16 & 17 months

To my Plum...at sixteen and seventeen months old.

When people first meet you, they notice your eyes or your smile. When you smile, your whole face lights up and your eyes...well, they've been described to me as "superhero eyes"...what that means, I'm not quite sure, but they're a lovely shade of hazel now.

You went from doing the sign for milk while sticking your tongue in and out of your mouth to simply climbing into my lap and nodding your head up and down to asking, "Milk, plea" (always with that sweet smile) when you want Mama's milk...which is very often these days. Thanks a lot, teething.

You say so many things now. It's hard to keep track of all the words. You have been asking, "Wha's that?" and pointing at everything you wish to know. When I tell you, you reply, "Oh."

When you hear music you like, you get up in this hurried, excited manner and start dancing. You LOVE to dance...and sing. You make up words to songs just like your sister did. (and still does)

I believe you've entered the terrible two's a bit early. You've proven to be quite a little rebel...always with the "No! No!" followed by screaming when we ask you to do something...or NOT to do something, like climb up onto the table.

You have been taking your diaper off whenever you go in it...we have been putting you on the potty because you have shown an interest...but mostly, you just pee and poop on the floor. One time, I found a poop in your sister's room right next to her bed and the fact that I was startled to find it and then proceed to laugh about it probably only encouraged such behavior.

You are a ham! You love to wear sunglasses and hats, just like your big sister, and dance around and sing songs.

When I yell, you ask me in the meekest little voice, "Why?" and it breaks this mama's heart.

We got you a stuffed doggy for Christmas and you carry it with you everywhere and even bring it to the table and try to feed it your meal. "Doggy!" and you squeeze it so tightly...the cutest.

3.4 & 3.5

To my Greta...at 3.4 and 3.5 years.

Today, I asked Alexa to play some music and our Amazon Dot played Rosemary Clooney...I was washing dishes and said, "Why would she assume I liked this?" You said, "I like Rosemary Clooney when I was a little boy...but I'm not a little boy anymore. Now, I'm a girl." I began thinking about the dreams I had while I was pregnant with you...dreams that you were a boy...so, perhaps a past life? So much heavy contemplation before 9am.

Your Christmas list consisted of a snow globe, jewelry box, choo choo train, and a walking talking dinosaur. You wanted to send Santa your list rather than visit him in person. You said you were scared.

The other day, you put a crown on your head and bowed to me in such an elegant way and said, "You majesty."

Your daddy surprised us with tickets to go see "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and you and your sister loved it so much. You were so engaged and you were the only two in the theater who were dancing in the aisle.

You say you want to be a ballerina when you grow up.

You say things to Estella like, "C'mere little girl. Come sit with me. Aw. You sweet." And you two will be sitting next to each other at the table and you will both look at each other and start giggling or screaming or today, you leaned in and kissed her.

You and your cousin, Mary, were painting across from each other over holiday and you stopped and looked at her for a time and then said, "You know what? I just love you, Mary." and you smiled so sweetly. I think you caught your cousin a little off guard...but my heart just melted when I witnessed this.

You amaze me, Greta. I take absolutely no credit for how sweet you are. You were simply born this way.