Pippa, our fiery babe

Carrying around a water bottle that’s a big as her. Taking photos!
Pippa has exploded! Her personality just bursts out of her on a daily basis. It takes more shape every day to our complete delight and amazement. She is entirely her own person with her own preferences and likes (full disclosure I’m writing this now when Pippa is 16 months not 15 months like when I started out). I just have so much to reflect on with her! I’m glad that I take the time most days to write a little something about what she has been up to because it is hard to summarize her in a blog post!

Her liveliness increases exponentially with each day. Her now curly blonde hair has exploded with vivacity (we like to keep her hair in a half pony on top of her head) just like her personality and we are wondering- where did this all come from? Where was it stored? It is completely amazing to see how much she gets, how much she loves us, and how much she LOVES life.

Our baby is seriously into toddlerhood now. Hunter is so sweet and helps me feel appropriately sentimental saying things from time to time like “Pippa was so tiny when she was born!” But We are all really embracing the fact that Pippa is a solid toddler, climbing everything, showing off her long tongue, trying to keep up with everything Hunter does from LEGO building to using forks and spoons really well to running and climbing and drawing. She is doing her own thing too, swimming up a storm every week with me at a swim lesson. She isn't particularly cuddly and doesn't love being held so I like being in the water with her once a week because she has to stay close! Plus it is fun to be able to do something where there is really focus mom and Pippa time once a week. She was hesitant about the pool at first but has really come around and thrives in the water. She is brave and bold and will jump right in!

I just love her so much and everything she is. She really gets cuter and lovelier every single day. She is saying more and more words, has baby sign language down for "more," "all done," "please," "water" (which she asks for every night at bedtime, and all the time really because she still does not care for milk), "thank you," "hungry". Her first first word was "all done" ("ahhlduh") which she used at the dinner table. It is interesting because Hunter's first word was "hot" because we had to stop him from diving into hot food. Pippa loves food and a variety of it, but just approaches it with much more discernment. When she is done, she wants you to know.
the other word we have to admit was a close second was "nugget" when we decided to get the kids chicken nuggets in Palm Springs. It was funny and embarrassing in a way to have this be one of Pippa's first words. I swear we don't get the kids chicken nuggets hardly ever! But look at our girl, making the most of two syllable words right off the bat. She goes big and hard this one.

Hunter was a really good mimic but Pippa is imitating which is slightly different. She wants to social fit in and so loves doing big kid things like washing herself, putting on deodorant, having her nails clipped, putting her dishes in the sink, using a camera, washing her hands in the sink, getting in the shower with Philip (she runs to the bathroom when she hears the shower go on). She wants to say goodbye to dad at the front porch when he leaves and when is told “dad is coming home” calls his name runs to the window to see him. She is regularly saying “thk ooo!” (Thank you). She is even saying my name regularly when Philip prompts her to ask for mom! Hearing her say “MAMh!” Just kills me. Kills me. She is getting better at her “Ps” though still not quite up to saying “Pippa.” Her rendition of “Huh-tah!” (Hunter) is music to my ears. Brings me the ultimate joy because so much love is expressed in just how she says his name. Hunter says her name with such love, and with each passing day they are able to be more reciprocal in their relationship.

Pippa is up for most anything! I put her through a lot to keep up with Hunter. Maybe that’s why she has already been on 1 nap a day for a while, because I just have to force her out of rest at certain times of day to help with sanity in general. She is getting old enough now that she can be flexible enough and I can be flexible enough to push her a bit more. She also has never loved day time sleep – needing two naps but not doing great at either- and it is a relief to have her do one long nap that I can more or less count on. You can also rely on her to be ready for bed at the same time every night (she still like when she was a baby likes to be put straight in with no cuddling and cuddles down into the bed), but flexible enough to be pushed past that from time to time. She also sleeps a really long time! She can sleep 14 hours at night especially if she had a busy time the day before. Hunter no matter the bedtime what would wake up at the same time. I really like that Pippa likes her sleep and that we have figured out a system that works for all. It helps make parenting more fun when sleep is a regular part of the equation.

In terms of eating Pippa is very adventurous and can put down a lot of food. But there are some days when she just pounds it and other days when her favorites have lost favor (if she’s not up to eating something she will move it off of her tray!). This is not how Hunter was. He would put everything into his mouth without thinking. Pippa thinks more about what she wants. but since generally Pippa eats and eats good things I try not to stress about it. I’m trying to let her be her.

Pippa’s laugh…her sense of humor! It is big and mature. She is always good for a laugh and seems to be bursting with them. There is a book about animal colors that McKenszie gave her that says "when a purple skunk and red monkey mix they make a magenta skunky" like that and she laughs at the punch line for each animal combination! Hunter laughed (and laughs a lot now) when entertained but Pippa just gets pleasure in her own from things she enjoys, and she’ll laugh when she is feeling it! She does her Pippa shrug less (she shrugs both shoulders when she is really feeling happy), but still does it. Her laugher and enjoyment seem to come from within her than from an outside source. When she feels happy she is tickling you or that she is dancing or put something on her head that makes her look funny. She was enjoying a treat at the dinner table the other day and tooted. She laughed to herself and kept on eating, with no reference to Philip or me (hunter wasn't there I can't remember why). I think if Hunter had still been at the table it would have been different but Philip and I couldn’t believe that she laughed at her own fart!

Pippa is so communicative! For most of the months she has been using baby sign language we hav been able to avoid a lot of frustration as she tells us she is hungry, wants water, wants to sleep, wants a hat, says please and thank you and more and read. Only now are we running into the problem from time to time where her wants are bigger than her words allow her to be. If my memory serves me right She says more words than Hunter did at this age. She loves to say “choclt” (chocolate!) “goggle” and “hat” and “all done” and “nananananananana” for banana and “shoes” and “beisbol” and “chalk”but there is clearly so much going on in that beautiful head of hers. She gets an idea of what she wants and goes for it. She also doesn’t miss a beat when she sees someone else doing something new and cool to jump right in. When I pull out a banana or grape or cookie it is the CUTEST thing to see her tap/stomp her feet with excitement and see the glee on her face- she does in a way only a baby/toddle can! she is totally in love with new experiences and just being part of what everyone is doing. She wants to clip her nails and use the toilet and be offered what we’re eating (though she doesn’t always eat it). I guess the best we can do- and we do a pretty good job of it – is help make ourselves understood to her. If you ask her to clean up or to sit down or to close the door she is good and willing to follow instruction most of the time. She is crazy about her pacifiers but they are very strictly for bed. When she wakes up I tell her “you can have your pacifiers while you’re in your crib but if you want to play you need to put them back in the drawer. What do you want to do?” And she’ll gesture to the drawer, drop and spit them out into the drawer (she likes to have one in her mouth and hold one), give me a high five then be on her way. If I explain “you can stay on the chair if you sit. If not I will take you off” and half of the time she will clearly make a choice to sit because she knows the alternative.

Reading is getting really fun with Pippa. She asks for the same book over and over again like “Animal Colors” and “Peekahoo” and “Your Baby’s first word will be Dada.” She likes to sit next to you, not on your lap. She likes her space. I love that she laughs at punch lines! She is so engaged. She will pick up big kid books on her own too and flip through them. She is loving animal sounds and songs like row row row your boat and if you’re happy and you know it and zoom zoom zoom going to the moon and twinkle twinkle. She is actually really taken with Baby Shark song too which we have only listened to a few times. Dance parties are really fun with her. She will do headstands and somersaults and copy any dance move you do. We are always on the porch playing chalk and working in the kitchen and out on adventures where she mostly resists the car seat. Biking is her favorite! We will get into the garage for something else and she will whine for her helmet and her seat. She just adores it and one of my favorite things is to go biking with her, and Hunter. It’s kind of our thing! She loves clapping for other people and especially for Hunter. She is figuring out how to throw a ball too!

I have never seen a baby as excited about biking as Pippa is. I got a bike, baby bike seat and rack for my birthday so that I could take the kids out riding (our street is on a hill and we can’t just ride around our neighborhood). Hunter is so fast and zippy on his bike that we weren’t going out because I couldn’t keep up with him anymore! Pippa was so thrilled to see the bike seat when I got it you would have thought it was her birthday gift! And really it kind of was. Kind of an extension of a 1st birthday gift. I wanted to have an activity that we could all really love to do, and that would bring me joy. That was important to me as I was dealing with weaning related depression. Pippa’s enthusiasm and patience for biking as outdone anything I could have imagined. I had a good idea from trying out Sariah’s bike in Half Moon Bay that biking would be a very happy thing for us, and saw clearly that Pippa loved it. But if we are ever in the garage she wants her helmet (pats her head to tell me and gestures to where they hang) and stomps her feet in excitement. When we are in the house telling her we are going on a bike ride she stomps her feet in excitement at the door and squeals/whines. When we stop on the bike- usually for Hunter who has fallen or wants to get out to see something- she is totally impatient about it! She just wants to keep riding. There are few things in our families life that we all get equal enjoyment out of and this is one. It’s wonderful, and to have Pippa between my handlebars and singing the wheels on the bike and pointing things out to her is an absolute joy. I kiss her helmet often.

I have been taking Pippa to a regular swim class too and it is such fun. I wanted her to feel comfortable in the water over the summer so I enrolled her in a parent and me swim class after her first birthday, it was tricky at first with naps and hunter’s School and figuring out the right teacher. But we landed on a class and time and teacher that we love. It really is a joy to see her gain confidence in the water. She went from screaming and crying to now jumping in the water to me, and even putting her face in the water! She will kick well and is so giddy to act like Hunter I think. She is so not cuddly that I enjoy this swim Time because it forces her to be physically right next to me for 30 minutes. She now pours water on her own head and mine, and will go towards the pool to jump in with teacher molly before I have a chance to get there. She has such a sweet perfectly proportioned little body that makes my heart burst and I have so enjoyed just letting her in the pool with a swim diaper and enjoying her topless figure. My Pippa. She is a class favorite too. I think teacher molly gets a kick out of how spunky Pippa is and that she will on her own accord put her face in the water. I am so proud of Pippa always but it is so special to me to have 30 minutes in the week to just focus on her. Another note, just as Hunter is done using goggles to swim Pippa is wanting to use them! She loves saying “goggle!” And putting them on/taking them off.

I wish I could freeze time right now. To hear Pippa say “UHtahh!” (Hunter) and for Hunter to say “Pippa!” Is literal music to my ears. The anthem to my life. The kids are doing so great with each other. They can be patient with so much. Pippa is still so much a baby (her walk- it’s such a little baby walk still!) but so much a toddler. Such a sweet spot. We’re at the height of summer- tans and fresh produce and beach and HEALTH. There have been some challenges this summer but the kids as they are are just perfect. I guess the key is to savor every laugh and look and kiss and get excited for the next one. Pippa gives the best strongest hugs I think any 16 month old baby has given. She has never been cuddly but she has always responded in a deep way to our love and expressed it deeply. It just comes up from inside of her like when she sees a parent coming home or when she sees you laying on the ground and wants to lay on top of you or is in your arms and wants to give you a lick/kiss. Pippa, like her brother now, has such loving impulses that stoke my soul and make life worth living each day.

A rare moment of Pippa cuddling! She woke up from a nap and was just feeling it and climbed into my lap. She loves being next to me and getting hugs but is impatient about being cuddled. When she sees me holding onto anyone else (Hunter or Philip) though she gets jealous!

So appreciative of these tomatoes!