putting on her pants. She climbs in and clips herself into her booster chair without any help and she particularly loves pumping the hand soap when she’s washing her hands. She likes to pick out her own outfits and, despite her mom’s protests, has, on occasion, arrived at school wearing jammies under her jumper. As long as her choices are weather-appropriate, I have other battles I’m going to choose to fight (like mother, like daughter, I suppose).

Once the sun decided to finally come out, I set up a “beach” for Mia on the brick patio. She had her pool and a great sandbox (found on craigslist!). She’s had a great time making sand castles and learning about keeping sand in the sandbox. We’ve had some nice quiet summer evenings swinging on the patio reading books in the hammock and watching birds visit our birdfeeders. Mia loves fill the feeders with seed and always reminds me that we have to be quiet while birding.

We’ve had a few discussions about appropriate use of our hands. Mia has experimented with hitting a bit. On one occasion, Mia whacked me on the chin and I said, “Oh no, Mia. Was that an ok way to use your hands?” She replied, “I need to go think about it,” and proceeded to sit herself down in a corner. The hitting has waned as the summer months have gone by and it seems that it’s a passing habit. Tantrums, on the other hand occur on a fairly regular basis. Mia is a great sport and a patient little girl 90% of the time. However, when things don’t go her way (ie. She would rather NOT get off the swing yet), she is not afraid to throw a fit. A fit typically begins with foot stomping. The foot stomping is usually accompanied by a shrill cry as she slowly backs away. That’s right. She backs away. Her arms fly into the air as she backs away toward whatever danger awaits her. She flashes a look as if to say, “ if I get hurt…it’s YOU’RE fault! She backs away, all the while shaking her head, flailing her arms, tears streaming down her face. As quickly as it began, it ends (usually). Sometimes, it requires a distraction (a snack of some sort). Other times, a different arrangement will usually do the trick. On one occasion, Mia wanted to take a nap with just undies. I told her that was not an option. She threw a fit. Finally, I said, “Ok, Mia. If you want to wear undies, you have to try to go potty before your nap.” She looked up at me with smiling eyes and said, “Ok, Mama. Good compromise.”

This summer, we picked strawberries, cherries (sour pie and sweet), raspberries, marionberries, lavender, plums, blueberries and tomatoes. Kelly kept the green beans and snap peas coming all season (Mia still won’t eat them) along with the occasional bouquet of sweet peas. We made raspberry and strawberry jam and enough tomato sauce to last the year. Mia is quite the helper in the kitchen and, I’m proud to say that she can identify dozens of fruits and vegetables. She is an adventurous eater and doesn’t mind a bit of spice. We often have sourdough waffles made in her circus waffle iron from Grandpa Rick and Grandma Marla and Mia would eat sausage three meals a day if we let her. She eats a lot of chicken and loves salmon with rice. She’s outgrown her obsession with tortellini and prefers spaghetti noodles instead. She’s a big fan of fruit leather and raisins for her snacks and still loves cheese and yogurt. Sometimes, I’m shocked at how much food that little one can eat. It’s not surprising that, after meals, her little belly swells and becomes round and cherubic.

On both of our visits to Lark and Mark’s farm, Mia had the distinct pleasure of feeding the chickens a treat of corn off the cob. Auntie Lark showed Mia how to check for eggs and Mia had fun hollering, “Hey you chickens! Want some DINNER?” Mia absolutely LOVES Lark and Mark’s farm and her eyes light up whenever I mention it. When I recently asked her who her grandmas were she said, “Grammie Chris, Gramma Linda, Gramma Marla and Auntie Lark. What a lucky little girl she is!

We had a great trip to Sun River with the Durhams, Jepsens, Gladstones, Carpenters and Missy and Chad. We visited the High Desert Museum and saw otters, eagles, owls, badgers, porcupines, and trout swimming up a stream. Mia and Gavin and Coen watched the otter for quite some time and it’s become one of Mia’s most favorite animals. We, of course, had to let Gavin and Coen know that otters are animals with very good manners and would prefer that they not be referred to as “Snotters.” It was a joke that really never stopped being funny. Even though I was bedridden for most of the trip due to a broken collar bone, Mia went swimming, swinging, saw deer in the wild, out-ate both the Gladstone boys, sang the “Hello Song” 5 million times and loved sharing her favorite books with anyone who would read to her. We had an impromptu song circle with all the kids and Gramma leading (Bop accompanying on guitar, of course) and Mia decided that she definitely loves vacation.

We did trips to the Zoo, Oaks Park, The Children’s Museum, Washington Park, Willamette Park, Marshall Park, Alberta Park and Sauvie’s Island. We swam at the Wilson pool and Mia’s growing confidence in the water is remarkable—again, not surprising, given her genes. She bravely faces the big slide at the pool and is definitely a water baby.

It’s already beginning. Moments pass when I’m looking at Mia and cannot believe how quickly she is growing. Everyone said, “It goes by so fast! Appreciate this time while she’s little.” I am frequently taken aback by her strength, intelligence, honesty and ability to bring a smile to peoples’ faces. I love her and continue to delight in our time together.

*Clearly, I am behind on my posting. I’m finally finishing up Mia’s summer recap in mid-october. Such is the life of a working mom, I suppose.

Two!!

Mia just celebrated her second birthday and, boy...was she excited!! We had a

lovely party with many of her buds, Grandmas Grandpas and Aunties. It was a beautiful day

(one of the first after a LONG winter) and the love was definitely apparent. Gramma Linda put

on a fabulous song circle, complete with bubbles, and all the kids had a blast. We are SO

lucky to have her and can't wait to play this Summer.

At the age of two, Mia continues to be the light of her mama's life. I am so proud of her

and impressed with her ability to be thoughtful, loving, creative, smart, beautiful and unique.

She can be a quiet observer or a gregarious participant. She loves her family and loves to

read. She loves her cribby and LOVES her blankie. She is beginning to develop VERY clear

attitudes and ideas about how things should be and, occasionally, she gets upset if things don't

turn out the way she planned. People keep warning me about the "2s" for some reason I'm

not really sure what they're talking about, so I mostly just ignore it.

This is the part where I get to talk about all the things Mia is doing lately. As I've said before,

I am in awe of her. Here's why...

Mia is learning Spanish. We use bilingual books and we practice Spanish flash cards.

She is a natural. I teach her a word once or twice and she knows it. She is beginning to be able

to trill her rr (carro and perro), and she loves yelling "¡Adiós, amigos!" when we're saying

goodbye. She knows how to stress the second á in Mamá and Papá too! Mostly, we just

work on vocabulary words, but I try to incorporate some dialogue as well. It's fun for me

to hear her use Spanish words and it makes me excited to think about

trips to Mexico with her in the future. Finally...I won't have to do all the talking!

Easter was a blast. Mia got to dye Easter eggs, make Easter bread with mama, hunt for eggs,

dig into an Easter basket and eat...HAM! She loves it. She can't get enough. She is NOT,

however, a fan of hard boiled eggs. That much is clear. This Easter, Mia discovered a love

of Dove chocolate eggs. Can you blame her? She really enjoyed hunting for eggs and,

while she didn't totally get the "hot/cold" instructions, she found all of them with a little help

from her parents. It was so fun to really "do" Easter with her. I think it might just get better

every year. And by the way, mom, when you asked if you could finally stop doing Easter

baskets for Missy and me, I nearly fell over laughing so hard. Good joke. Really.

Mia loves music. Gramma Linda and Mia go the the library music class every Friday and we

spend a lot of time singing together. Mia has learned the words to dozens of

songs and she definitely has her faves. Here are a few of the ones she loves:

• Hello, Everybody (Mia's favorite! Not so much Mommy's, on the other hand)
• ABCs
• Baa Baa Black Sheep
• Baby Beluga
• Puff, the Magic Dragon
• The Bubble Song
• Biscuits in the Oven
• The Wheels on the Bus
• Anything by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (She likes to flash the horns to it in Daddy's car)
• Braham's Lullaby
• Itsy Bitsy Spider (and, of course, Huitzi Huitzi Araña)
• Twintle Twintle (still working on those Ks)
• The Hotey Potey (darn Ks again!)
• Old MacDonald
• Down by the Bay
• We're Going Down a Bumpy Road
• Weenie Man
• Two Little Blackbirds
• Walking Walking
• Aiken Drum (the Man in the Moon with hair of spaghetti)

Her favorite artists include Anne Murray, Peter Paul and Mary, Raffi, Marlo Thomas (Free to

Be You and Me) and Wee Sing (in the Car). It is a joy to hear Mia sing. She keeps the beat

by tapping her foot and loves to clap her hands. She knows the hand gestures that accompany

her favorite songs and, no matter where we go, she is drawn to the music. She particularly

likes to put the money in the tip jar at the Hillsdale Farmer's Market. Gramma insists that

she WILL have music training. Well, I'm not one to get in the way of Gramma, so, as I like to

say...Qué será será.

Mia has discovered Peter and the Wolf and Lemony Snickets, The Composer is Dead (on

the recommendation of Auntie Casey). We sit at the computer and read the book and

listen to the music and she is in heaven. She'll be able to identify the parts of the orchestra

before we know it. Not kidding. She can sit and listen to the entire album. She especially

loves the pictures of Peter (designed by U2 artist, Bono).

Mia's life with her dad is filled with fun. They go on long bike rides, visit the Portland Farmer's

Market, eat at the Pizza Store with David who makes Mia a special meatball every time,

feed the ducks and geese (who I've heard are a bit scary!) and play with play dough. They listen

to the Chili Peppers and read about Kimo, the Hawaiian surfer. Mia is thrilled to see her

Daddy and loves her time with him.

It's official! Mia goes pee-pee in the potty. And that first time (at 22 months) was a BIG deal. Little miss sparkly eyes followed her mama in to the bathroom, sat down and peed, just like that. I, of course, went absolutely nuts with excitement and told her how proud I was of her and called Gramma and her Daddy to share the good news. After it all happened, Mia kept repeating, "Proud of you. Proud of you." I knew it was just the beginning to potty training, but I'm so glad that Mia did it all on her own terms and timeline. She knew the potty was available.

She played with it for a few months, read books about it, thought about it. Then, she was ready.

Now, every time she goes in the potty, she gets to pick a sticker to put on a chart. After she goes, I say, "Mia, do you know what time it is?" and she yells, "Ticker time!" (still working on that S + Consonant). It's quite a milestone. We're not done with diapers yet but, I have a feeling that this Summer we'll be well on our way.

This Winter was a long one. The rain seemed to linger for ever and, the weather was still cold and unpredictable through June. June 3rd was our first 80 degree day of the year. Mia spent some good afternoons puddle stomping and talking about wanting to play outside. Of course, once we were out there, she would say, "Brrrr...it's chilly out!!" and we headed back in pretty quickly. Her current favorite outside games (when we catch a clear day) include riding her tricycle FAST down the driveway (with Mama in tow, of course--she still can't quite reach the pedals), picking up pine cones and leaves, riding in her wagon (also FAST), watching Reggie spaz out in the driveway, looking for Jakie, watching planes and "hoticoptors," raking the leaves out of the driveway drain, playing in the fountain, watching Mama scoop (and fling!) Reggie's poop, planting things in the garden, and identifying birds and flowers. Mia can now identify a daffodil, daphne, roses, lilacs, ferns, moss, camelias, tulips, hollyhocks, daisies and petunias. She can also identify crows, flickers, robins, hummingbirds, geese, swans and ducks. She now knows that when I say, "Mia, do you want to go work in the garden?" that it means that I'll be distracted by weeds and won't give her my full attention. She usually responds, quite simply..."no."

Mia had tubes placed in her ears in May after several ear infections. She has had an endless runny nose and cough that seemed to last all winter. The minute she felt better, she was knocked back down with another bug. Poor little girl. She's had a really rough winter and, after round and round of antibiotics, we decided to do the tubes. The procedure was very fast and relatively pain free. She hasn't had an infection since and, while she's still fighting a runny nose, she is definitely better off with the tubes.

Mia has several games that she enjoys at this time. Of course, she's a huge fan of Peek-a-Boo, but, really...who isn't? She also likes puzzles, flash cards, going down the slide, shooting baskets in her hoop (she got one for her birthday!), Farm, blocks, coloring, painting, practicing writing her name, spelling three letter words (she can recognize Bop, Mom, Dad, Fox, Cat, Dog and Mia). She's beginning to enjoy being chased and she loves trying to play hopscotch, although she's not quite able to jump with two feet. One of her most favorite games is "Pillow Palace." We line up pillows all over the floor in the guest bedroom and she jumps off the bed onto them (about 8 inches down). She is bold and brave and joyful as she flings herself into the heavenly landing. For her birthday, Mia received a horse from Gramma and Bop. She is completely THRILLED by it and was filled with glee as she learned how to ride it. I can't help but think this might be the beginning of her long love of horses.

Mia loves to have tea parties with Auntie Anna on Mondays and she's very excited by tiny babies. She has two baby dolls, one named Ella and the other one named Baby. She loves feeding them bottles and putting them to bed with blankies. She also loves giving them bok choy and corn to eat.

Everyone that hangs out with Mia is amazed by her language development (when she decides to do some talking!). It is sometimes shocking to me to hear certain words and ideas come out of that little mouth. Here are a few stories:

• I was cleaning up papers in the office. Mia started shuffling with papers too. I said "Whatcha doing, Mia?" She responded..."Organizing."
• Annalise asked Mia, "What's your favorite vegetable?" Mia replied, "Rhubarb."
• When you ask Mia, What do you do to go really fast, she replies, "Drop the hammer!"
• She nonchalantly yelled out, "I love Dave. I love Courtney. Tiiiiiinnny Baby!"
• Often, she uses please, thank you, you're welcome, excuse me unprompted. Sometimes, she still needs reminders, however.
• She says, "I wanna nack, please (still working on that darn S!)
• I told Mia she had a snail that lives in her nose (see Shel Silverstein) that would bite her finger off if she stuck her finger in there. She cracked up and started telling everyone about it. One morning, I went in to her room and she had her finger all the way up her nose and said, "I love my nose nail."
• Mia knows the names of ALL our friends. She can identify them all in pictures and refers to them using little mental tricks she's developed. She associates them all with something we've done with them and doesn't seem to forget. It is quite remarkable how much she remembers all the people she has met.
• Mia knows how to "Keep in Touch." We touch the tips of our pointer fingers and say, "I love you, " while maintaining eye contact, even if just for a second. She even initiates it. Of course, it completely melts my heart!
• She says, "Where you going, Bop?" when he leaves the room.
• When I say, "Mia, what city do you live in?" She replies, "Portland." Me: What state do you live in? Mia: Oregon. Me: What's the name of the river that flows through our state? Mia: Willamette. I mean...really? Is this not shocking? She's TWO, for crying out loud. I think I'm in trouble.
• "All by yourself."
• "So proud of you."
• "Too big."
• "Too tight."
• "I hungry."
• "I hot."
• "Mama, tis it." (kiss it")
• "I want milt, please."
• "MINE!"
• "That's Mia's."
• In the car, "Mama's house. That way" (and she's always right.)
• "Daddy's house. Over there." (and she's right)
• "I want a special treat, please." (constantly)
• Mia: I want a plum (dried prune--might as well be candy). Me: You can have one. Mia: I want two, please.
• Me: Mia, when people say hi to you, you need to respond, 'hi.' Let's practice a bit. "Hi, Mia." Mia: "Hi (big smile)." At the market, some random lady says hi to Mia. She responds, "Hi." An hour later, Mia: Mama, hi. I'm so proud of you. (She was really proud of herself for following through and saying hello to a stranger. Often, she's a bit intimidated and shy).
• "Music, mama."
• "Nice and warm!"
• "Flash the horns!" (thanks, Dada!)
• "Want some food, Jakie? Jakie's eating"
• "I want my humidifier."
• "Shata" (Shaka--hang loose sign)
• "I want my music box. (The one Gramma and Bop brought back for me from Switzerland in 1981)
• Me: Mia, how big is your belly? Mia: HUGE!
• Me: Mia, do you want to take off your bike helmet since we're done riding? Mia: NO!
• "No, Reggie!"
• "Scuse me, Reggie."
• "Hi, Jakey! Mama, I love Jakey."
• Mia points out landmarks on our drives: "Old school." "New school." "Tato store." "Fred Meyer." "Other Fred Meyer (our local one is being remodeled)." "Pizza store (Pizzicato)." "Car wash." "Willamette River." "New Seasons." "Big park." "Little park." "Kelly's house." "Gas station." "Market of Choice...just your size (they have miniature shopping carts that Mia LOVES to push around)."
• We go into Market of Choice and she marches up the the meat counter and yells, "I need a sausage, please!"
• "I love you, Gramma (completely spontaneously)."
• "ALL DAY LONG!" This is what Mia says when she gets to have Gramma to herself on Fridays.
• "Mama sing it. Gramma sing it. Auntie Anna sing it. Dada sing it." This is what Mia says when she hears a song that one of her favorite people usually sings.
• Me: Mia, how are you feeling? Mia: Happy.

Mia is not always happy, however. She is dabbling tantrum land and I've gotten a taste of

what might be to come if she decides to continue down that path. She stomps her feet. She cries. She flings herself to the floor, face down. She backs up. That's right. She backs up, as if to say, "because of you, I'm going to blindly back myself into potentially dangerous territory. I may seriously hurt myself by backing up and falling or knocking myself out or breaking a bone or causing serious damage to my body and ALL BECAUSE YOU WON'T LET ME HAVE ANOTHER SPECIAL TREAT AFTER I'VE ONLY HAD TWO!!!!!!!! YOU'RE MEAN!!!"

As a mom, it is sometimes difficult to know what to do when she clicks into tantrum mode.

Most of the time I let her feel her feelings, rub her back and tell her that I know she's feeling

frustrated. A few times when she's stomped herself silly and is melting down over the tiniest

thing, I can't help but crack a smile or even chuckle a bit. I've quickly learned that this is NOT

OK with Mia and I should NOT be doing any such thing while she is upset. Fair enough.

I'm sure it'll be interesting to see how this progresses. Bop likes to look at me in these

moments of extreme stress and with a snarky smile and say, "hmmmm...reminds me of

someone I know." I'm sure he's enjoying the payback.

Mia is beginning to enjoy doing things "All by yourself (herself)." She feeds Reggie, puts on her

shoes, puts on her pants, brushes her teeth (with a little help from mama), climbs up and down

the stairs, although she still prefers to be carried, if possible, eats with a spoon and fork, gets

on and off her new pony, climbs in the wagon, climbs on her tricycle, stirs (whatever we happen

to be cooking), and gets undressed. She enjoys challenging herself with new tasks and is

persistent about completing them.

Mia is still a bookworm. Sometimes Gramma and I both will have to say, "C'mon, Mia. We

need to get off this couch and MOVE," when we've done too much reading. If Mia had her way,

we would simply read books all day long. She never gets tired of it. Her current favorite books

are:

• Oh, What a Busy Day (still)
• The Real Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
• Do Unto Otters
• Picture This
• The Belly Button Book
• The Big Hungry Bear
• Cars and Trucks and Things that Go
• Maple Hill Farms (still)
• Hickory Dickory Dock (and other nursery rhymes)
• Baby Beluga, the book
• A Good Day (Thank you, Susy Blackman--it's one of her most favorites!)
• The Duck Stuck in the Muck (or something like that)
• Silly Sally
• Dr. Suess' ABCs
• The Foot Book
• Hop on Pop (Thank you, Sam Blackman and fam!)

There are plenty of others that she can't put down. She loves the bilingual books and anything

with farm animals. More than anything, she likes to really look at the books. She memorizes

them quickly and loves to do interactive reading. She never tires of looking for that Goldbug!

One of my most favorite things about Mia is what she does for Bop. I've never seen him filled

with such joy. I think she could even get a tatoo and he wouldn't be mad at her. She loves him

so fully and that "vacation smile" that mom used to always talk about, the one he only had

when we were in a tiny fishing town in Mexico, away from all phones and secretaries and

courtrooms. Well, every time he's with Mia, I see it. It's quite wonderful to witness and I'm

so proud that I can be a part of something that brings him such happiness.

I love that Mia gets excited by birds and flowers and puzzles and music. I love that she is

a smart, happy girl with a busy life. I love that she eats dolmas and tacos de carnitas and

salsa de mango and bleu cheese. Gramma doesn't love that she loves beets, but I do. I also

love that she is pensive and cautious. She appreciates good music and knows how to have a

good time! Mia is constantly surrounded by loving and caring people and I have no doubt that

she will continue to delight and inspire them!

Endless joy

Mia is officially a toddler. She is 21 months old and talking up a storm. She is smart. She has a sense of humor. She is sweet. She is beautiful. She is loved more than she could ever imagine. However, she does have some idea of how much. When I ask her, “do you know how much your mommy loves you?” She replies, without hesitation, “A lot!”

January arrived with a renewed sense of peace in our home and 2011 started out as a good year. Mia celebrated New Year's Eve with the traditional festivities with Dave and Courtney. She was happy to give Dave her dinosaur puppet book and was thrilled with his gift to her--her very own cell phone. She calls him on it constantly and had a great time ringing in 2011 with such good friends. She can’t wait for the baby in Courtney’s tummy to pop out!

We put away the Christmas ornaments, said goodbye to the Christmas angel that lives in Kelly's yard. We took down the lights and put away all the new toys. Mia transitioned back to school without much ado and we got back into our usual routine.

Mia is still going to bed around 7:00. We've stopped doing an evening bath because she usually showers with me in the morning. Her skin was getting a bit dry with all the water exposure, so we decided to change up the bedtime routine a bit. Her current daily routine is as follows

· Wake up around 5:00 and come into "the big bed." She yells "MAMA'S BED" around 4:45 and I usually give her 15 minutes to change her mind and go back to sleep in her crib. She NEVER chooses that option, so I bring her into bed with me. Usually, she'll snuggle in and fall back to sleep for another hour. Sometimes, unfortunately, she decides she's had enough of this sleeping business and is ready to start her day. She say’s “light on,” and “a boot” and paws at my face until I finally do her bidding.

· We get up and jump in the shower. Mia sits happily on the floor of the shower and colors with her soap crayons or plays with her tub animals. She particularly likes her little honu. One thing that has started in the last couple of weeks is that Mia insists on picking up all her crayons and toys before leaving the shower. "Clean up, clean up," she sings as she puts her things away.

· Then, we dry off and Mia sits on the bathroom counter while I do my hair and put on some make-up. Mia brushes her teeth with her electric toothbrush and organizes the Q-tips. She also likes to comb her own hair and keeps me company by naming all the objects on the counter. She is generally happy in the morning and, as long as she's NOT on the floor, she likes to just hang out while I get ready.

· Then, we get dressed. Fortunately, Mia doesn't have very strong opinions about what she wears yet. She's back to liking dresses (she wouldn't wear one for a while there) and she likes to talk about her "outfit." She knows the difference between jeans and sweatpants, shirts and sweaters. She HATES jeans and socks that are too tight and loves her little down vest that I got her when she was 6 months old. Somehow, it still fits and I think she'll cram herself into it until it won't zip anymore. She also loves her little blue wool hat I made for her.

· Once we're all dressed, we head downstairs for breakfast. Lately, Mia's been enjoying waffles, pears, cereal with milk, peanut butter toast, raisins, oatmeal and occasionally eggs (although some days, she won't touch them). She points out Mama's "hot coffee" and narrates everything Reggie and I do " Mama...paper. Reggie...sit. Mama...toast. Reggie...bad dog. Mama...breakfast. Reggie...Mia's breakfast. etc..." We always scan the paper for pictures of animals. We usually find at least one or two.

· After breakfast, we brush teeth (electric toothbrush is loads of fun), bundle up and head to school. As we drive by Mt. Carmel, Mia says, "old school...friends." When we arrive at Next Generation, she says, "new school...buddies." When we walk into school, her friends Isaac and Ethan always yell, "Mia's here!" Drop off is never stressful. I sit with Mia for about 5 or 10 minutes, read some books to her and her little buddies and leave without a fuss. It's so nice to know that Mia is happy at her school. They constantly tell me how impressed they are with her language development. The other day, her teacher Samantha told me Mia was the "teacher's assistant" because she was helping teach all the other kids how to talk.

· In the car, Mia sings “ABCD” and “The Wheels on the Bus” all the way to school. She loves to point out the gas station, busses that pass and always comments on the weather—especially if it’s raining (“raining, pouring…brrrrrrr”).

· After school, I race to pick up Mia. Daddy picks her up on Tuesdays and takes her for playtime at his house. The other days, I greet her at school and she comes running into my arms. It is quite a thrill to have someone be so excited to see me. We head home and talk about our days. Sometimes we stop at the grocery store or a park, if it’s not raining and freezing, but usually we just head home and dive into our books.

· Dinner is usually something I heat up that was made over the weekend.

Mia's Auntie Anna picks her up on Mondays still and brings her home to play for about an hour until I get home from my meeting. We all eat dinner together and play until Anna heads home around 5:30. Mia LOVES her Auntie Anna and always looks forward to their playtime.

Friday is Gramma’s day. Mia absolutely quivers with glee knowing that Gramma is coming over to play. Usually, they head to the library song circle around 10:00, then to Baja Fresh for “tatos and beetos.” She still eats a ton of mango salsa and everyone there knows her. Often, Bop will stop by for a visit on his way to Salem or, if he’s working in Portland for the day, Gramma and Mia will make a trip to Bop’s house to see him. After their day, Daddy comes to pick up Mia and takes her for dinner at the “Pizza Store” (Pizzicato) where they eat meatballs, ronis, and pear salad. David, the guy at the pizza store knows Mia and has a meatball ready for her while the pizza is being made.

Mia can read books for hours. She loves hunting for the Gold Bug, Dingo Dog and Officer Flossie in Cars and Trucks and Things that Go with Bop. In fact, she can point out the Gold Bug on every single page faster than anyone who reads with her. Dave Jarecki was reading with her recently and kept asking, “How does she do that?” She is becoming interested in Potty books, although is not too interested in using the potty. She loves rhyming books and is able to complete the sentences in Go, Dog Go, Front Back, Down by the Station, and A Baby Body Book, and dozens more. She loves Hop on Pop, Old Farmer Brown, Maple Hill Farms and, of course, Oh, What a Busy Day.

One of my favorite parts about raising Mia is watching and listening to her language development. She has blossomed into a skilled conversationalist and seems to learn dozens of new words every week. At 21 months, she can recite the entire alphabet, count to 10 (not always in proper order), point out important landmarks on our usual car routes, comment on feelings, recognize opposites, remind her parents of things they said they were going to do, recognize her name in writing, name all the body parts, all the food she eats (and doesn’t eat), tell us where something hurts, name all the important people in her life, give commands to Reggie and Jake, ask for what she wants, say please, thank you, excuse me, make jokes and on and on and on. It is fascinating to me to see how far she has come in such a short period of time. She’s even able to say a few Spanish words (carro, perro, taza, gato). For “carro,” she says, “ca-d-d-d-o.”

Mia often refers to me as “Mama Amy” and knows everyone else’s “real” names too. She associates Huck with Missy, Bibi with Auntie April, Greg with Annalise and she’s named her baby doll “Ella,” after Ella Rosenswig. Recently, when we asked her, “Who is Chad’s dog?” She replied, “Missy!” Not to worry…when we asked her, “Who is Missy’s dog?” She promptly replied, “Chad!”

January went by rather quickly. Unfortunately, Mia had a runny nose and lots of congestion for most of January and February. It seemed like every time she started to feel better, five minutes later, she was sick again. It’s almost safe to say that she’s been fighting a cold since October. Now that we’re in March, she is finally feeling great and doesn’t have a runny nose. What a relief it is. She’s had several rounds of antibiotics and she looks forward to her acidophilus “treat” (she can actually say “acidophilus” now) each night. Speaking of supplements, Mia also takes a squirt of vitamins with fluoride each day and chews a little ball of fish oil. Which brings me to a sad tale that has a happy ending, thank god!

One day, Mia was eating her breakfast and asked for her “fish oil treat.” I gave it to her and immediately got back to the dishes. A minute or two later, I picked her up out of her chair and we started to get ready to brush our teeth and leave for school. We both noticed that the fish oil had spilled on her favorite blankie. Not a lot. Just enough. It absolutely fouled her special blankie and no amount of hot water washing was able to remove the smell. Fortunately, Mia had a second favorite blankie that hs been a perfect substitute. I did offer her the original blankie after washing it several times and she promptly handed it back to me. I guess she can be persuaded to embrace change under the right circumstances.

Mia had her first haircut at 21 months. The baby mullet had to go. I was all set to take her to a baby haircut salon ($20/cut) and, at the last minute, I decided to do it myself. I’m not a hair person, but I must admit, it came out better than expected. Her teachers at school were raving about her new do.

Mia is not 2 yet, but I’ve gotten a small taste of what a tantrum looks like. When Mia is frustrated or mad, she throws up her arms, looks at me like I’m digging a knife into her heart and begins to stomp her feet. She slowly stomps backward as if she’s going to hurl herself at whatever danger lurks behind her. I know that she is just unable to “organize her feelings” as Gramma says, so I simply get down to her level, hold her closely and tell her, “You must be feeling very upset, Mia.” Sometimes I hold her tightly and her entire body relaxes. The tantrums are very short-lived and usually happen when she’s tired or hungry. To be honest, it’s difficult not to smile when they’re happening because she’s so dang cute and so easily appeased. I learned the hard way that she DOES NOT want me to smile when she’s frustrated.

Mia is quite the naturalist. She can identify a daffodil, a dogwood flower, a hollyhock and a tulip. Her Auntie Lart would be proud of her skills as a Bird Nerd as well. She loves to spot hummingbirds ("hummers"), crows, bluebirds, flickers and cardinals (in the books, of course). She knows what sound a chickadee makes and loves to point out Canada geese around town. She frequently requests the "nocunars" in order to spot her favorite feathered friends.

Mia loves planes. And helicopters. And anything that flies and hangs out in the sky. Oftentimes, we'll be eating breakfast at 6:30 a.m. and she'll shout out, "PLANE!!" Without fail, she hears it before I do.

Here are a few more things Mia says and does these days:

· She blows kisses to the star in Kelly’s yard every night

· She says, “Yes,” instead of “Yeah.”

· In the car, she points out and names her old school, new school, tato store, gas station, daddy’s house, big park, little park, Fred Meyer, coffee store, grocery store, bus, school bus, MAX train, moon, raining/pouring, choo choo train, tram, bicycle, mail, etc…These are things she names without any prompting from me.

· She crawls into a familiar lap and sweetly says, “hi.”

· She says “Excuse me” after she sneezes or toots or when she wants to pass by and you’re in her way.

· She reminds me of all the people who brush their teeth (Gavin, Coen, Abie, Solly, Auntie Missy, Huck, Auntie Anna, Audrey, Henry, Gramma, Bop, Mama).

· She still loves peek-a-boo.

· She points out which way to go in the car (“this way…that way”).

· She loves to play with Q-tips and loves to organize her rubber bands and clips.

· She pushes baby Ella in her little stroller around the circuit of the house.

· She stomps in puddles.

· She hollers out for “WATER” in the middle of the night.

· She loves hats and looks great in them.

· She requests what she wants for breakfast (usually toast with peanut butter, fruit, waffles, cereal with milk—Crispix is her favorite, or oatmeal).

· She helps with the cooking and cleaning.

· She loves going to the Children’s Museum, the Zoo, the Indoor Play Park, the regular park.

· She LOVES to ride the escalator. Sometimes, we’ll head downtown and see how many escalators we can find. Turns out, they are everywhere!

· She paints. And she’s good.

· She colors.

· She puts things in shopping bags and walks around the house.

· She LOVES “Nakey Baby Time” which takes place nightly about 20 minutes before bedtime (which is still around 7:00).

· She will not touch a green bean. Still.

· She loves juicy fruit (pineapple, melon, mangoes, berries are some of her faves).

This list is obviously incomplete. Mia is quite the dynamic little person and to remember all the special things she does is nearly impossible. But, at the very least, it’s a small window into her life in these times.

Mia and Jake have a special relationship. Mia is head over heels for Jake. She rubs her face in his fur. She cries if he runs from her. She squeals with glee if she sneaks a peek of him outside. She likes to smother him and read with him and talk about him. She likes to watch him eat and wave bye-bye as he runs out the door. He is the most patient, sweetest cat I have every known. We are lucky to have him.

Mia and Reggie also have a special relationship. Sometimes, I think Reggie things she’s a puppy. We spend a lot of time on “Reggie’s couch” reading together. Mia becomes upset if she’s invited Reggie onto his bed to read and he chooses not to. One major benchmark that Mia has achieved this month is that she is doing her first actual chore. Each morning and night, Mia scoops Reggie’s food from the bag into his bowl. She knows how much to give him and knows that he’s supposed to wait until she’s all done to go ahead and eat. When she says, “go ahead, Reggie” he dives in. She is proud to be helping and I’m proud that she feels that way.

In late February, we took a trip to Black Butte with the Jepsens. Baby Oliver was there (two months) and so were Gavin and Coen. It was a lovely trip and Mia was thrilled to have so much time with her Grandparents and buddies. She was sick for much of the trip, however. In fact, she was sick for most of the winter. She is prone to ear infections and, after this last round of antibiotics, she experienced her first week without a runny nose in five months. We are happy to kiss this flu season goodbye and keep our fingers crossed about avoiding having to install tubes in her ears.

Mia is still routine-oriented. She likes to be told what is going to happen and she likes to rehash what she’s done. She is still somewhat reserved with new people and can be painfully shy if she’s sleepy or grumpy. For the most part, she is an observer and is very thoughtful when she decides to engage. Her laugh is contagious and her tummy is irresistible (especially when it’s “HUGE,” after mealtime).

I love Mia more everyday and am so thankful that I get to be a part of her life.

Blowing Kisses

Mia Hana Rose, at 19 months is truly an angel. She has sparkly eyes, wispy hair, beautiful skin and the sweetest demeanor imaginable. She is bold at times, shy at others and continues to be the light in her mama's life. Mia is a stunning beauty with long lashes and Great-Grandpa Durham's lips. She is strong and stable, running with ease, nimbly climbing in and out of "the big bed," and up and down the stairs on her own. She is still long and lean and has the cutest tummy ever. Looks like Auntie Missy's favorite nickname has finally been passed on. Mia is allowing me to cut her fingernails now (a huge relief) and her fine motor skills are improving everyday. She eats with a fork and spoon and most of the food actually makes it into her mouth. Mia doesn't love vegetables. Dr. Lin says it's really common for kids her age, but I wish she would eat at least something green. One time, I snuck a pea into a Mia-size handful of meat. She took one bite and spit the entire mouthful out. She would not be fooled.

Some of her favorite foods include, but are not limited to; yogurt, apples, pears, grapes, noodles ("nu-nus), gardenburgers, rice, dipping sauces, cheese, melon, meat (braised), waffles, cereal with milk, black olives, salmon, tomatoes, bananas and, of course...tacos! Mia loves tacos. She calls them "tatos" and her favorite flavor is carnitas. Oftentimes, her first word of the day is "tato," as if she were dreaming of them all night and wanted to be sure to put in her dinner requests to the chef early. She eats salsa picante and loves black beans and rice. Gramma takes Mia to Baja Fresh for tacos de carnitas every Friday after library song circle. It's no surprise that my last visit to Baja Fresh went something like this:

Me: Hi, we'd like two tacos de carnitas and some mango salsa, please.

Counter girl: Oh, I know her...she usually gets two orders of mango salsa!

5 minutes later, at our table...

Me: Mia, do you like you're taco?

Mia: Aggressively nodding, "YES!"

Girl mopping the floor who happens to be passing by: One time, I saw her eat 3 whole tacos!

Yes, she's now a regular. From now on, I just have to say, "she'll have 'the usual.'"

She still loves putting things in containers, but mostly, she loves taking them out. She's starting to realize that everything has a place and she's eager to help put away her toys at bedtime.

Mia has a budding sense of humor that comes out when she bursts into laughter while reading one of her new favorite titles, Yummy Yucky. She can listen to "I've been working on the railroad" 25 times in a row, each time growing more cheerful when we start "strumming on the old banjo." Gramma has taught her 45,000 songs and Mia knows all the moves that go with them. Which leads me to Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving in Alpine was beautiful. Dan and Christine put out an incredible spread and being on the vineyard was calming for us all. We only stayed one night, but it felt like a real vacation. The Gladstones were there, but Sarina was on bedrest--baby Oliver was a bit eager to get a move on at that point, so she and Pete were only there via skype. Missy was in Kansas visiting Chad's grandparents. Another one of Kara's friends was there with her two girls, so there were 5 kidlets total and Gramma decided to do a music class for them after dinner.

Everyone gathered in the living room and each kid found a lap. Gramma led about 10 songs while she and Bop played the guitar. It was pretty magical watching everyone sing with glee. The class ended with a train of kids and moms choo-chooing through the house. Needless to say, everyone felt so blessed and thankful to be together in such a beautiful setting.

On our way home from Alpine, I decided that Mia and I would stop in at the Woodburn outlet mall to run in quickly to see if there were any good deals on cheap clothes--mostly for myself, since none of my clothes have been fitting lately. We found a parking spot that was about a city block away from the store I wanted to check out. Since it was late in the day, I figured I could leave the diaper bag in the car and just carry Mia. She's not a huge fan of shopping, and I try not to take her when I can, but I decided to roll the dice this time. After 5 minutes in the store, she pooped. Not a small poop. A large poop. So, I scooped her up and walked back to the car to change her. In the five minutes we had been in the store, I saw two or three things I wanted to buy that were screaming deals that I couldn't pass up. We went back in, sans diaper bag. This time, she made it about 2 minutes. She pooped AGAIN! Not a small one. A BIG one. So, I surrendered, packed her up and went home. Serves me right for shopping on black Friday!

The long weekend offered a much needed rest for us and it was exciting to begin counting down the days to Christmas.

Gramma and Bop brought over a beautiful Christmas tree and Mia helped me decorate it with all our ornaments. She, of course, discovered the Christmas taco early on and wanted to point to it each time we came downstairs. We put up lights and decorated the house and every time we came home, it felt warm and cozy. Mia loved watching the lights turn on each morning. She quickly learned which stocking belonged to her and loved reading all the Christmas books (which I got for a quarter apiece at the neighborhood book sale!). Each time Gramma came over, she brought Mia an ornament from her collection to hang on our tree. So fun!

Gramma also sent us a digital advent calendar for the computer. Each day, Mia clicked on the snowglobe and watched a 30 second video of something happening in Winterland. It was Mia's first real exposure to screen-time, I'm proud to say, and the little snippets were the perfect amount for an 18 month old. Her favorite one was the three elves and Santa playing Jingle Bells in a jazz quartet. She couldn't get enough.

Auntie Missy and I took Mia to look at the big tree in Pioneer Square and she loved the hustle and bustle of the evening downtown. Afterward, we went to Baja Fresh and Mia had "the usual."

Mia loved opening each Christmas card and taping it on the door. The first one we got was from the Haucks and Mia was elated when she saw pictures of Audrey and Henry greeting her each morning. She now knows the names of everyone on the door as well as everyone on the fridge and is particularly fond of Auntie Lart and Uncle Mart (she's still working on the "K" sound!).

Mia helped me make our Julekake Christmas bread and thoroughly enjoyed the process. She kneaded, stirred, punched-down, sampled the cherries, and ATE! She probably ate more Julekake than I did this year. She particularly loved it for breakfast with butter with a bit of fruit.

Mia got to hang out with the Bastas crowd and particularly loved her Auntie Casey. Auntie Robin finally got to meet her and fell in love instantly. It was so good to have them all in our house.

Mia learned all the big Christmas words (wreath, tree, present, lights, Santa, stocking, bell, candle, candy, party, star on top, etc...) and it's going to be impossible for me from this day forth to keep track of everything she says. Her vocabulary grows everyday and I'm constantly amazed that she can really tell me what she wants. On a side note, the other day, Mia busted out with, "Dammit!" and a big smile. I'm going to go ahead and blame Auntie Missy for that one. Back to Christmas. One of the most magical parts of Christmas for Mia was the beautiful angel that our neighbor Kelly put out in her back yard for Mia to see each night. It is about 3 feet tall and every night, Mia loved looking out on her and blowing kisses. It's now January, and Mia still asks if she can see if the Angel has returned.

Holly, Jesse and Ella had a wonderful Santa Party on the 23rd. Missy, Mia and I walked down and after about 30 minutes, SANTA arrived! Ella's Uncle Jeff missed the whole thing, but we all got to see Santa. He knew everybody's name and had a present for each child. At first, no one wanted to go sit on his lap, but when he called Mia's name, she rushed over to him, took the present he had for her, stuck her thumb in her mouth and ran back to her mama. Of course, Missy and I shook our heads quietly and tried to contain the laughter.

On Christmas morning, Gramma, Bop and Auntie Missy, having spent the night at our house, woke up and helped me celebrate Mia's first coherent Christmas with a wonderful, relaxing morning. Mia got a beautiful new kitchen and tons of toys. She was a bit overstimulated by all the presents and wanted to play with each one as she opened it. I learned my lesson that less is definitely more, but I must admit, I had a hard time resisting a few new toys for her. Aunt Rainey sent books and clothes for Mia and the LaToufs sent box after box of presents too. Mia dug into her stocking like a champ. I think her favorite stocking present was either her new slinky or her electric toothbrush (thank god, we can finally brush her teeth without a fight!).

Christmas night, we spent with the Jepsens again, but this time the Gladstones weren't there. Sarina and Pete made it and Sarina was about to pop with baby Oliver. He ended up arriving days later, healthy and perfect! Mia played piano and sang songs and had a ball on Christmas night.

On the 28th, Auntie Lark, Gramma, Mia and I all piled into the car and drove down to Lark's childhood home. Euni designed it and it was a very special day. Lark told us all about the history of the area and, despite the fog, Mia got to see red barn after red barn. She loved it! Seeing where Lark grew up gave us a small window to why she is the amazing person she is. We loved hearing the stories of Euni's various undertakings and were honored to bring home a couple of Euni paintings to try out in our home. We found the perfect one and it feels like we've had it forever. We knew it was going to be a perfect day because, when we picked up Lark at the farm, a huge flock of swans flew overhead through the mist. It was breathtaking and I think one of the most beautiful things I've seen. I'm pretty sure Mia saw them, but it was clear that much of her focus was placed on Lark's roosters.

On the 26th we had our traditional Christmas celebration with Grandpa Rick, Grandma Marla and Uncle Devon. We even got to see Great-Grandma Jan. Mia loved her new vacuum and new book and particularly loved playing with Devon.

We spent NYE 2010 with our dear friends Uncle Dave and Auntie Courtney. Mia was intrigued by Courtney's belly and amused by Dave's puppet show. They brought her her very own cell phone and she's already running up a ridiculous bill. I may have to take it away from her if this continues.

If you ask Mia a question that requires her to form an opinion or decide what she'll eat for her next meal, she always precedes her answer with, "uuuuummmmm...." When I say, "Mia, do you know how much your mama loves you?" Before I even finish, she replies, "A LOT!" Because she's still working on the "K" sound, many of her words are just a bit off. Examples: Who says moo? A tow. What does a pig say? Oint. What's your favorite food? Tatos. What shall we do, Mia? A boot. So cute!

Mia still wakes up VERY early. I bring her into bed with me around 5:30. Sometimes she goes back to sleep. Sometimes she begins pawing my face and saying "light...boot." I resist. I beg. I plead with her to sleep longer. Then, I get up and turn on the lights and read. She is always cheerful in the morning and I consider myself lucky to wake up to that sweet, smiling face, regardless of the excruciatingly painful hour it might be.

Mia is definitely approaching the 2s. She loves to stop her feet, back up and holler when she's frustrated. I wouldn't call them tantrums yet, but I might call them fits. Usually, they last a fleeting 20 seconds or so, but they may be a small taste of what's to com. I know she is smart and I know she is strong-willed...a potentially dangerous combination.

It is an honor to be Mia's mom and participate in this journey we are on together. She lifts my spirits on a daily basis and I am so enjoying learning how to parent her. Each day brings new discoveries for her, whether it's new ways to pretend to cook eggs, or showing me that she's memorized parts of a book (she can fill in the blanks to many of her favorites, including Moo Baa La La La, The Vegetable Rap, Goodnight Moon, Oh What a Busy Day). She is a bright eyed little beauty and being with her is a daily gift that I continue to cherish.

Boo!

My proudest moment as a mother has arrived. Mia said “please!” It is one of her first 20 words and it is music to my ears. She has been signing “please” for many months and that was quite a thrill as well, but to actually hear it from her mouth is such an honor. Just this morning, at 5:00 a.m., Mia was in bed with me in the pitch black November morning. She began to squirm, crawled over my face and whispered, “buk, pees.” And she repeated it time after time after time. Despite all my pleading with her to PLEASE close her eyes for 5 more minutes, I finally deemed her request completely reasonable, and dove into the Vegetable rap. Her cheery head bobbing was more of a pick-me-up than the richest mug of Stumptown.

It's hard to imagine a more precious little thing in the whole world. At 17 months, Mia is as joyful and as spirited as ever. She lights up the room with her smile and occasionally wakes up with a clearly defined curly-Q on top of her head. She still weighs just over 20 pounds and is still long and lean (at least before her meals, that is!). She's holding on to her blue eyes, but they are slowly developing little flecks of brown and green. She has rosy cheeks, olive skin and glistening white teeth. Her molars have been cutting through for months now and she still loves sucking that good-old thumb. Her hair is growing in thick in the back. The top and sides are taking their time. Her light brown locks are curly and soft and beautiful. Her teachers at school love to put a pigtail right on top of her head.

Mia is charming and playful. Her current favorite toys are her books, broom, stacking boxes and stacking rings--especially the one that sings, crayons, stickers, the popcorn popper toy, her farm, flash cards, colander, the corks, bugs in a jar, soap crayons, and the ukulele. She still loves her little yellow blankie and doesn't let it out of her sight. She enjoys the chime of the bird clock and the tick tock of the bike ring clock. She loves turning on and turning off the lights and opening and closing the garage door. She would be happy opening and closing anything for hours. It's one of her current favorite past times. She also loves moving things from one place to another. Just today, she moved leaves from one pile to another then moved the pile into the leaf bin…one leaf at a time. It was an enormous help to her tired mom!

Mia has busy weeks. She has transitioned beautifully to her new school. They love her there and constantly comment on how she enthusiastically bobs her head "yes." She takes a nap on a mat and eats at the table every day. She’s becoming quite adept at wielding a spoon and has completely refused to eat on her plastic tray. She will only eat at the table. She loves playing with her buddies and enjoys story time. Drop-off is a bit stressful for Mia. She doesn't like it when I leave, but she usually quiets down after a minute or two. A couple of times, she’s let me leave without a fuss. Frankly, it's torture for me to leave her everyday.

Mia loves her time on Mondays with Auntie Anna. Yesterday, they ate scrambled eggs and made duck masks out of egg cartons. SO fun! Mia is so lucky to have her!

Mia misses her dog Reggie. It's been tough not seeing him everyday, but she has found a new best friend in Jake. Every morning, Mia bids Jake goodbye and waves to him as he races out the door. She would love it if he would sleep in her crib with her, but he says he'd prefer to sleep on mama's face.

Fall has definitely arrived on Maplecrest Ct. and the leaves are abandoning their branches for their much-anticipated descent to the Earth. Mia and I have enjoyed watching the storms blow through. We are lulled to sleep by the rain and don’t mind staying in our PJs until it blows over on Sunday mornings. She has her first set of rain boots and it has become quite apparent that puddle stomping is certainly one of her talents.

Mia is learning to talk. About a month ago, she began babbling and playing with different sounds. She made robot-type noises and swished around Rs and Ls and Ts and Bs as if she was trying to communicate with aliens. She mimicked my rising and falling intonation and produced made-up words that implied her understanding of interrogatives, imperatives and negatives. I can hear the echo of my dad's teaching; “if you want to speak clearly and be understood, you must use your lips and your teeth and your tongue,” in heavily stressed enunciation. Poor Mia…I’m totally going to be saying that to her before long. Each day, she adds new words to her repertoire. So far, she can say, please, bye-bye, hi, ball, bird, baby, bath, bug, apple, waffle, blueberry, milk (she says, “meh”), uh-oh, oh-no, oh-boy, All done, book, tons of animal sounds, mama, Ma (for gramma), Bop (for grandpa), Missy, Na (for Annalise), Hi Jake, Bye Jake, Audrey, spider, purple, blue, open, close, nut, meow, pee-pee, diaper, breakfast, water, waffle, bread, bagel, doggie, Reggie, more, no (one of her favorites), up (she says “bup), she’s trying to say thank you and some more that I’ll have to add later. Hearing her speak is such a sweet sound.

Mia had a nice Halloween. We dressed her up in her Wonder Woman costume on Friday and went to her school party. We painted a pumpkin, dug for ghosts and had a snack. On Sunday (actually date of Halloween), we got together with baby Ella and her family, Auntie Missy and Chad and went trick or treating in Multnomah Village. There was a huge parade of people in elaborate costumes. Mia started to be able to say “trick or treat” and she immediately understood the game. She had a blast. After that, we went trick or treating at the Sherman's house and at Gramma and Grandpa’s. When we rang the doorbell, Gramma brought out a bag of treats for Mia (blueberries) and a little present of Mia’s favorite farm animals to put in her pumpkin. Then, we ate delicious stew and went trick or treating at Baby Grace’s house and the family in the gasoline house across the street. Mia was joyful and giddy when she got to put her treats in her bucket. I’m thinking that next year, I’m probably not going to be able to trick her into giving me all her candy.

November has been a typically rainy month. Every time Mia and I go out to rake our leaves, moments later, the ground is completely covered again. To be honest, I don’t mind so much. Mia loves the smell of the rain and enjoys playing in the leaves. She loves opening and closing Reggie’s gate and playing peek-a-boo by the back fence. Typically, it’s tough to get her to come inside.

We’re looking forward to Thanksgiving in Alpine with Gavin and Coen and can’t wait to put up our Christmas tree. I can just see the joy on Mia’s face when we light up the lights.

Despite the chaos that is our life right now, Mia’s days are filled with love and laughter. I am doing my best to keep her on a safe, stable routine and remind her everyday how much I love her. Sometimes, when she looks at me with those big, round eyes and holds her gaze for more than a few seconds, I think she is telling me, “Mama, everything is going to be alright.” When she says it, I can’t help but believe her.