Sweet 16. Already?!?!?!

Meseret is was 16 months today yesterday, and the three of us have reached 4 months family time!  

16 months living on this planet for her and 4 months as a family for the three of us.  Here is where we are, in a nutshell.

Sweet 16, how sweet it is

At a recent 15-month appointment with our doctor, after a thorough examination, he simply said, "She's perfect." Now, of course, he was referring to her being on target or within a good range for everything regarding growth and development.  That is great news!  We were happier-than-happy as parents to hear that.  

Now, as far as her being perfect, I would say she is perfect.  That is, a perfect combination of sweetness and spice, of halo and horns, of joy and whatever the word to describe a full blown toddler is.  It is fair to say that Meseret has entered the land of toddlerhood, in all of its wonder:

• from happily eating just about everything we'd fed her to now changing her food preferences day-to-day and often mid-meal, and when she does not "prefer" it she will spit it out, drop it on the floor, or perhaps vocalize her dissatisfaction
• from being right there one second, and in a nanosecond, being gone to the point where we have to search for her (in the house)
• from going into the bathroom and shutting the door to get away from us, or to hide, or whatever (isn't that supposed to happen when she turns 12?)
• from fully understanding the word "No" and responding to it accordingly to now looking us straight in the face and doing the very thing that we are telling her not to do, all w/ a smirk on her face
• from holding our hand one minute to outright refusing to hold it the next minute
• from wanting us to pick her up to insisting that we put her down as soon as we pick her up to tugging at the pant legs to be picked up again
• from sweetness to spice and back to sweetness, all in a flash

"I'll give you the spoon when I'm done w/ it."

We embrace it all.  It is all part of who she is, and 'where' she is at any given moment.  She is figuring out her world, and it is mostly fun to be a part of it.

Meseret is bold, strong, fast, funny, curious and aware.  She mimics or repeats just about everything we do or say. We have to be very careful in this department at times.  Yikes!  She is learning more words than I can keep track of.  She is a lover of the moon and trees and doggies and owls and Eshe-roo (her stuffed kangaroo) and music and books and all things w/ a screen (thank goodness she loves books, too).  She is also a pretty big fan of her Daddy, and this Mama is on that list too.  

We are embracing this journey into the unknown world of a toddler. It is full of endless discovery, beauty, challenge, and adventure.  I know that sounds like something that should be in a travel brochure for Costa Rica, but it is true!  This new experience is full of all those things.  It is also full some "Ooops" and "Oh shits!"  I cannot leave that out.

On the experience of being a mom-- I find it scary as hell one minute and it moves me to tears of joy the next; scary when she is screaming at 2AM and won't even let me pick her up and joyful-to-the-point-of-tears when the very next morning she looks me in the eyes and says-- for the first time -- "Maba (Meseret) loooves (hands crossed over her chest) Mama (pointing her finger at me)."  I melt at both experiences and I would not have it any other way.

We are doing seemingly well in the family-connection-department. Less and less are the days that Meseret will warm up quickly to someone she does not know.  Once she see that Mama and Daddy are open and welcoming to said person, she slowly but steadily warms up.  There is much more to say in this regard, but it warrants a post of its own.

I am thrilled to say that Meseret sleeps through the night a few nights a week, maybe more than a few, and actually going to sleep is a pleasant, mostly uneventful, and relatively brief experience for all parties these days.

Just a few of the things I love about her:

• the way she gives Jay and I unsolicited hugs
• the way she persistently seeks out a National Geographic magazine that is out of her reach and then sits and looks at it once her mission is accomplished
• the way she pats us on the back when she gives a hug
• the way she wakes up happy and lovey-dovey each morning, no matter what kind of night she had
• the way she turns the pages of a book
• the way she repeats back "Hi-ya, darlin' " when I say it to her in the morning
• the way she and Jay sit on the floor and play the harmonica together
• did I say just a few?  I'm just getting warmed up.

We are grateful for our precious October gatherings & reunions:

Kowalskifriend

Feyene

Kiya

 Cousin Madison

Steven and Cousin Stephanie

Aunt Colleen

Cousin Joshua 

                                      

Cousin Alexis

Gramma

                                      

Aunt Sissy

Other October moments captured:

Lovin' Myah 

Mmmuuaahhh

"Mmmn"
She won't open her mouth for the 'oo.'  It's just "mn."

                                               

First pumpkin

Taking a break from pumpkin searching

Get--this--thing--out--of--my--WAY.

Sleepy shopper

To sum it up in eight words or less: I am having the time of my life.