My Dearest Mae

My Dearest Mae,

You might be wondering why I am writing you a letter today. It isn't your birthday or the second of any month. I decided this news should come from me to you and it seemed only fitting it come in the form of a good old fashioned letter.

We are having a baby! Well no, you are not having a baby, neither is your father, I am having a baby. Most importantly you are going to be a big sister and you will have a little brother or sister, who you will adore, love, and some days maybe even loath. Right now you might not think that this news is very exciting and actually might be a little bummed to be sharing the spotlight with a sibling. I will tell you (despite some quarrels over the next 18 years) that you will be happy to have a forever friend, a partner to gang up on your mom and dad, and

Your father and I want to tell you that being able to be a sibling is one of the most incredible, enriching, and greatest honors of both of our lives. Our lives, our memories, the fabric of who we are, and what we want to be is has been shaped by our siblings. We have shared our childhoods, our parents, our secrets, and our dreams with these people in the quiet and loud moments of our lives.

You taught us the love for a child that neither of us knew existed because of this love we wanted to add to our family. There will be times when your brother/sister will divert some attention away from you. A newborn crying is bound to get anyone to move quickly but know that we will love you more than ever.

Oh Mae the best thing about adding to our family is that I get to introduce YOU - the most important person in my life - to the soon to be newest member of our family. I can't wait to tell him/her that you are the most amazing person that I have ever met. You are the smartest, funniest, wittiest, sassiest, cutest, and cuddliest kid. I can't wait to tell him/her about how much you are going to teach him/her and how much love you are going to give them over these countless years together. I am sure you are going to show him/her how to take advantage of your good ol' mom and dad, all your favorite toys, and how to be a funny, witty, sassy, cute, and cuddly baby.

Thanks for sharing the journey with us. Can't wait to begin the adventure.

Love you always,

Mom

PS - The reason I haven't been updating this online diary so often is becasue I am exhausted growing your little brother and sister.

Just In Case You Were Wondering

And you probably weren't.

You might be thinking that all I wear are hot pink, very uncomfortable, thong underwear (from the photos I posted the other day). Here is another photo taken on Sunday of Mae wearing two other, more practical, pairs of my underwear.
And since I don't want this post to be all about my underwear, I am also sharing a couple of photos of Mae doing another favorite past time. She likes to hurdle her body on to the blankets and pillows I throw on the floor.

Update (14 Months)

A couple of things happened this weekend that I wanted to be able to report on. I also realize that without a monthly note to Mae that I am missing out on telling you all the little, and not so little things, that Mae has been accomplishing.

• This Friday, I noticed Mae sitting and playing with the toy that has a pole and stackable colored rings. She actually was putting the rings on the pole! I know this might not seem big but I have never seen her do it before. I clapped when she did it and cheered for her. She would then stack them and cheer for herself. (I will get a photo of her doing it).
• Mae's vocabulary is starting to expand. She definitely can say "bye" and wave while doing it. Tonight we left a party and she said bye to the guests and waved. Her favorite word is "cat" and her favorite phrase is, "it is a cat!" Sometimes she says it when there isn't a cat (oh well!) but when there is a cat that she sees she screams, "it's a cat, it's a cat." She can also "yep" but unfortunately she can also say, "no." Something Pearson is concerned about it. I tell him she doesn't know what it means but when does use it correctly I pretend not to notice. She can also say, "ba" [ball], "caw" [car], and truck.
• Mae loves sitting in chairs, getting on the furniture, and yesterday was able to get herself into her Macclaran stroller by herself.
• Reading definitely is still her favorite activity. As told from the photos below, we spend a good deal of time reading.

Half Hour of Fun

These photos are from last week but I thought I would post today because they are perfect for the joy that Friday brings. I haven't reported this yet or posted photos but Mae gets into my underwear drawer about everyday. She decides to "put" on my undergarments quite frequently. Some days she has two bras and a couple pair of underwear hanging around her neck while going about her daily routine of playing. The day that I took these pictures she also found the cotton balls. She completed her play with a glass of water that Pearson had left on his side of the bed.

There you have it - a pair of underwear, a cotton ball, and a glass of water = half hour of fun.

Barnyard Noises

We have been working with Mae for some time about the noises animals make. I don't know why this was one of the first things we decided to teach Mae. When in everyday life do you need to know what sound a sheep makes? I know, I know, it is good for her development but I probably should be teaching her what sound happens when you hit the slots in Vegas. "Ding, ding, ding.."

The first animal we started on was the duck. It made sense because on our runs through the Arboretum we encounter ducks. Also, every childhood toy, outfit, towel, or costume has a duck on it. She learned quack about a month or so ago. She now knows the following (also I attempted to type it out how she says it).

Me: What sound does a sheep make?
Mae: Baaaa
Me: What sound does a cow make?
Mae: Mmmmmm
Me: Good job, mooooo.
Me: What sound does a duck make?
Mae: "Quaaa"
Me: What sound does a dog make? (This is still in the works)
Mae: woooo [quietly]

There you have it Mae loves barnyard noises.