SLOANE AT 14 MONTHS

 okay, this is official the spell of the fourteenth month, wherein I MISS THIS LITTLE BUG ALL OF THE LIVELONG DAY! don't get me wrong, i enjoy my time away as well, but my goodness, she is so much fun right now, i think about her so much when i am not with her, and i am starting to get this feeling like she is actually my little sidekick.

hearing her try to say words and make new sounds gets me feeling all tingly and yes it's true, she says words like ball and shoes and run-ruh (for rusty), and lights up when she hears the word 'papa', but STILL has not said mama or know what i am called, but that's okay. i know she thinks i am the proper bee's knees and loves me to a million pieces.  i ask her for a hug and she gives it, i ask her for a kiss and she leans in, cheeks puffed up, lips pursed. she runs to me, she hugs my knees,  and she rests her head in that space in between my neck and shoulders.

i recently told my co-worker that i get now why parents are obsessed with their children now.  for a non-parent, the best way to describe it is that it is as if you have a stuffed animal that just lies there and then eventually you see it come to life and start to walk and eat and speak and smile and laugh and point and understand and respond and copy everything you do, and you are like, "HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?!?!?!?!"  it is a miracle, and you fall more in love with every new thing you learn about her. (you also start realizing that your capacity to worry is infinite, but let's save that for another post). i marvel to myself all the time these days about how she understands so much of what i am saying to her.

i'm getting more insight into her personality. for example, she is such a good sharer! whenever she hug snuggles with a stuffed animal (which she is doing now), she wants to hand you one as well so that you can snuggle too.  when she holds a block to her ear to pretend it's a telephone, she wants you to have a block, too.  when she is eating a banana and you ask her for a bite, she is happy to oblige.

she loves babies; she will keep hugging and patting and kissing a tiny babe until you put an end to it. 

she is developing a sense of humor; she laughs at silly things and then acts accordingly, expecting a laugh in return.

she is independent; she wants to walk on her own and has the happiest of trots when we are out taking a walk.

the past couple of days, however, she has been needing a lot of hugs and cuddles...which i have to admit, i don't really mind one bit.