Not a Baby

I have been doing a lot of thinking about this baby lately.

With a new baby on the way it is hard to think that Bella is not going to be the baby anymore.

Lately, she has seemed so much - bigger - to me than she used to be.

Even though she is still on the small side for her age

 (Recent check up 12/13, 26 months: 31 inches, -3rd% for height

 and 23 lbs, 20th% for weight).

And as she grows her personality grows with it ...

She loves to be a big girl and walk on her own wherever we go but when things get rough, she loves to play the innocent card or the baby card in attempts to avoid trouble. We often hear things like "hold me?" "in trouble?" "help baby". She leans on that baby dependence sometimes not wanting to do things for herself so we are trying to show her constantly how capable she really is. 

She loves "ring around the rosie", piggy back rides, and dancing/(singing) to music. 

She hides when she is upset; with a pouty lip and folded arms. Showing off her new found defiance.

She also loves the attention she gets when she hides.

 She is a watcher. Watching everyone around her when things get too busy.

 She is still a determined thumb sucker.

She wrestles around with brother, finally able to join him in his games. Or snuggling up together to watch Magic School Bus on a lazy day.

She has a mischievous streak in her but she is always quick to say "sorry". Often saying "sorry" multiple times a day for things like dropping something or when anyone is hurt or upset. She hates it when others are unhappy.

She makes the silliest faces, and has new ones all the time. She loves making people happy.

She has this sensitive, shy, lovable personality. She loves to say "Hi" to new people (from a distance), she loves to point out babies, and she gets this sweet little shoulder-to-cheek shy grin when someone tells her she is pretty.

Bella was an adorable baby. I remember holding her, a tiny bundle wrapped all up, dependent on my every move.

I watched her roll over, sit up, crawl, cruise, and take her first steps. Each phase passing too quickly...

But this phase; where my heartbeat can still put her to sleep, and my voice still calms her fears, and my touch can tame her cries, and where I am still her universe it is pretty great too.