Dear Harper — Month 16

The months that have followed your first birthday have been absolutely amazing in terms of how much you can do now. You’re walking a lot … when you feel like it, that is. And you normally feel like it if we are in the park with Lilly or if you want to show off for guests. Otherwise, you’re still getting around on your knees or by crawling.


One thing is certain — you really do understand every single word we say to you. If I tell you your food is hot and you have to blow on it, you do. Ineffectively, but still. And the same goes for anything your daddy says to you in German. You also know where we keep the cookies, and you like to strategically position yourself beneath them and point. When that doesn’t work, you’ll go over into whining. And when we tell you to only take one cookie, you’ll take three and shove them all into your mouth at once.

You also love to drag your poor doll — dubbed Abay by us — around with you everywhere. You have even wrapped yourself up in the sling, then tried to carry her in it with you. You’ll try to dress her, and you like to lift her up in the air while making swooshing noises.
But if we really get down to the nitty gritty of it all, your one true love is Lilly. Now that you can walk, you like to support yourself by hanging on to poor Lilly's big ol' butt. And you like to hug her and pull on her ears, all while she gives us tortured looks. Since she does nothing to try to get away from you — most likely because she is too lazy — we do little in terms of intervention.


Whenever you see a dog, you declare it a "Dee Dee," which is how you say Lilly. When asked what Lilly says, you respond with growling.

I have also begun to try weaning you ... trying being the operative word here. You seem to still need nursing, which is fine and all, but ... But what? Well, I don't know. You don't nurse that often anymore, usually just in the evenings, but if I am home during the day, you request milk all the freaking time, either with the hand sign or simply by poking me in the boob and saying, "Doodle doodle doo." Yes, doodle doodle doo indeed, Harper. You still have some boob time left, though, don't worry.
This is probably about the time to admit that you are no longer a baby, but a bonafide toddler. You think it's hilarious to pull out an old pacifier and shove it in your mouth, but it's obvious that you're doing it for the laughs. You also like to clink your drinking cup with whatever daddy and I are drinking (OK, it's usually beer), although you can't say "Cheers" or "Prost" just yet. I guess that would be a sign that your parents have a booze problem, though, if those were among your first words.

This month two years ago is when I held a positive pregnancy test in my hand. And now, here you are, big and heavy and using every spare moment to spill Cheerios all over the kitchen floor.

Love,
Mama

This month's nicknames: Gummy Bear, Harper Bear, Gum Gum
This month's song: Windfall by Son Volt