Tuesday, September 16, 2008

To my daughter, on her 18 month birthday, 32 days late

Dearest Fifi,

Your baby book has not been updated, your photo album has been empty for a year, you rarely have the chance to take a full nap, you are always fed 22 minutes after your hunger cries, and you have learned to pick your own nose since it is always dirty. You are the caboose child and I am late in acknowledging your 18 month milestones.

A little over two years ago, I finally sold Daddy on the idea of a third child. "The third kid will be easy." I vowed. "They have to be, we know what we are doing now. The baby will be laid back, easy going, and perfect." I begged.

Well. You are perfect. Perfect in a Snickers kind of way where at first bite you are sweet and delicious and you just can't get enough. Until you bite into the peanuts and they get stuck in between your teeth and you have to pick at them over and over again until they finally abide.

Yes, precious Fifi, I am comparing you to a sweet and salty snickers bar. Shortly you will learn why.

Each morning you wake up screaming, crying, banging your head against your crib. Daddy rushes to your room and rescues you. As soon as your precious head reaches our bed you begin to hum and cuddle. After about an hour of cuddles you silently exit our bed and pound on Jay's bedroom door demanding he wakes up, "Jaaaaaa!!!" If Jay doesn't respond, you move onto Lola's room where you sneak inside and empty out the drawers of her jewelery. "Nice! La la la la la!!" You begin to sing out loud before the sunrise. And then. The entire house and neighborhood is awake too.

For such a little person you have a large personality already quite established.



You know what you want. This month marked the beginning of our "Mommy & Me" gym class where you are the first child waiting at the gate to be let in. You stand, not so patiently, signing with your hand for more and screaming, "WANT THIS!" And when you want something you want it immediately. You are stubborn and confident, "want this yummy" you state as you stand in front of our fridge. God forbid someone says no to you. You immediately collapse onto the floor, gently placing your hands down to catch your fall, and dramatically peeking out through your tears to see if you have won. "No, Fifi. You can't play with electrical outlets." I declared and watched you fall to the floor in tantrum yesterday. I whisked you off the floor, smothered your neck with soft kisses, and babied you with your favorite blanky. And your world was sweet once again.




On more then one occasion, you have hijacked Lola's room to empty out her drawers. Skirts fly, shirts are tossed, and costume jewelery is swept across your neck as you are ultimately searching for her leotards. You. Are. Obsessed. With everything spandex. Leotards, unitards, swim suits. I have taken you all over Cleveland, on my errands, with leotards strung over your outfits. Other obsessions of yours are shoes and markers. You are actually the happiest in a leotard, marker in hand, and trying on shoes and I have actually found you many times in this state in our shoe closet.



You have two siblings but not one age appropriate toy. On a recent play date, at another toddler's house, you squealed with delight at the site of plastic, lights, and toy noise. You stared at a Fisher Price "pop up" toy for so long I almost felt guilty and almost made a Target run for it. You tried to get each one to pop up by turning, pulling, and opening. You were fascinated. However, at home, you twirl around like a ballerina copying your sister at the sound of music. You scramble to get a seat next to Jay when he works on puzzles and I place a wooden pegged one down for you to complete successfully. You are a welcomed guest at all of Lola's play dates and you can make believe with four years old as you play house and cradle your baby, "Baby. Baby. La la la. La la la. Baby. Baby." Jay has been schooling you on the fundamentals of fencing with a foam sword and your aim is perfect. You walk on your toes throughout the day, almost gliding on air, following your siblings around and have no need for Fisher Price.

When the kids are in school I brew my pot of tea and sit down to enjoy the silent house. "WANT THIS" You tug at my shirt pointing at my mug and I have to fill a plastic sippy cup with tea and ice cubes and we sip together side by side. Each school bus that passes by during the day causes you to call out Jay's name. Each time I open up my lap top you wave your hand hello hoping you find Babcia, Dziadek, or Kash on the other end on Skype. I run around the house making beds in the morning just for you to get back on each bed and play peek-a-boo with me. You love to be surrounded by people. There is no down time with you and I really do love that.

No question about it, sweet Fifi, out of all my children you have been the recipient of the most kisses. I am more relaxed as a mother and have realized that everything really is better after a kiss.

At 18 months, your speech is different than your siblings speech was at this point. Lola was singing ballads and Jay hardly talking at all. Although you fall somewhere in between them, you have been "making" up words that we adopt and use daily. A princess is now a "La la la" and a swing a "Wee Hee" and a cat is a "Meow meow."





Your voice is delicious and your "Thank Yous" melt my heart. But your made up words, at times, make me wonder about your speech development. In this day and age of Internet and blogging, I emailed this video to CC of "If Only I Had Super Powers..." She has an Ivy League degree in Biology and a Master's in Speech Pathology and she determined that you are... perfect. She wrote this post , inspired by you, explaining what a word really is and I can now join you with your "La la la's" as we watch Aurora with Lola.

And so, my sweet delicious Fifi, you are perfect like a snickers bar. You are sweet and salty and such a treat to have. And as soon as you go to bed at night I am already missing you and secretly hoping you wake before the sun to cuddle with me. Everyone knows that a snicker bar is the best there is.

Love,
Mama

72classy comments:

CC said...

Super cute!! And she IS perfect (and yummy!) ;)

Amy said...

Aww, I love Snickers so she must be something sweet!

Unknown said...

Sweet as candy and full of personality she is. What a wonderful post that she can read someday and just KNOW how you felt...

MarĂ­a said...

It sounds likes she's trying to say 'cinderella' - could that be it maybe? Wild guess. LOL

She's beautiful, as are all your kids. :)

Mr Lady said...

Happy 18 months, baby girl.

CRigg said...

Adorable post! And adorable little Fifi. (And where did you get her cute outfit with the little balls on the edge of her skirt??!)

April said...

What a beautiful tribute!
So the baby book's not done. You have some great video, and unique words from your heart. That seems way better!

Laski said...

Oh, Fifi.

What a PERFECT little doll.

And you can already tell she is gonna have a lot to say.

And people had better list.

Actually, they'll want to listen. Of that I am certain.

Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional said...

I think she looks so much like you in that leotard picture.
Totally sweet post! Now I want Snickers. lol

Kj said...

super cute post.

great letter, great photos and great referal.

thank you for sharing.

k

carrie said...

Oh those third babies! I loved this so much.

And she is . . . perfect.

xoxo
Carrie

Indy said...

She is that sweet. So sweet.

Kelly said...

Reading that post reminded me of my third child too. Being the youngest they almost have to be different. Fifi is an absolute DOLL and that was such a sweet post to her. It seems like you were just posting about her first birthday though!!!

Lisa said...

What a sweet loving dose of Mamasap for your perfect little Fifi. She will treasure that love note forever. And seriously, could she be any cuter? I think not!

GypsiAdventure said...

That is so sweet! She sounds like quite an adventure...one of the greatest joys of being a mother - the adventures we get to share with our children!
~K

Anonymous said...

She is destruction to our "No More Baby Plan". DESTRUCTION! Her 'thank you' really is the sweetest.

Anonymous said...

oh, and I need her outfit. The one in the middle picture just before the leotard one. They are gorgeous.

Flea said...

Your description is priceless!

Quarantine Hobby said...

So sweet! I love that video. Especially that she knows the word "shoe" so well ;)

You make me want three kids. I always wanted two, but now I want three.

Happy very belated 18 months to your wonderful little Fifi!

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

What a sweet love letter to your princess! She is adorable, hon. Loved the video!

Crystal D said...

Snickers are the best!!
Little Fifi looks the most like her mom out of all of your kids. Her voice is just delicious.

tiarastantrums said...

That was super sweet - my third is so much like this - but she is just now finding her voice - her loud voice that is, she was always so gentle and timid - I fear my 1st daughter is rubbing off on her!
Very enduring post!

Nan Patience said...

A sweet and salty post! Love the YouTube video, too.

Courtney said...

She is sooooo cute. She is doing word association speech. She's smart that's all.

Blessings From Above said...

Those cheeks were made for kissing!She is so perfectly adorable.

Robyn said...

Being partial to Snickers, I can easily see the comparison! She is just perfect and that post brought tears to my eyes.

Unknown said...

Wahhhhh I'm balling my eyes out. They grow up way too fast

Marcy Massura said...

A perfect tribute. Perfect. Like her.

Mandy said...

This was sooooo sweet!!! I feel the same exact way with my little 2 year old. My oldest is 13. I smothered her with kisses too and now give the little one double the kisses because I have learned to relax just a little bit. :)

Ashlee said...

Super cute! My daughter called kitties "meow meow" too. And her best friend calls princessess "Lella". They eventually figure it out. :0) In the mean time you just get to enjoy the cuteness of her own little language.

Stephanie said...

Oh, OhMommy, you really should write a book. You're so eloquent with your words! Fifi is absolutely adorable. It's neat to me to watch Fifi and my son (who share identical birthday's) grow. Each time you post pictures of her and I see how much she's grown, I realize my son is growing more than I realize, too. Sometimes you forget to slow down and enjoy every second. They grow so quickly! Happy belated 18 birthday Fifi and Chicken!

Elizabeth Byler Younts said...

precious and heart warming!!!

my sister's 3rd also gets teh most kisses than any other child...must be a 3rd thing. :-)

Anonymous said...

Oh that last picture of her chunky little thighs is super sweet! Love the video of her vocab. She IS perfect. :-)

Half Gaelic, Half Garlic! said...

How cute is she in that leotard!!!

What a beautiful letter to your precious Fifi!!

She sounds a lot like my 22 month old....The drama has been kicked up a notch or two in this house. She does not like to hear no....she tests us everyday.....big brothers games seem to be of great interest!

Lisa

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

Awww...how sweet! Happy 18 months to Fifi!

Desiree said...

Ah! Oh my word she's sweet :)
Happy 18 months, little miss!

Rhea said...

Fifi is a sweet, adorable, little la la la, and I would love to have her for a day or two. She's just beyond cute. I'm glad you're getting more one-on-one time with her these days. :o)

Jaina said...

Beautiful. Simply beautiful.

Miss Lisa said...

How sweet :)
And if she's ever in Texas, Spanky would love to sit and play marker tatoos 'all day long'

Miss said...

What a freakin DOLL!!! Happy 18th months sweetie!

Ali said...

like a snickers bar. that's awesome!

Unknown said...

dear ohmommy,

fifi looks SO MUCH like you! i think 3 is your lucky number...each one of your children is perfect in their own special way!!

love,
renatamic

The Daily Stroll said...

Aww, very sweet post! She is so precious and absolutely perfect! Great pictures!

Lisa said...

So I just watched the video. Her voice is so sweet...and I love how happy she is, always with food, and wearing such a cute cover-up (that my girls have as well!). She is most definitely a genious child! How did you do the Fancy Nancy editing of the video? Impressive my friend!

Irene said...

Very nice tribute! I loved the video, but I do have to say my 3 year old came running when she heard Fifi's voice and was absolutely mesmerized. She wanted to watch again and again and again...LOL!

Anonymous said...

Awww, beautiful post.

Happy 18 months little one!

Colleen - Mommy Always Wins said...

That was absolutely lovely.

She *is* a Snicker's bar...what a little beauty!

Kat said...

Aww. What a sweet post. Such a dear little Snickers. :)

Pennies In My Pocket said...

Long time no see! I took a super long blog break and been back for a little while now....found your comment on another blog and I HAD to come by!!

I am soooo behind on my 16 month old's album. Yeah, I have like 50 pictures developed and THAT'S it!!! I am SOOO behind!

She is beyond precious! Those are some amazing photos!!

~melody~

ww said...

What a sweetheart! Especially love the first 2 photos! Happy 18 months Fifi. Blessings, Wendy

Jyl @ MommyGossip said...

That outfit--the one where she is wearing a dress and pants--is the whole reason I wanted girls. Not to mention the two pig tails. Sooooo cute!

krissy said...

OMG. Those legs and feet. They are so kissable. I love it.

She talks like a true champ if you ask me.

Yum. Snickers. I hate dieting. I need a baby Fifi. If I had ovaries, they would be quivering right now.

Anonymous said...

I love snickers and she is super cute! I think she looks a lot like you! I love this post!

Kim said...

I love that second picture.. this was a beautiful letter to your perfect little girl.. Happy 18th Month.. :)

Jogging In Circles

Unknown said...

"Perfect like a Snicker's Bar" made it difficult to type with the darn tears in my eyes.

Something for you in my Wednesday post.

Love,

Lou

Victoria said...

Very sweet post. Isn't it amazing how they have their own little personalities right from the beginning?

Kellan said...

She just couldn't be anymore precious - that video is just darling! Happy 18 months to your sweet Fifi!

Take care - Kellan

Diva's Thoughts said...

Oh how precious!!

3 Peanuts said...

Just caught after several days away. You always make me laugh OH mommy! LOVE the elementary back to school night...sorry I would have told you!


Love the letter to sweet lil Fifi.

Missed you while I was on hurrication:0)

Kim

Unknown said...

I love how she is eating the apple the whole time.

Kaci said...

Awhhh she is adorable!! XOXO

tiarastantrums said...

http://trosehoney.blogspot.com/2008/09/wordful-wednesday-pet-shop-birthday.html

Clare said...

Oh Mommy, I love this post! Little Fifi is jut amazing and I hope that I can have three and be laid back by then! Bradley is 21 months and sometimes everything he does drives me CRAZY! Is this normal???

I LOVE Fifi in her spandex, what a cutie!!! XO, Clare

enthalpymama said...

I happened to read your "no processed food" post at the same time. I'm wondering if there is some connection to the snickers bar comparison. (smile) Of course Fifi is perfect. You knew THAT.

Angie @ KEEP BELIEVING said...

great post!

My husband has always said that a Snickers is the best there is. I prefer Milky Ways and he tells me I am missing what it is all about - the nutty crunch. He would love Fifi.

KEEP BELIEVING

Anonymous said...

I'm sitting here crying like an idiot because Fifi is so adorable, and it's cutie pie's like her that make me want to have one of my own. And a snicker's bar is a perfect comparison.

Maggie, Dammit said...

Oh my OUCH she is adorable!

happy 19+ months!

Karen MEG said...

Oh she is perfect and simply delicious, delicious :)

Jill said...

Snickers are my ALL TIME FAVORITE candy bar... it's the one treat that my dad and I always used to share on the ski slopes together.

Beautiful post. Beautiful girl.

EatPlayLove said...

my 21 month old definitely has her own language, maybe she should hang with FiFi. We definitely call cats "meow" around here as well.

Lisa said...

I was just scrolling through & saw that picture of Fifi in the leotard with the marker in her hand. Do you have that one framed? Because it is such a classic!!! Made me smile this morning ;)

Tiffany said...

What a sweetheart! They really do grow fast.

 

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