Dear Holland Bliss,
I think that I am in complete shock that you are TWO! (hence, taking forever to finish writing you this letter!) Technically, you are no longer a baby. But, you are, and always will be, my baby girl. Your daddy and I absolutely cannot get enough of you. You are healthy and happy, and growing and developing so fast. And, really, you are quite the smarty. We are so proud to call you ours!
It's crazy how quickly you have seemed to grow up since your baby brother, Tagg, was born. You adore him! You want to touch him and hold him constantly. Sometimes a little too aggressively, but we know it's all because you love him so much. The two times that you have bit him (naughty!) are the only times we've seen Tagg not smile at you. The two of you definitely speak your own language. He stares at you with absolute delight and laughs at almost everything you do. We hope that you two will be great friends forever.
Lately you have started singing...a lot. We love it! You are, for the most part, off key and off beat, but it's all music to our ears. We laugh and laugh and are amazed how you belt out every single word of every single song. We have lots of videos of your future American Idol skills. You love to sing songs from Baby Signing Time, especially "Can You Feel It." Other songs you can be heard singing at the top of your lungs are: The Wheels on the Bus, I love to See The Temple, You Are My Sunshine, One Shoe Two Shoe, Ring Around the Rosies, Pop Corn Popping and Give Said The Little Stream (you call it "GiveO").
Speaking of Baby Signing Time, you are still obsessed with it. You want to listen to the CDs in the car, you want to watch the videos at home...pretty much you are always signing, singing, listening to and watching BST. Good thing it's educational, right?
You do have a slight (read: sometimes extreme) obsession with the television. For a while you would wake up and immediately head to the TV in the kitchen. It was a rough few days of telling you "No TV" before we finally felt you had detoxed enough to start watching an occasional show here and there. Your favorite shows are Curious George, Super Why, The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That, Dinosaur Train, Dora (although you mostly watch that on the Kindle), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Wiggles, and The Goodnight Show on Sprout. It's so cute when you say, "Can I watch Spowt?' How can we deny that?
The Kindle is your new best friend. We definitely have to limit your time on it just as much as we do the TV. The other day you told me, "I need new apps." What the heck? Did you really just say that? Lovely. You scroll through the Kindle and my iPhone like nobody's business. Your favorite apps are ABCs; Dora the Explorer; Disney Junior; Zoo Train; Trains; Planes and Sea Vehicles; and The Wheels on The Bus.
Okay, so your real best friend is Carson Matsalla. When you took your first session of swim lessons at Cottonwood Heights Rec Center when you were nine months old - Carson was in your class. We didn't really meet until the very last class, but then had a couple of play dates and the two of you have been inseparable ever since. It really is fun to watch the two of you play together.
Thanks to a friend, Emilie de Azevedo Brown, for giving us the video 'Potty Time' you started showing interest in potty training...for about a week. That was right before your birthday, and now you just tease us now and then saying that you need to go potty...only to find out that you really just want some fruit snacks. When we were attempting the potty training we would give you a fruit snack every time you agreed to sit on the potty. I'm thinking that that is backfiring now. Hopefully soon you'll realize the potty is way better than wearing diapers. The same video teaches about washing your hands too, which you LOVE to do. You could stand on your stool in front of a sink for hours if we'd let you.
Holland, you are so polite. You say please, thank you and sorry at all the right times...and sometimes at surprising times. Like, when we wipe your nose or give you medicine - you say 'thank you.' When you bonk your head - you say 'I'm sorry.' And when you don't want something - you say 'no please.' It's so darn cute! Also, when you are asking for something and we know right away what it is that you are requesting, you usually then say, sounding all proud, "That's right, Daddy/Mommy!"
Your two-year appoint was the first time that they had you stand to measure your height. It was so cute to see you stand there being measured. It was definitely a reality check that you really are a toddler now. Sniff-sniff. You are 35.8 inches tall (90th %) and weigh 25.6 lbs. (25th %) - our tall skinny girl.
You go to bed between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. and wake up almost exactly at 7:15 every morning. You take a pretty good nap of 1.5 to 3 hours around 1:00 every afternoon. Ever since I stopped nursing you, at 13 months, Daddy and I take turns putting you to bed each night. We always read a few books, say prayers and sing some songs together as a family. Then, Daddy or I give you a sippy cup of milk and rock you and sing to you for a while. I love it, and I know Daddy does to. You have to have your blankie and your little baby dolls when you go to bed for the night or for naps.
Your eating skills are interesting - you eat very little most days, but then you'll eat everything we give you for a couple days. Your favorite foods are green beans, noodles, rice, graham crackers and fruit snacks. You will not, no matter how hard we try, eat meat of any kind.
You love books! We have a bookshelf in your room and a basket of books in the living room. You can be found in both locations several times a day. Your favorite books are: The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuess's ABCs, Hop on Pop, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Rolie Polie Olie, Under the Ground, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, On the Moon, Brown Bear Brown Bear, and Goodnight Moon.
You have known your ABCs and could count to 10 since you were 20 months old, and now you can count to 19, with "eleventeen" being in place of 20. You know all of your colors, including indigo (random!). You know your first name and can say, "I'm Holland." You call Daddy by his first name occasionally. It's so funny to hear you say, "Where's Tyler?" and yelling, "Tyler, are you?"
You are more into showering than bathing lately. You love to take showers with Daddy and always ask him to lift you up and then you request that he draw shapes on the foggy shower door. The conversation usually goes like this: "Hold you, Daddy. Draw circle. Draw heart. Draw square. Draw triangle." When you do take baths it is usually with Tagg. You two definitely have fun splashing and laughing together.
We love you so much, Holland Bliss. We are so excited to see you continue to grow and reach milestones. We are so in love with your cute little face and your huge personality! Never stop being you!!
I think that I am in complete shock that you are TWO! (hence, taking forever to finish writing you this letter!) Technically, you are no longer a baby. But, you are, and always will be, my baby girl. Your daddy and I absolutely cannot get enough of you. You are healthy and happy, and growing and developing so fast. And, really, you are quite the smarty. We are so proud to call you ours!
It's crazy how quickly you have seemed to grow up since your baby brother, Tagg, was born. You adore him! You want to touch him and hold him constantly. Sometimes a little too aggressively, but we know it's all because you love him so much. The two times that you have bit him (naughty!) are the only times we've seen Tagg not smile at you. The two of you definitely speak your own language. He stares at you with absolute delight and laughs at almost everything you do. We hope that you two will be great friends forever.
Lately you have started singing...a lot. We love it! You are, for the most part, off key and off beat, but it's all music to our ears. We laugh and laugh and are amazed how you belt out every single word of every single song. We have lots of videos of your future American Idol skills. You love to sing songs from Baby Signing Time, especially "Can You Feel It." Other songs you can be heard singing at the top of your lungs are: The Wheels on the Bus, I love to See The Temple, You Are My Sunshine, One Shoe Two Shoe, Ring Around the Rosies, Pop Corn Popping and Give Said The Little Stream (you call it "GiveO").
Speaking of Baby Signing Time, you are still obsessed with it. You want to listen to the CDs in the car, you want to watch the videos at home...pretty much you are always signing, singing, listening to and watching BST. Good thing it's educational, right?
You do have a slight (read: sometimes extreme) obsession with the television. For a while you would wake up and immediately head to the TV in the kitchen. It was a rough few days of telling you "No TV" before we finally felt you had detoxed enough to start watching an occasional show here and there. Your favorite shows are Curious George, Super Why, The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That, Dinosaur Train, Dora (although you mostly watch that on the Kindle), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Wiggles, and The Goodnight Show on Sprout. It's so cute when you say, "Can I watch Spowt?' How can we deny that?
The Kindle is your new best friend. We definitely have to limit your time on it just as much as we do the TV. The other day you told me, "I need new apps." What the heck? Did you really just say that? Lovely. You scroll through the Kindle and my iPhone like nobody's business. Your favorite apps are ABCs; Dora the Explorer; Disney Junior; Zoo Train; Trains; Planes and Sea Vehicles; and The Wheels on The Bus.
Okay, so your real best friend is Carson Matsalla. When you took your first session of swim lessons at Cottonwood Heights Rec Center when you were nine months old - Carson was in your class. We didn't really meet until the very last class, but then had a couple of play dates and the two of you have been inseparable ever since. It really is fun to watch the two of you play together.
Thanks to a friend, Emilie de Azevedo Brown, for giving us the video 'Potty Time' you started showing interest in potty training...for about a week. That was right before your birthday, and now you just tease us now and then saying that you need to go potty...only to find out that you really just want some fruit snacks. When we were attempting the potty training we would give you a fruit snack every time you agreed to sit on the potty. I'm thinking that that is backfiring now. Hopefully soon you'll realize the potty is way better than wearing diapers. The same video teaches about washing your hands too, which you LOVE to do. You could stand on your stool in front of a sink for hours if we'd let you.
Holland, you are so polite. You say please, thank you and sorry at all the right times...and sometimes at surprising times. Like, when we wipe your nose or give you medicine - you say 'thank you.' When you bonk your head - you say 'I'm sorry.' And when you don't want something - you say 'no please.' It's so darn cute! Also, when you are asking for something and we know right away what it is that you are requesting, you usually then say, sounding all proud, "That's right, Daddy/Mommy!"
Your two-year appoint was the first time that they had you stand to measure your height. It was so cute to see you stand there being measured. It was definitely a reality check that you really are a toddler now. Sniff-sniff. You are 35.8 inches tall (90th %) and weigh 25.6 lbs. (25th %) - our tall skinny girl.
You go to bed between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. and wake up almost exactly at 7:15 every morning. You take a pretty good nap of 1.5 to 3 hours around 1:00 every afternoon. Ever since I stopped nursing you, at 13 months, Daddy and I take turns putting you to bed each night. We always read a few books, say prayers and sing some songs together as a family. Then, Daddy or I give you a sippy cup of milk and rock you and sing to you for a while. I love it, and I know Daddy does to. You have to have your blankie and your little baby dolls when you go to bed for the night or for naps.
Your eating skills are interesting - you eat very little most days, but then you'll eat everything we give you for a couple days. Your favorite foods are green beans, noodles, rice, graham crackers and fruit snacks. You will not, no matter how hard we try, eat meat of any kind.
You love books! We have a bookshelf in your room and a basket of books in the living room. You can be found in both locations several times a day. Your favorite books are: The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuess's ABCs, Hop on Pop, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Rolie Polie Olie, Under the Ground, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, On the Moon, Brown Bear Brown Bear, and Goodnight Moon.
You have known your ABCs and could count to 10 since you were 20 months old, and now you can count to 19, with "eleventeen" being in place of 20. You know all of your colors, including indigo (random!). You know your first name and can say, "I'm Holland." You call Daddy by his first name occasionally. It's so funny to hear you say, "Where's Tyler?" and yelling, "Tyler, are you?"
You are more into showering than bathing lately. You love to take showers with Daddy and always ask him to lift you up and then you request that he draw shapes on the foggy shower door. The conversation usually goes like this: "Hold you, Daddy. Draw circle. Draw heart. Draw square. Draw triangle." When you do take baths it is usually with Tagg. You two definitely have fun splashing and laughing together.
We love you so much, Holland Bliss. We are so excited to see you continue to grow and reach milestones. We are so in love with your cute little face and your huge personality! Never stop being you!!
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