G, today. Just because.

Nov 20

Today Greta wore her light up shoes.  She struts around like she owns the town.  Since the shoes light up her path, it does seem like she owns the town.

She came with me to a follow-up appointment with Dr. Razzle: we pushed elevator buttons, the nurses gave her cookies, we saw the “shiss” (fish) tank, and she melted hearts.  Mine included.  Dr. Razzle looked at Greta and back to me and said, “See, this is why we have to keep you (Jen) here for a really, really long time.”  Yes, Dr. Razzle.  YES, indeed.

She knows what our car looks like and yells, “Der it is!” when she sees it in the parking lot.  When I buckle her in to her carseat, she inevitably points at “Manen’s” (Maren’s) empty carseat and we have to talk about where Maren is and when we will see her again.  As we drive around she yells (yells), “Home!” when we near our house.  “Store!” when we pull into a parking lot.  She’s observant.  It reminds me of how Maren used to yell, “Nugget store!” every time we passed McDonalds.  Nugget store still makes me laugh.

I taught her how to make a grouchy face, and how to make a happy face.  She will make them on command.  Scrunched up fake angry faces on eighteen-month-olds are adorable.  (I did this with Maren, too.  It started when Maren was throwing a fit, and this alternating happy/grouchy tactic would distract her.  It works with Greta too.)

She knows how to take off her own shoes and put them in the closet when we get home.  She loves to throw things in the trash (oddly, she only does this with actual trash–I am lucky.)  She likes to get the mail, and then read the mail on the family room floor; she’s got a thing for catalogues.

She wants to eat yogurt and goldfish crackers.  I also got her to eat apple slices, grapes, six bites of puree peas, peanut butter crackers, a bowl of applesauce and baby cereal, three bites of baby mystery puree, and Cheerios.  She is such a weird eater.  She’s picky with both flavor and texture and won’t try anything new.  Oy.

She loves to sing.  Twinkle, Twinkle and The ABC Song are her favorites; she makes it about two-thirds of the way through each.  Lately she stops singing and finishes (mid-song) with “Good job Getta!  Good job!” with lots of enthusiastic clapping.  This weekend we woke her up in the middle of the night to drive home from a friends house.  Maren was asleep in the back of the car, and I was quiet: out of nowhere she sang a soft rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle to herself in the darkness of the backseat.  It was so sweet.

She talks all the time.

“I want it.”

“Paciblankiepaciblankie.”

“Hold you,” when she wants me to pick her up.

At night I tuck her in, pray over her, and tell her how much I love her and normal Mommy-loves-you things.  Almost every night as I reach her door to get to the hallway she calls after me, “Yo you.”  (Love you.)  Be still my heart.  It’s all I can do to not grab her up in my arms and hold her all night long.

I get unprompted “I love you Mommy”‘s from my baby.  Life is grand.  I am so blessed.  Please Jesus, let us share a lifetime of happy days.

6 comments

  1. Anonymous /

    First, nugget store = hilarious. Second, my daughter is about the same age as Greta. And this is definitely the most fun I’ve had since she has been born. For every tantrum, there are moments I think “I just want to freeze this moment. I want to freeze her grabbing my face to pull me in for a kiss. Her laughter as her dad tickles her silly.” Thank you for putting to words all the joy and wonder you feel as the parent of a toddler.

  2. Lynda M O /

    When they can say I love you to us, it just melts mu heart and like you, I want to hold them all night long. I still find my best moments are when I am caring for a child or a baby and they smile up at me with those truest intentions. We lost what would have been our first grandbaby earlier this spring and it still makes me cry when I feel the emptiness in my arms that should have been filled by now with a little one.

  3. Amen Jen!

  4. Ahhhh, what a little lovie! Sounds like you are indeed feeling your blessings during this Thanksgiving week. Hope Greta discovers she likes more than yogurt and cheerios for her Thanksgiving meal. 🙂

  5. I love your blog. I’m a stranger from Texas who has been following your journey. Thanks for continuing to share with us. I love reading about your precious Greta (and your post about Maren too). It is so funny how I feel like I know the personalities of your little ones! You describe them so well, and your writing is so heart-felt.

    I pray too, for a lifetime of happy memories ahead of you. My aunt fought a hard battle against lymphoma when she was 34, and her babies were 4 and 2. She went on to have 2 more children (something she was told would not be possible!), and the youngest is now in college. God blessed my family tremendously with her healing, and the enjoyment of many years raising her children. I boldly pray the same for you. The Lord is mighty to save, and merciful and powerful! He is the author of Life, and I pray that He blesses you with a beautiful journey ahead with your husband and precious girls.

    Love and blessings from a sister in Christ from Texas! 🙂

  6. Jen ~ Be still my heart on this blog ~ I so remember being a young MOM so many years ago, having the same feelings 🙂 Your Journey will live on for years 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving ~ Hugs, Marlayne 🙂