Happy Birthday Little One!

Dear Marisa,

You keep me quite busy these days and watchful of your exploring nature. You are eager to learn about anything you can get your hands on. This may include my make- up, bathroom items, grocery items, dvd's and your recent favorite--the pantry. You love washing your hands frequently and you are still in love with shoes only now you take them off immediately when you get into the car and in the stroller, or park, or anywhere. This always adds an extra step to our arrival anywhere and is not very conducive to this winter weather. I am utterly grateful for converse high tops which you can also remove within seconds but at least they stay on when we're out somewhere.

Your vocabulary is growing by the day and you use a few sentences now and then. You often speak with an intensity to your voice as if to say "hey I'm saying words now!" You have surprised me with the "I do it!" phase and are persistent in doing what you know you can do yourself. I usually here a very intense "I do!" "I do!" Which reminds me, you have successfully used the potty twice and I love to hear you announce, "I do pee pee, I do pee pee."

I love your considerate nature and love to see how aware you are of other's feelings. I can sense your empathy when you see another child upset or how if you upset Elena you come to hug her and give her a kiss to make her feel better.

I think you are finally down to 1 nap although I can sometimes squeeze in two once a week which you usually need and you like to nap around 11am.

You love to dance and will usually break out in a dance the moment you hear music come on. You are very aware and observant of your surroundings and quick to tell me when something is not right. The other day you made me follow you into the living room from the bedroom to point out that I forgot to close the front door all the way. Another funny instance was when we went shopping for the Christmas tree. It was just you and I when we got it. As we headed to the parking lot with the tree in the shopping cart I picked you up out of the cart to put you into your carseat when you (with your usual intensity) brought to my attention that the cart was rolling away with the tree!! Awareness is not my strength and I can see we already make a great team! I love your laughter when you wrestle with Elena and when you are tickled and I love your smile with the one dimple we passed on. My little one keep learning and reminding me how great it is.