So much is going on...

Dear Isla-

There's so much I want to record for you but I'd much rather spend my time playing with you and helping your explore your world than sitting here writing. There's a greeting card I bought for you months before you were born that I still haven't written in for you. There's so much to say, it won't all fit in a card. I also have the journal I try to write in for you, but momma's bad about doing that also so I'm typing a letter to you here.

I can't believe you are almost a year old! I'd been thinking about your birthday party for a long time and suddenly it's time to take action! We're going to have a big party to celebrate our first year together. I have your invitations written, the room reserved, and the menu planned. I'm typically anti-theme, but a bumble bee theme (with some bears) has come about for your party since you're momma's little Isla B(ee). Our cousin C is planning on bringing I and A to the party and will bring some of her pretty cookies too! Momma's going to try to decorate little cake balls to look like bumble bees and I'm going to make you a little bee cake all for you!

Every day is magical these days! You are exploring and learning so much! You LOVE the kitchen cabinets and Grandma gave us a stash of plastic bowls to keep in there for you to play with. Your favorites are the big ice cream pails--you have 2 and you turn them over and push them ALL over the place! Usually you're on your knees when you do this, but sometimes you get brave and push yourself up on your feet. You also love all momma's cookbooks on the bookcase in the kitchen.

You love books in general. Unfortunately you're most interested in eating them these days. I want you to LOVE books and hate to take them away from you so we try to focus on clothe books and other ones you don't destroy by chewing on them. Hopefully we can get in the habit of reading books together soon. Right now you're more interested in turning pages and chewing on corners but we keep trying.

You're also chewing on your bed these days. It's a "life long" bed so I hope that we are able to sand out your teething efforts and restain them so that you're not embarassed when you're 14 and your friends see the little baby teeth marks on your furniture.

Speaking of teeth, you have 8! I'm pretty sure at least 7 of them are all the way through. One might still be playing peek-a-boo with us. So far, you haven't had just a horrible, horrible time with the teething but you do drool terribly and chew on everything in site. But I'd rather deal with those inconveniences than have you in terrible pain with the things. You're also getting better about letting momma brush your teeth too.

Grandpa is one of your favorite people these days. You look for him whenever you hear his name and Grandma says you go looking for him when you hear him at their house. You spent the night with them for the 2nd time Friday night. I think they want you to spend the night more frequently but momma likes having you close.

"Hi" is your favorite word and has been for awhile, but "yeah" is gaining ground. You are also starting to mimic sounds--I told you to "sit down" in the bathtub the other night and you replied back "si-dow" several times. You FINALLY said "mommommommma" last night. Once. And once today.

For the past few months, we've been having play dates at our house and you're really starting to interact with the other kids. Last month you took S's pacifier out of his mouth. Today you tried to take his bottle away from him.

Oh--bottles! After how many months of trying EVERYTHING to get you to take a bottle, you've FINALLY decided you like the things. Just when it's almost time to take them away from you. Today, you saw a bottle in your diaper bag and went after it. Then S was on his mommy's lap and you tried to take his bottle. Both times I made you bottles and you gulped them down in no time. A few months ago you showed no interest in them, no matter how little you'd eaten. You still won't hold the bottle yourself very often. That's okay, momma likes holding your bottle for you.

Today you kept taking me and daddy into the bathroom. You'll even go in when it's dark in there! You lead us over to the tub--walking, holding on to our fingers--and stand there. You love your baths! The first time you did that this morning, daddy went ahead and gave you a bath. He let you play until you pooped in the tub. You've done that to momma a couple times too.

It's almost Christmas! You've been so good with the tree. We put it in the dining room this year so it wouldn't be quite so tempting. You've not bothered any of the pretty ornaments so far but there are a couple packages you keep trying to get. I want to start so many traditions--I already have your new pajamas for Christmas Eve! You wore them to see Santa this year and the pictures are adorable! Well, the ones when he walked up behind you are. Once you sat on his lap, you cried. I want to read the story of Jesus's birth to you each Christmas and take you to church Christmas Eve after taking a family picture by the Christmas tree. When you are bigger we will bake Christmas cookies, buy "angel gifts" together for others, and find ways to show others God's love.

Last weekend I found myself calling you "little girl" instead of "baby girl." I can't believe how fast time is going.

I have so many hopes and dreams for you Isla. I want you to grow up loving God and your family and thinking about others. I want you to always know how special and wonderful and beautiful and loved you are. I want you to how much joy you bring to your mommma and daddy and all your family--something I don't think I truly understood until you got here. I look at you and I am overwhelmed with love and I realize that's how Grandma feels about me. I hope you have a little baby someday so you can feel that feeling also.

It's time for momma to go to bed, my sweet Isla. I'll try to write to your more, either here or in the journal.

I love you. You'll always be momma's baby girl.