Mallory Grace

Dear Mallory,

This is a month of expanding your reach. I had just gotten comfortable with the childproofing we had done and you (literally) kicked it up a notch. There’s nothing you can’t reach. TV? Got it. Roman shades? Got ‘em. Mom’s lap top? Oh, yeah.

In addition to reaching new heights, you’re expanding your vocabulary, too. Although these aren’t exactly words, you use them appropriately:
- Ut-oh (when you drop something)
- Whoa (when you’re impressed)
- Tee-koh tee-koh (this is the sound you make when you pretend to tickle one of us)
- Awwww (you say this while putting your head on someone’s shoulder, or while holding your stuffed bunny)

As if that weren’t enough you have also invented your own dance style (high stepping) and have modified your current running posture with your head thrown back and arms behind you. We think it’s your attempt at making your body more aerodynamic. I'm so proud of your amazing progress into toddlerhood. You handle changes to your routine with ease and are a pleasure to travel with. Your dad and I look forward to a fun summer with you.

Love,
Mama

Dear Mallory,
Today you are thirteen months old. The monthly milestones seem a bit less glamorous, now that you’ve got a full year under your belt. I will continue counting in months if only to hang onto your baby-ness a little longer. With this new milestone you earned the right to life's finest treats. That's right, italian ice!!

Your birthday party was a great success and mama and dada appreciated the low-stress environment of having someone else prepare the meals and clean the dishes. You enjoyed having so many friends to celebrate with. We had a trying moment getting you to blow out your candles; turns out you wanted to be held upside-down. As soon as you heard fifty voices sing the opening line of Happy Birthday it was all smiles.

We’ve had some good opportunities the past week to hit the outdoors and play at the park and go for walks in your new red wagon. You are an outdoor kid, often thrashing about with shrieks of protest when I fireman’s carry you back into the house.

This month we have enjoyed watching you explore your world and attempt with great focus to communicate verbally. While da-da and ma-ma came quite easily, we had been waiting for some time to hear something other than your everyday happy babble. Your newest words are shoes and puppy. Recently you have begun to mimic the sound of us counting. It is really adorable.

You catch onto routines very easily. When you see me open the hall closet for coats, you begin to walk to Phoebe’s crate which is the next step before leaving the house. The crate is your most coveted sacred hiding place. How you love to crawl into that stinky den and close the door behind you. As is customary in our family I will need to retell this story anytime there are more than three people gathered in a room. Just my way of saying I love you.

Love,
Mama