Countdown to being a big sister! :)

Eden I am so very proud of you and look forward to your roll as a big sister.  You have shown such love already for her and practice frequently with your baby dolls. You want to change their cloths, put lotion on them, take them for walks, put diapers on, and recently bath them.  I see you giving them soft kisses and talking to them as I do you.  I see the love and compassion you have to share and I know you are going to be the best big sister in the whole world.

I want to apologize for not being a great mommy to you the last couple months. There is so much I want to do with you and to share with you while its just us and it is disappointing to me that I don't have the energy to give you all the attention and experiences you need right now.  In fact it's heartbreaking for me to disappoint you.  I want to be the best mommy I can be and make you the happiest little girl in the world.  Your smile and giggle is my fuel for life.  I want to teach you to be active, independent and capable of fulfilling your dreams and I want you to have many friends and to be a great friend in return.  It is important to me that you learn compassion, honor, hard work, healthy habits, and that you are trust worthy and responsible.  I fear that my example is not up to par and my goal is to be everything I want for you.  We are in this together little sis.  With this being said.  I will love you for all you are meant to be.  My only wish is that you are truly happy and whatever I can do to help you with that, I am committed to do for life.

With love
Mommy

18 Months going on 2 years.

 

Eden Grace, You had your 18mth appointment yesterday and Dr said you are growing and developing PERFECTLY.  Before we even checked in at the front desk you were already showing off. You pointed to everything in the room and called it by its name. Fish, flowers, balloon, baby, dog, & pen. By the time I reached the counter you were saying Hi louder and louder until someone responded. You are so social and crave the interaction by others. It makes me proud. You freely give smiles and most the time it is warmly received... other times you look away with a brief disappointment and direct it to someone else.

You are becoming fiercely independent and protest any assistance I might offer. You're intense and expressive and leave no questions as to what you want or don't want. I think this might be a early appearance of the terrible two's although I try to embrace your will and incredible power while attempting to direct it in another direction. :) I'm not perfect, but I'm doing my best for you and for now and always I promise you that.

Here was your report for your 18mth appointment.
Age: 18mth
Date: 4/26/13
Weight: 27lbs 1oz (83%)
Lenth: 33.75" (94%)
head circ: 47.8cm (82%)

Still on the higher end of the charts.  A couple neighbors were talking today and they say you take the 2 year height and double it to find the final height you will end up. As of today, you would be 68" 5'8 most likely you will be taller then me! :) Super model!

Mommys girl!

Eden my heart feels like it will burst with the love I have for you.  After a year and a half I still wake up excited to see you and hold and kiss you as if I hadn't seen you in weeks.  I miss you when you sleep and I can't get enough of you when you wake.  Lately you have become my little buddy and a mama's girl.  You want to be where I am and want me stay with you.  You have such a sweet spirit and you are so funny! You make me laugh regularly.  You are spunky, witty, friendly and very strong minded. You love to be silly and love to be outside.  It is finally starting to be warm and you can't get enough of the fresh air.  You want to play and mingle and make new friends.  I love watching you grow and feeling my heart expand. I'm sad that our alone time is limited but excited to welcome your new baby sister.  I want to cherish every minute while it's just the 2 of us girls.. and dad! :)

Eden Bug!

Little Eden Bug.. (Love bug)
Ive enjoyed the last couple weeks with you. You have become quite a mama's girl and won't let me leave the room unless I take you with me.  You are growing up so fast and learning so many words and abilities and you surprise me everyday.  You have been feeling the need to act older and more capable and as much as I sit in aww with beaming pride.. I can't help but feel a little sadness how quickly it is going by.  Today you sat at the table eating your breakfast, your head barely reaching the top of the table. You were shirtless and wearing your owl backpack. You looked so old but yet still so young. I stood in the distance and tried to burn that image into my brain. I couldn't help but think of you 3-4 years from now, wearing a backpack and heading off to school. I hope the next few years go by just a little slower so that I can enjoy you just a little longer.

You are eating with utensils and prefer to drink from a regular cup (no more sippy). You are running and jumping and climbing on EVERYTHING. Yesterday we went to story time and you had the best time. I don't think I take my eyes off of you. Everything you do, makes me smile. You were by far the youngest in the group and they were all sitting quietly listening to the book being read. You walked around going from one child to a next patting them on the back and offering a smile when they turned around. You weren't getting much of a response.. they were very interested in the book. You on the other hand wanted to make friends. You went and sat on the lap of a 3 year old little girl. Turned around and smiled. She fearfully looked for her mom and slid away from you.  This is not the normal reaction and usually its the older kids that instantly want to hold you or play with you and you do, gladly.

Your vocabulary is constantly growing and I love to hear all the new words you say daily. I just wish I kept a better record of them.

You have been reminding us to say our prayers at dinner time. You bow your head and whisper under your breath with your head down and your brows frayed.. we respond to your reminder and during our prayer you typically fuss and throw your food.. so we aren't sure what the right thing to do is yet. 

We love you so much and are so grateful for you in our lives. These next 6 months are going to be the only time it will be the 3 of us and I want to enjoy every little bit of you. :)

To Eden with LOVE

Dear Eden,

I just wanted to write you to tell you how happy I am to have you in our family. Its hard to picture life without you and I can't remember what we ever did before you enhanced our lives. You make me laugh daily and smile with every thought of you. I live to see you smile.

I want you to be a happy little girl and grow up to be a happy young woman. My dream is to provide you with the tools you will need to be successful in all you do and to find pure happiness. I want you to know your worth, to know you're loved, and to know that anything you dream can be yours. My heart hurts to know that you will hurt, have disappointment and that you will struggle at certain times in your life. I just want to hold you near my heart and protect you from all I can. But you are strong and determined and I will keep you that way.

You truly brighten our lives with your passion, your strength, your gentleness, your silliness, and all things Eden.  You have a strong spirit that knows what she wants and is very confident in getting it. Your opinions are strong and your will is even stronger and growing more so every day. I know that my approach must be gentle and loving and patient; for you are a young woman in a toddlers body and I want to encourage your spirit to soar.

You will soar Eden. You are a social butterfly. You LOVE people. Young or old. You crave to be around others and welcome them freely. You smile, wave, reach up to those that gaze your way. People can't help but love you. You welcome others into your life and they want to stay. This quality I adore in you. I love your trusting and loving nature and I hope I can always encourage that quality in you and to teach you to listen to your intuition, without adding fear. 

Your gentle side warms me. I melt and grasp to hang on to those moments. I love when your head rest on my shoulder- although brief- it recharges me. It makes me squeeze you a little tighter. Its also in the moments when you reach up and grab my hand/finger and then look for daddy's for your remaining hand and we follow your lead, its those random moments you seek me and with your lower lip stretched, you wait for me to return your kiss with a "mmmm" sound encasing the moment. Its in the sweet patting of your tiny little hand on my back or legs that reassure me that you know who I am and we are soul-mates. Its these sweet little moments Eden that make me want to absorb you and keep you here with me, just like this... forever.

I love you forever my cute baby
Happy Valentines Day

Mommy

I'm ONE!

I am 1 years old! It flew by so quick.  I have learned so much in JUST 1 YEAR!!! Mom and Dad think I'm the cutest and sweetest baby in the world and they can't believe how much love they have for me. I know I'm loved and I'm starting to show my love toward them. I give hugs and kisses and reach up for a cuddle when I need some loves.
Here are a few things I'm doing now:
Walking EVERYWHERE..
Climbing up ladders
Drinking out of a sippy cup
Taking 2 naps a day
Playing with my baby's
Scaring mom and dad
Hiding in boxes and other hiding places
playing peek-a-boo
Learning sign language
Throwing and Rolling balls
Climbing up slides and sliding down
taking showers
Climbing up and down stairs
sitting in a forward facing car-seat
Using forks and spoons to feed myself

I'm on the go and mom and dad have to watch me every second. They like to push me around in my car and take me on walks to the big hills by our house and let me roll down them in my push car. I have so much fun.
I have started talking and saying lots of words. Here are my favorite ones..
Light        ball         Apple
Jesus        outside    Thanks
Baby        No No     ma ma
Da Da      Dad         out
up            Boo         bah bah
Banana    Hot          birds
Fish         Trash       bye bye
Books      E-d-e-n    snow
Flower     shoes       Na Na (Christianna)
papa

I am also making these animal sounds
Cat     Dog
Bee     Monkey
Bear    Owl

We had my Dr. Appointment last week and he said I was growing great and that I was doing so well.
Here are my 12mth stats
Age: 12 mths
Date: 10/23/12
weight: 24lb 4.5oz (90%)
Length: 30.75" (92%)
Head circ: 46.5cm (85%)

I also got my flu shot and was such a good girl.  Mommy and Daddy are so proud of me and gave me lots of hugs and kisses.
Love,
Baby Eden

9 Months Old Already.. ?

I can't believe it has already been 9 months.  It's amazing how much I can learn in such a small period of time.  Here are a few things I've learned and mastered.

I feed myself finger foods
I wave Hello & Goodbye
I give kisses on command
I crawl EVERYWHERE
I pull myself onto anything I can
I eat cords, paper, books, and pretty much everything in sight
I say "mama" all the time
I can say da da and bah  bah
I can point at objects & use my pincers
Ive also got 8 teeth and I smile at anyone that looks at me. I'm friendly and love to be around other kids and adults.  I enjoy being outside and playing in the water. My hair is thickening and I love crawling into cabnents, dishwashers and under tables.. I love exploring.

I had a 9mth visit with my Dr. and here are my stats:
Age: 9 months
Date 7/20/12
Weight: 21 lbs 15oz (92%)
Length: 29.25" (94%)
Head circ: 44.8cm (71%)

I'm growing healthy and strong and mommy and daddy are so proud of me!!

Love,

Eden