Dear Lia,
You turned 16 months last Saturday. And even if it's been almost a week since then, I want you to know that I didn't forget. I greeted you last Saturday, and even reminded everyone in the house that you are now 16 months old. I'm late in writing this letter because of all the changes in our household in the past two months.
For one thing, Mommy started working about a month ago. This means Mommy started leaving every morning and coming home late at night. Almost everyday, it breaks my heart to see you wail and cry with real tears as you watch me drive out of the garage. I'm still around every morning to have breakfast with you and watch Dora or Wonderpets with you but unless I leave during your morning nap, leaving for work every morning is heartwrenching. I just hope you get used to it soon. Just like you're used to it when Daddy leaves in the morning.
However, every night when I come home, tired from work and the long drive, it really lightens my heart to see you squeal with glee and scream Mommy! Mommy! It's like, "yay! You're back! Where've you been? Nice ID. It has Mommy on it. Mommy!" Coming home to you and Daddy is definitely the best part of my day.
And this is the reason I haven't been updating your website, or even my own blog. It's because I spend a lot of time at work now so when I'm at home, I don't want to waste any time doing anything else but playing with you and talking to you and laughing and enjoying you. You are so smart and brave and growing up so fast, writing down what you've been up to seems like a waste of time compared to actually being with you. But today I am able to take a couple of hours off work to record what's been happening while you're taking your nap downstairs and I told the office I'd be there after lunch.
Here are the things we know you really really love:
1. Swimming. Throughout summer, knowing I would be working soon, I did my best to take you swimming as often as possible. I took you to Philippine Columbian, to Celebrity Sports, and to Ninang's condo's pool. And although the very first time, in PCA, you screamed your head off for the first 5 minutes. After that, and in every pool thereafter, you were in heaven. And getting you out of the water would spark world war III.
2. Gymboree (and other mall-based play areas) If pools were heaven, Gymboree was Nirvana! Oh how you ran and jumped and climbed and slid all over the place as if everything was just too wonderful you couldn't decide which to do first. I mean, Balls! Giant Tube! Bridge! Slide! What is a baby to do? I only brought you to Gymboree twice, and to the Kids Work Station in Greenhils once but each time you had the time of your life. Although, always after an hour, you are so wiped out you didn't want to do anything anymore but sit in your stroller, drink your milk and be wheeled all the way home. Which of course works for us too.
3. Dora the Explorer. You can yell Dowa! Dowa! Dowa! Boot! All day. It's amazing. How you recognize and absolutely adore Dora is so fascinating, even we can't get enough of it. Lola Cora got you a Dora dress, I got you a Dora book and Daddy got you a Dora DVD that had 16 episodes in it! Now you can have Dora all day everyday and you can't seem to get enough of it. I can't wait to hear you speaking in Spanish.
Your Daddy and I love to talk about you and we both agree that you have a very strong personality. You can go from squealing with joy to wailing protest in a split second with the slightest hint of "No, you may not poke your eye with a pencil." WHYYYYY????? You would cry. And throw back your head. And lie on the floor. When you do this to me, I look at you in amusement, wait for you to stop, and when you do, I pick you up and get you to do something else. Although, I've heard you can keep this up for much longer if the people around you are your Lolo, Lola and Ninang Michelle. Because you KNOW they can't bear to see you in distress and will give in eventually. We should probably be concerned, but for the most part your Daddy and I are amused. It means you're smart and passionate and persistent and we love that about you. We know you'll grow up to be a great and successful person someday.
Speaking of growing up, in the last month, you've upgraded to a big girl car seat that now faces the front of the car, and you now bathe in the bathroom, standing up like a big kid. While you're check ups with the doctor show that's you're smaller than average, you're definitely smarter than average, and inexorably growing up. Getting bigger and smarter and prettier everyday. My Lia.
I hate not being able to spend entire days and weeks with you anymore but I know that by working and accomplishing something for myself and for others, I am offering you more than just care and hugs and kisses, which I do anyway, everyday. I am being someone you can look up to when you grow up. Not just as your Mommy but as a Filipina Woman. Who loves her family but also God and her country. Just like my Mommy.
I love you Lia. No matter what happens, you and Daddy are the most important people in my life. No job will ever be more important than you.
Love,
Mommy
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