Beatrice at 2 Years, 2 Months

Dear Beatrice,

Today you are two months and two years old. Time is really flying by so quickly, and you've changed a lot over the last month.

You've had highs and lows over the last month. First off (with the lows), you haven't been well the last month, but now you are finally on the mend. After being sick for nearly three months straight, we changed your doctor, and asked him why our child was so sick all the time. No child is immune to anything, he told us, and because you are in daycare, you are more prone to being sick. But, alas, you just didn't get better. We were concerned. He did an x-ray of your sinus passage and discovered a HUGE blockage. There was no telling how long it had been there, but it definitely could be the cause for you being more prone to getting sick, and not getting better. After you denied us giving you a couple of different medications to clear it up, we had to take you in for some shots to get rid of it. Of course that wasn't fun for anyone involved, but you became a happy girl shortly after that. So happy, in fact, that I forgot exactly how sunny you are when you are well. I thought many times that my poor little girl was still happy even though she was miserable, and that made me so sad. I'm glad you're back on the well train once again.


You've taken to hitting and kicking a little bit more than I would like. You hit your sister at times, which angers me. When I tell you no, you try to distract me and say "hi, mama", over and over again. Then, when I tell you I am serious you say you're sorry. Only the sorry doesn't end there. You often watch yourself for about an hour after that, afraid to step on any toes. So, every time you do something that I think you don't like, you tell me you're sorry.


I've seen the hitting and kicking at daycare in the mornings at least twice a week. You haven't wanted to go lately (but I know you settle in after I leave), and for that, you get angry at anyone (but me) who invades your personal space. It's a small push, a "no", and maybe a slap on someone's arm. I tell you not to do it, as I always do, and you continue to act as if you have done nothing wrong. Additionally, one morning you were hiding behind me. Your sister was on the floor and two girls went to hug her. You immediately got defensive and did a vertical karate kick at the two of them (might I add that you knocked both of them over) because you didn't want them touching Olivia. Yes, I got very mad at you for that one, but I have to say that I did like how you were protective of your sister. You just need to express it in a different way.


On a happier note, you have become quite the snuggler. There have been many mornings when you wake up and you just want to lay with me or snuggle up against me. I love that part of you. You've also been giving out a lot of kisses. The new thing around our house is that we have an "owie" on our cheek, and you kiss it immediately. Then you go around to everyone. Daddy has an owie, Livey has an owie. We all do. And you make us feel so much better.


Your vocabulary continues to increase, as do your sentences and structure of them. It's so much easier to understand you these days and to communicate with you, too. You pick up on so much, too, that we really have to be careful what we say and do around you. The last couple of days we have had an interesting experience. Your bow-wow lost its tail. You came running to me with the tail in your hand yelling that bow-wow was hurt. I wasn't sure what to do, but your father was quick to pull out a band-aid and remedy the situation. Tonight you and I babied your bow-wow. We put a new bandaid on her and filled up her baby bottle (pretended to) with milk so you could feed her. Once she was all fixed up and fed, you were so happy. It was such a cute sight to see.

This afternoon while you were napping, I was watching the movie "As Good As It Gets". There was this line in the movie that struck me - "You overwhelm me." Beatrice, you overwhelm me in so many ways - with love, with emotion, with determination. You continue to overwhelm me day-by-day, and in the best possible way.

I love you,
Mama