21 months

Dear Lily

Last Sunday you turned 21 months old. Sorry about the lateness of this letter and for the lack of photos. I am writing it from Sydney. We made a last-minute, somewhat nutty trip up here last night so that you could audition for a breast-cancer-awareness commercial and (more importantly) see several of your grandparents. (The commercial is a long and odd story that I will tell you about later, but for now I'll just let you know that you were incredible - you charmed the socks of them).

This month I have been continually confronted with just how much you are growing up. I keep thinking about your last Christmas and how little you were. While you were still very alert and engaged in the world, you were such a different little person. You weren't quite walking. You had no idea what Christmas meant. You took no notice of the trees or decorations. Your presents held only a passing level of interest.

In contrast, this year you are all about Christmas.

"Let's make decorations," you suggest to me several times a day.

"I want a Santa."

"Look: a Christmas tree!"

"Santa has a big white beard."

"I'd like to read a Christmas book."

"I love this one. This one's my favourite."

This year you are all about Christmas and I am just loving it.

We have been trying to make decorations, but you still are more into the process than the product. We have quite a number of artistic yellow previously-star-shaped paper mush piles.

We did decorate our baby Christmas tree, but removing the decorations was a little too tempting for you. (It is now up high). You were desperate to make gingerbread (and even remembered what molasses was for three days after I first told you we needed it), but when faced with the choice between icing the biscuits and eating the icing, well... I think you can imagine the outcome.

Still, it has been so much fun getting to experience the lead-up to Christmas with you. You have made me see everything with fresh eyes and given me a wonderful excuse to indulge in all the glitz and tinsle.

I simply cannot wait for Christmas day itself. Hopefully it is not too overwhelming for you (and, hopefully, I can actually finish making your felt food...).

Merry Christmas beautiful girl.

love
mama
xox