My Dearest Mae

My Dearest Mae,

You are 23 months today. I can't believe that you are on the verge of being TWO! Two just seems so old. I still look at you as my little baby but alas, we can't remain babies forever despite all my prayers.

In a word, this past month has been bumpy.


Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Let's start with the bad and end on a high. I guess the worst that has been happening is your extreme temper tantrums and your inclination to use negative and aggressive behavior towards others. You have started pushing, scratching, kicking, and pulling hair. You have exhibited these behaviors towards other kids and your dad and I. I don't know if this is due to your age or the arrival of Whitaker but it is very confounding for all of us. In fact, I mentioned it to someone the other day and they were shocked that "sweet Mae" was doing this. I can only assume you are doing this out of frustration that your life has been uprooted and changed. I am trying to stop and take a breath with all these behavior changes.


As for the temper tantrums they are for various reasons and vary in degrees. They stem from you not getting your way; you wanting to do something that I won't let you; you not wanting to get dressed in the morning; you wanting something immediately, and the littany of reasons go on and on. You are so damn dynamic that it only makes sense that you have intense tantrums. I am coming to terms with the fact that your intensity for life, comes with two sides. One that is fun, loving, and hysterical AND one that is a little less desirable (we all have this). Not to harp too much on all your personality traits but you are extremely stubborness. I don't know if an almost two year can truly be stubborn but I think with your genetic makeup it is inevitable, meaning your father and I are pretty darn stubborn. Despite this, I love that you passion, determination, and commitment.

Since I dropped the ball on your 22nd month letter, I will tell you some things that you have been doing over the last couple of months that are pretty rad. Most notably, you have been counting to 10 for the last two months. You start off slow and then will run through the rest of the numbers pretty quickly. Your dad thinks you are a genius and keeps saying, "no other kids her age can do that." You have also been starting to say your ABC's. You can't get through the whole alphabet but with some prompting you know many of the letters.


You have also become rather daring with play structures at the playground. Just the other day you insisted on climbing up a rope ladder. I told you, "it is for big kids." But you stood there and said to me, "I try, I try." I, of course, let you try with a lot of supervision from me. By the end of


We can now pretty much understand everything that you want and need. You are pretty demanding. Despite your father and I trying repeatedly to make sure you end every request/demand with a "please" it some how has escaped your vocabulary. We are still bound and determined to get you to say it.

You are STILL obssessed with Sesame Street. I have caved and let you start watching a half hour or so of TV on most days. You now say, "watch show." I am trying to not let you watch too much though because I don't want to rot your brain with the boob tube quite yet.


Your favorite things are still reading and listening to music. You love dancing and sing along to songs. I also have noticed that you absolutely love finding hidden images or things in books. For instance, we have the Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things that Go book. In it their is a little bug called Goldbug that is hidden on every page. You love looking for him and finding him. I am always shocked that you can (mostly) find him despite his small size and many distractions on the page. You now know most colors, although, when I ask you what color something is you always respond by saying, "red!" But I know you know colors because we have paint pens that have caps that you love to use. When you want a cap off you will come to me and say, "[insert color] cap off." The color is the correct color each time.

Among other things, you love playing hide and seek, chasing, and have started play cooking. Despite this past month being bumpy, you are more hysterical then ever, still lovable, and hands down the most entertaining kid. Thanks for being unique and never making our lives boring.

This next month is going to be great because your dad is going to be taking off for a whole month for paternity leave AND we are going to be traveling to Oak Island, where we will be celebrating your second birthday. I have much in store for the celebration despite it just being family.

Love Always, Mom