48 months (4 years) with Mag-Pie!

Dear Maggie,

Today you are 4 and yet, you are still my baby. You tell me that you are a Little Kid and that you can't wait to go to kindergarten. You need to hold onto that thought though as you have another 18 months or so before that happens! 

You had a great year! You went so many places (Disneyland, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Glacier, California) and this coming year, you'll go so many more. You love riding in airplanes, hitting up the hotel suitcase cart and swimming in hotel pools. Actually you just love swimming which you are doing astonishingly well. You have started to really get your arms out of the water and your fierce kick propels you across the water.

You are still an amazing eater. You will try almost anything and love vegetables. In fact, I can serve you a plate of veggies and you just chow down. I keep waiting for that to change but so far, it hasn't.

You are going to speech therapy and you are not a fan. You like your new therapist better but overall, not a fan. I bribe you every week with sushi from Met Market. You are a sushi hound!

You are enjoying your preschool and get into all sorts of adventures there. Your preschool teacher is always texting me silly stories about you. We both love how you see the world. 

While you try my patience at times, I really do love your stubborn, determined demeanor. You know what you want and will do whatever it takes to get it. Sometimes the trick is getting you to take a deep breath to listen to my thoughts on the matter. Sometimes you do and then you listen and we compromise. I love it when that happens. 

May you always have your loud, boisterous spirit. As long as you can corral it, it will serve you well. Just remember to breath first. 

Maggie, we are so lucky to have you in our family and we so love your sense of humor. You are quite funny and tell the best jokes. I do love your sense of humor. Happy Birthday, Maggle-Rock! We love you! 

24 Months with Mag-Pie

Dear Maggie,

I'm so very late with my last letter to you. It might be due to the busy holiday season that you were born in or that I don't want to let go of your baby years because you are such a toddler now. There is no baby left in you. Instead there is this active, passionate, humorous child who tells me stories and makes the best snarly faces.

You love your sister with every single part of your body and fight with her like a caged lion. You've taken to trying to wrestle her which makes me laugh because you throw your little body over hers and start trying to pin her down. She's still bigger than you so it is not a fair fight for you.

You had a great birthday party at The Little Gym and bounced to your hearts delight. I shortly thereafter enrolled you in gymnastics. We go on Fridays and while your sister does gymnastics in her class, I try to corral you in yours. You love the rings and the foam pit. 

You are also in co-op and I think you enjoy it. You basically love running around and playing with the toys. This coming Fall, you will be attending your sister's preschool for two mornings a week. I'm so excited for you (and honestly for myself too). 

You delight us with serenades to "Let It Go" and make us laugh with your antics. You do have a set of lungs on you and screech like a banshee if we don't do what you want. We hear the screech often. 

Maggie, keep on being you! You are a hilarious, passionate, stubborn little girl with a big ole bossy heart. We wouldn't have you any other way! 

21 Months with Mag-Pie

Dear Maggie,

You are so very much two even if you are not officially two yet. You have big opinions and a big desire to do everything yourself. You spend a lot of time trying to be like your big sister. 

You've really missed your sister while she's been off at preschool. If you had a choice, you'd stay with her at school and send me on my way. We have been going to co-op preschool once a week which you have really enjoyed. You also go to daycare once a week which leaves two days for us to fill while your sister enjoys her school. We've been busy running errands, hitting up the local tot gym, checking out story time and just hanging out together. It's been nice! 

You are the bossiest little kid I know! Or should we say full of leadership potential. I enjoy your strong opinions and that you know exactly what you want. You spend a lot of time chastising me for not doing exactly what you want me to do. 

You have an infectious laugh and so many people get a kick out of you. You are a little charmer. You are in a big helper phase which means you like to clean up after yourself, take your dinner plate to the kitchen, carry things, etc. It's awesome and I hope it continues on for a long time. 

We watched some chickens for a friend this month and you are obsessed! You love, love, love chickens. We visited the feed store just so you could get some chicken time in. I've never seen anybody who loves chickens as much as you do. 

You like to tell us to BOP! which means Stop all day long. It makes me laugh. You also like Ba-Ba which means milk and speak a language that sounds a bit like a minion. You are getting more and more understandable though. I'm still keeping an eye on your language abilities but you seem fine. I'm just nervous since I had a speech delay and your sister needed some help. 

You are getting to be such a big girl. You no longer sit in a highchair. You want to use the potty (I am so not ready to potty train you). You aren't too keen on riding in the stroller and want to walk everywhere. We are having so much fun with you! 

Nineteen & Twenty Months with Mag-Pie

Dear Maggie,

We've had the Summer of FUN which is really the only excuse I have for missing your 19 month letter. The last two months have been jammed pack with travel, swim, excitement and most importantly, fun! We headed back down to the Oregon Coast for Great Grandma Helen's funeral in July and back to Suncadia in August. In between that, we swam and swam. You progressed so much over the summer with your swimming. You believe you can swim on your own but I know you can when you are wearing the safety of a puddle jumper.

You are full of opinions, little one and you have no difficulty letting them be known. You are a passionate little person. We had your speech re-tested and you don't have a speech delay as of right now. You are right on track. We are still working to encourage you in the speech department though because you do like to just grunt and pull us in the direction you want us to go rather than using words. 

You and your sister are now playing together and tend to get along pretty well. Having said that there is still so much bickering between the two of you. I think sometimes you guys do things just to upset the other one. I know it drives me batty! 

You took a gymnastics class with me this summer which you both loved and hated. You love jumping on the trampoline and hanging from the rings but you hate waiting to do the obstacle course and following directions. We're going to take a break from it this Fall as I just don't think the timing is right for you. We'll try again later. Until then we'll be checking out the open gym so you can jump, jump, jump and hang, hang, hang all you want. 

We went to many parades this summer and took the bus a ton of places. You and your sister LOVE riding the bus. It's an easy adventure for me to grant so I'm all for taking the two of you on the bus.

You started really climbing on things and being in general very naughty about it. You like to shriek at me when I tell you not to climb onto the dining room table or the back of the couch. So that's fun. 

You walk almost everywhere now. I rarely use the stroller any more. We have been using the Beco Gemini a bit more as you like being worn on my back. I'm great with that because it is less to deal with. 

You start co-op in a few short weeks and I'm excited about your next adventure. You are going to love finally being able to go to school. You were so sad that you couldn't go with Molly last year but now you'll get to go with your friend, Noah! The two of you have so much fun together and I'm quite pleased that you have a little friend. Soon you'll have more! 

Keep your Summer attitude going! We love you so much, Maggle-Rock! 

Eighteen Months with Mag-Pie

Dear Maggie,

In the past month, you have really begun communicating and are trying so hard to say words. You still only have a few but you've added MINE and Uh-Oh to your repertoire. We are still working to get you some speech therapy and have another evaluation scheduled in a few weeks. At this rate, you'll be all caught up with the extra work that your Dad and I have been doing without any outside help.

In this past month, we've gone on two trips. One to Suncadia which was amazing and to the Oregon Coast. You have done amazing as a traveler. You seem to sleep pretty well anywhere though are bothered by your sister's sleep avoidance antics. You had the best time in the water at both locations. In fact, in the last month, you have become quite the fish! 

You started solo swim lessons and you LOVE them. I really wasn't sure if you'd go for swim lessons without me but you have done amazing. You've really connected with one teacher, Ali and do so awesome with her. You don't like the other instructors because they aren't Ali. We sometimes go swimming at night and you love swimming while wearing the puddle jumper. You won't let me touch you because you are a kicking, swimming fish. You also love going down the twisty slide at the pool.

I LOVE that you love swimming. I'll admit that swimming is one of my most favorite things in the whole world so I might be a bit pushy toward getting you and your sister to like swimming. It means more swim time for me! 

When not swimming, we've spent a ton of time in the backyard. You love playing in your wading pool with your sister and eating all the popsicles in the world. 

It's been a super hot month around here so I've been trying to find ways for all of us to stay cool. Popsicles for breakfast help with that! 

You have been obsessed with dancing ever since your sister's recital. I love watching your dance routine and think we'll be getting you into dance as soon as we can. Until then you'll be starting gymnastics in the coming month. You have been so anxious to get out on the gymnastics floor so I can not wait to experience class with you. 

We had your 18 month doctor appointment and you are still rocking the top of the charts. As your doctor said, you are proportional! Keep on rocking! We love you Mag-Pie. You bring light and smiles to our lives. 

Stats:
Height: 34.5" (98.5%)
Weight: 29 lbs 8 oz (97.9%)
Head: 19.88"(99.8%)

Seventeen Months with Mag-Pie

Dear Maggie,

You are closer to two than one. You are becoming such a big kid. You know what you want even if you don't have the words to say it. You communicate so well without words. I did have have your speech evaluated this month and she said that you do have a delay. I haven't received the report yet so I don't know by how much. You'll be getting some help to find your words soon which I think will bring you great joy. I'm excited to hear your little voice say more things.

We've had a lot of fun this month. We went on a girl's only road trip, explored many beaches, went our on first summer hike and enjoyed time at Molly's preschool. Molly's school had a family day last week so I stayed with you so you could play. You are so ready to start school there in the fall. You love to explore the rooms, play with the play dough and sing songs at circle time. 

The weather has been warming up so we've been eating outside, playing in the sprinkler and basically just hanging out in the backyard when we can. You love playing outside with your sister and helping me water the garden. Luckily, unlike your sister, you haven't pulled out any veggies that are not ready to be harvested yet. 

You are growing up so fast that I often yell, "Who is this BIG girl? Where is my BABY?" I'm excited though that you are growing up. As much as I like cuddling babies, I really enjoy watching toddlers explore the world and watching their eyes light up at their discoveries. You are making so many discoveries. 

You love playing with your sister and other kids. I'm trying to increase your friend circle which I'm sure will grow when you start co-op in the Fall. 

Oh sweet Maggie, we love you so very much! You are one awesome kid!