Letters to Ettie {21 Months}

To my beautiful cheeky monkey, Happy 21 months to you! We’ve had such a fun month together this month with so many great adventures. I’ve been using up some leave from work so we could spend more time together, and the baby in my tunny finally let me have some energy back – hoorah!! So we’ve had lots of fun and it’s lovely to be able to write this letter without having to apologise for being so tired!

At the start of the month you experienced snow for the very first time and I’m not sure who was more excited because we were up, dressed and out playing in the back garden by 8am – which wouldn’t even happen on a day that Mummy goes to work usually! I think you found the whole experience quite daunting at first, wondering what all the fuss was about. After all to you, it must have seemed very strange having lots of cold white stuff covering the floor.

We showed you the snow through the window with Daddy initially and you just wanted to eat it which was very funny! Then when I took you outside, you stood very still with a concerned look on your face, not wanting to walk any further. Snow is very cold after all! Following your lead we took a walk down the street and it only took you a few meters for you to build up your confidence and stomp in the snow with your wellies. Before long we’d taken a big loop and were back in our back garden. You found it ever so funny when Daddy started throwing snow in the air. I love how you find him so funny.

This was also the month that we told you all about the baby in Mummys tummy. We waited until after the 20 week scan because we wanted to make sure everything was ok, but spookily enough I think you already knew somebody was in there because you’ve started to lift up my top at bed time, asking to ‘sleep on Mummy’s tummy’. It makes me feel all sorts of lovely thinking you might have instinctively known about your little brother or sister before we told you. It also makes me so happy that we are able to give you a sibling to play with. You absolutely love going to your Auntie L’s house to play with your cousins so I just know you’ll have the best time when a brother or sister comes along (although I am a little nervous that you wont want to play with Mummy anymore!).

Ettie at 21 months old snuggling into bump

As ever your speech has come on leaps and bounds this month with you now being able to form full little sentences to ask for things. Sometimes you get stuck on a word and have a little stutter whilst you try to think of it. Its so lovely watching your brain work. If you really can’t think of the word and Mummy can’t help, then you just stop, look into my eyes and giggle. I think you’re just content with the fact that Mummy knew you were trying to say something and that you’ll get the words next time. Its moments like these that really make my heart burst, I love being there for you and helping you achieve new things.

Possibly the best moment of the whole month was when you told me you loved me – unprompted. Until this month you had said ‘love you’ if we said ‘love you first’, but this month I was putting you to bed (in Mummys bed because you didn’t want to go in your cot that night), and while we were snuggling down for the night, you wrapped both little arms around my neck and said ‘love you Mummy’. It made me so happy, my heart was ready to pop but I tried not to act too excited because I was trying to get you to sleep! I scooped you up and held you soo tight. Needless to say you fell asleep in the arms of a very happy Mummy that night, with a huge beaming smile across my face.

Another happy thing which happened was that you got ‘Star of the day’ at nursery for listening and being kind. You’ve had it once before when you were smaller, but I think this time you understood it was something to be proud of and you were ever so excited. You ran right up to me with your little yellow certificate when I picked you up from nursery ‘saying Mummy look’, so I took you out for a huge cake to celebrate . You couldn’t wait to show Daddy when you got home so we put it on display in the kitchen. I so love our little family.

Ive absolutely loved this month and all the extra time we’ve spend together. You’re crazy and cheeky at times, and oh so bossy ‘sit der Mummy’, ‘come here Eddie’, but we love you so so much. The little faces you pull and the way you throw your arms around us when you want a ‘cuddle’ make me so proud to be your Mummy. I love watching you grow and your little personality develop as you discover more of the world. The extra time we have spent together this month has made me realise even more what I am missing out on by working full time and I cannot wait for maternity leave to start again. You are growing up so quickly I know I am going to miss these days so terribly when you are big.

Having said that I do really want you to be proud of me for having a good job and want you to know that you always have the option of using your brain. But at the moment spending time with you is more important to me than anything in the world and I dont mind taking time out to do that.

I love you always and forever my perfect little girl and as always I count myself so so lucky to be your Mummy xxx

Ettie at 21 months old