Cate got a new hat this week. Then she modeled it, very seriously, for me. All while taking a break from eating her sucker.
It’s the simple things, I tell you.
And that’s what I’ve learned over and over again in 22 months of motherhood. Yes, 22 months. That means she’s almost 2. And, really, I’m going to stop giving her age to you in months. Promise.
Almost 2 also means we have little conversations throughout the day. Like this one the other day while she was watching “Finding Nemo” (surprise!) and I was reading.
Cate: {Nearly a whisper …} Dory sleepy.
Me: Oh, really? Dory is going to sleep, huh?
Cate: Shh. {With finger over her mouth …} Dory sleepy.
Me: Is Nemo sleeping?
Cate: {In a much louder voice …} Dory sleepy.
{And she was back to Nemo + Dory.}
Cate cracks me up moment after moment. Whether she’s trying spell R-A-C-E-R-S like the cheer from the ballgames. Or dancing to her Farmer Tad toy on the refrigerator. She is determined … to get her own snack out of the cabinet, to wear her duck shirt as often as possible, to help me carry in groceries. And she she’ll tell you: “I did it.” Or if she drops something: “I get it.”
She likes her “baby” (which really is one of about four different choices, depending on the day) to sleep with her. And she wants both her feet and the baby’s feet covered up. She likes to sing “You are My Sunshine” (which she asks for by saying “shine”) before she goes to sleep.
Different people have told me I will continually say, “I like this age the best.” But, seriously, so far, I do like this age the best. I loved cuddling with her as an infant and waiting with anticipation for her to walk. But, really, there hasn’t been anything better than listening to her learn to communicate her thoughts and watching her realize the world is a big place with all sorts of joy.
Each day as Madison seems to communicate in a new way, I am floored. She is growing so fast and each new phase is better than the one before. I was sad to see her walk because it meant my little baby was growing up. Yet now that she walks around the house searching for her brother and sister and dog, giggling all the while I can’t wait for more. With the twins alot of these milestones were more during a maintenence phase for me. It was very difficult to enjoy moments when they passed before the next one started. For me now, I am really enjoying the twins at 10! Enjoy all you can, motherhood is the best job in the world.
CATE IS SO CUTE!!