Charlotte

Oh, Miss Charlotte. As we near your first birthday, I want to weep. How have we already gotten this far? You are a woman to be reckoned with...a mind of your own, a heart as big as the sky, a sense of humor the size of the ocean. My little gal...nothing like your older brother, yet perfectly fit to him, the yen to his yang. I never worried about him - he was a baby you barely had to keep an eye on, hardly ever into mischief (I think I am remembering this right). I can't take my eyes off of you. You're scampering up the steps, trying to climb the baby gate, wrangling out of the harness in a shopping cart - turned around backwards standing up - much to the horror of other shoppers. You're grabbing fistfuls of dog food, playing in the toilet, pulling paper out of the printer, knocking over my entire jewelry box that stands taller than you. You're opening drawers and emptying the contents. Cooking dinner requires clean up on the counters and then on the floor as I gather oven mitts, cutting boards, dish towels, and pans. We go through the routine every morning as I get ready for work - I take out the harmful items pre-Charlotte, and when it's all said & done, I'm putting back headbands, brushes, toothpaste, floss, curling irons, band-aids. Clothes folded in baskets are strewn about the floor in the blink of an eye. Grass, acorns, dirt, leaves, sand, shoes...into your mouth in a split second. We tell you "no, no" and you laugh and run away! You laugh, blow raspberries, and yell. You yell to be heard, you yell when you're not getting your way, getting attention, or when you want more food. You are a piggy! You eat and eat, and just when I think you're stuffed, you make room for dessert.

My sweetie...drinking out of sippy cups already - and trying to steal Jack's too. Wearing big girl jeans that are so cute my heart leaps. Wearing pigtails and sometimes big brother's hand-me-downs that are too precious to get rid of, the ones I can't bear to let go. Loving your blankie, stuffed animals, my scarves, pillows, anything you can snuggle with. Hugging and kissing Jack, making kissing noises instead of giving real ones and pointing at your mouth when I ask you where your nose is. You can't sit still long enough to drink your milk...a drink & roll on the floor, throw the cup down, run a few laps and come back for more. You're busy, busy, busy and so very important. Entertaining us all with your head banging and dancing. Your blonde hair growing and growing, blue eyes shining...teensy little feet that carry you around the house - flitting like a little bug on your chubby legs. You, my little lady, are perfect.