Dear Autumn

Dear Autumn,

I think I have said it before, and I'll say it again - I am so glad you are having a little brother so that you can stay my sweet and special little girl. We can continue to do all the girly stuff together, just you and me! With just a few short weeks to go before your brother is set to arrive, I am realizing I should be taking more time to enjoy and savor these last moments as a family of three. I wanted to make sure I tried my best to remember and capture all the little things about your personality right now before things change.

  • You are obsessed with the pool, the beach, the lake - you name it. Any excuse to put on your "swimming soup". 
  • You've picked up this bad habit of spitting and rolling your tongue at people. A few weeks ago Aunt Jodi flicked you as punishment, and drew blood. You were a little shocked, but you did help teach the other cousins not to mess with Aunt Jodi!
  • Everyday you grow more girly and love to play pretend. From being a mamma to your babies to playing dress up. It's always interesting to hear the other end of your conversations when you're playing with a phone.
  • Since we went to the beach and you got to spend so much time with Daddy, he's who you call for when you're upset with me. You ask where he is often - "Daddy at work? He comin' back?"
  • Commercials really bum you out. "Again? It's comin'?"
  • Your hair has gotten so long! I have left it long so I have lots of options for putting it back in the summer heat. You don't LOVE having it washed or combed, but if swimming or visiting Nana's is involved, you'll happily sit and let me have my way with it. 
  • You love coming with me to the doctor for checkups. You love hearing the baby's heartbeat - you know "mamma's baby" is in my tummy and sometimes you have one in your tummy too.
  • Traditional naps are a thing of the past. It all depends on how late you wake up, how much I've been able to wear you out, etc. It's not always obvious when you haven't had a nap - it's not like you turn into something out of the exorcist. You never nap in your room anymore - you love the couch or even the middle of mom and Dad's bed while I clean up around the house. 
  • If we allowed you to live off popsicles, "chickens" and oatmeal "nilk" alone, you would. In fact, you mostly do. I bought a box of 20 popsicles on Saturday night. It's now Wednesday afternoon and they are long gone. You love to go into the freezer, grab one, unwrap it, throw away the wrapper, chow down (you bite into them, which hurts my teeth just watching you), throw away your stick and repeat the process. Makes my job easy!
  • No potty training yet. I have no desire really, and you show some signs of being ready, and some not so ready signs. You do however love the "Cars" pull-ups Aunt Jodi found for you! Unfortunately they look very similar to your swim diapers, so there have been a few conversations about how they are NOT something we wear in the bathtub.
  • Ernie and your Dora and "Bug" pillow pets are still your most prized possessions. 
  • You're very independent... and sometimes not so much. There are so many things you don't want any help on, and then you have your high maintenance moments where you simply can't bend off the couch and pick up Ernie, who has fallen off. "Mommy get it?"
  • You love when we paint our nails. Hot pink is a particular favorite of both Mommy and Autumn.
  • "Bubbles", or bath time, is still one of your favorites but I've made the mistake of getting in with you one too many times. Now, you want very little to do with the bath unless I get in with you. 

  • Every time we get gas, you ask if we're going to get a car wash too.
  • Like mother like daughter - you love Slurpees. 
  • Soda and pop are interchangeable words to you, thanks to your east coast mom and mid-west Dad. It doesn't matter the kind, you love your soda. Even if you have the same drink in your cup, somehow whatever Mom and Dad is drinking has to taste better.
  • We're finally at a point where you don't have a meltdown when you ask to go outside and the answer is "no". Your very pregnant mom who prefers the AC is very appreciative of this!
  • Nana, and especially Papa, can do no wrong in your eyes.
  • "The boys" and "the kids" - you can't get enough. Since "the kids" left over a week ago, you still ask for them when we pull into Nana's. Luckily, the tears have stopped when I explain they had to "go back to their house". 
  • A little vain, you love to take pictures of yourself and then look at them right after. Well, like mother like daughter. 
  • You love lotion! Anyone within a 4 foot radius better love it too, because you love to share. My arms, Dora, Bug, baby doll...
  • Your favorite shows include: Peppa Pig and My Little Pony
  • Your favorite movies include: Any Toy Story, Little Mermaid and Lady and the Tramp
  • You are still really good about wearing your glasses. However, since you scratched one of your lenses at the beach in the sandbox, I'm a little more lax about what activities require your glasses. 
  • Everything that flies is a "bee", and everything that crawls is a "spider". You are especially freaked out about spiders - even if said spider is a piece of lint. "Mamma got it? It's gone?"
  • When it's dark, it's "scary", "spooky", or "I scared".
  • Whenever the phone rings at the house you gasp and say, "It's Nana! It's Grandpa!" Apparently they are the only people that call us. 
  • We always search for the moon when we leave Nana and Grandpa's house. 
  • I still let you use a "pluggy", but only for nap and bedtime, or the car - especially when trying to leave Nana, Grandpa, the boys, or anyone you love. You bite them up anyway - I'm fairly certain they are on their way out.
  • You're such a good little shopper! You love coming with me to the store. Whether you sit in the cart with me or walk around, you keep to yourself and listen to the things I ask you to do. You love when I hand you an item so you can turn around and add it to the basket!
  • For the most part, you are still incredibly well behaved. When you have your moments, you respond so well to time outs. You never run out of them and sit and wait until I come to get you. Once you've had your "moment", you're ready to go and return to your normal, sweet self. Daddy is still learning how time outs work...
  • If I am flat ironing or curling my hair, you love to have yours done as well and then immediately check yourself out in the mirror for inspection.
  • "More please!" is something we often hear following a bowl of "nilk" or a plate of "chickens". 
  • When you're about to do something naughty, or something you'd unsure you should be doing, you move very slowly and try to peek out of the corner of your eye to see if anyone is watching you. I love the mischievous grin that fills your face, followed by a scream of excitement when you run away successful.
  • Anytime someone cries, whether it's one of the boys or a baby in the store, you are very concerned. "Oh no, what's wrong? He sad?"
  • The number of "owwies" on your legs is ridiculous. You have my ability to easily bruise, and because you play so rough and tough you are just covered in them! You usually exclaim they are from "falling off your bike" or because "I fall down".

Everyday you surprise me with how independent you've become, a new "grown up" personality trait you've picked up, or how sweet and loving you can be. Sure, you have your moments, but knowing how few and far between those are help me see just how sweet and kind you are. I'm so excited to see how you grow as a big sister.

Love you bunches!
-Mom

2 comments

  1. I overlooked this post last time but reading it made me laugh. The whole flicking incident made me laugh (to read about..i did feel bad for drawing blood). I use to have the boys look for the moon when we left moms too. It works!

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  2. Reading about the flicking incident again made me laugh, too. Good times indeed. =)

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