Letter from Mama, v25

You sweep your bangs out of your eyes when they fall out of place, as they escape from their clip or barrette.
It's this single act of girlhood that has caused me to inhale deeply, sharply.
You're going so fast. You're getting so big.

Last night you were laying on the stairs, toes pointed outward so your head was on one side, and your toes the other. You filled an entire stair-step. You were wrapped in NaNa, and you were petting and kissing a stuffed penguin I had already once packed away into a Christmas tote, bound for the crawl space. You were whispering to him, and kissing his nose. Telling him not to be afraid, then telling him goodnight. Your heart, lil' dude, is the size of your giant hazel eyes. It's the width of your outstretched arms. It's bigger than anything I've ever know. What a lucky penguin. What a lucky Mama.

I love how you squirrel away things around the house. Your bowl of crackers. Your Disney toys. Your fuzzy stickers, face lotion, my chapstick, your baby's clothes. I'm always asking you where you put _____ and you always know. You run spirited, to your hiding place to reveal your secrecy to Daddy and I. We get such a kick out of your idiosyncrasies. Like, how we were driving this week and reciting the alphabet together and when I got to Q and you said 'CUSE! from the backseat with all vigor of a true fan. Your Daddy; he loves those stories.

You always refer to yourself as a funny girl.
Which, is funny.
You call yourself cute.
Which, is cute.
You use my toothbrush when I leave you alone on your stool.
We wash your hair with real shampoo.
You love diced up turkey dogs skewered with pretzels at snack time.
I think you'll be done with sippy cups very soon.
The world around you is your garden and you dig it.
You are a constant, warm ball of fiery energy. You keep me on my toes!
And I love it!
And you.

Mama loves.