Month 24

Dear Lia,

Happy second birthday! Hard to believe it's already been two years. And what a wonderful two years it has been. Right now, I should be doing my painting homework, but I haven't written you a letter in three months, and this is the last letter I plan on writing you for a while, so I couldn't wait to get at it and for once it's on time.



The last three months have been a bit drama-filled, especially last month, when you went sick with a fever that was accompanied with a VERY BAD MOOD. During this time, we did our best to keep you calm, and I guess we overdid it with the giving in to everything you wanted. However, even after the fever abated, the tantrums persisted which I cannot tolerate so I had to face you to the wall whenever it got out of hand. I had to punish you a grand total of three times. Each time was full of tears and screams, each time I made you stay near the wall longer than I wanted to because you have the will to scream and cry for far longer than the two minutes I planned to make you sit. And usually, after you've stopped and I've removed you from your punishment place, a little more screaming takes place. But soon after your last tantrum, it all stopped. You went right back to being the sweet, engaging, talkative adorable baby girl you are. In fact, you were also sick the last couple of days but this time, it was without any drama. Just a lot of cuddling and watching your favorite DVDs. You didn't cry when I took your temperature, didn't complain when you had to take some medicine. You've been a very behaved sick baby and that reassures me that we won't have to battle it out everytime you catch a bug.



Aside from learning that "tantrums do not pay" you have learned many many many things most less-than-two year olds can't do yet. There's so much to share, I'd better just list them down.

• You know all the letters in the english alphabet and can partner most of them with animals whose names begin with those letters.
• You can count to 23 in English. Yesterday you were able to count to 28. But I think that was a fluke. Usually 23 is immediately succeeded by 27. When you successfully counted to 28, you followed that last number with 50.
• You can count to dies in Spanish and sampu in Filipino.
• You know all your shapes, including diamond, heart, star, pentagon and octagon (I am not kidding).
• You know all the primary and secondary colors plus pink and white, and sometimes black and brown.
• You have memorized entire songs that you sing to yourself sometimes: Bahay kubo, Twinkle Twinkle, ABC, and Happy Birthday. Songs you still like to sing as a duet: Eensy weensy spider and I have two hands.
• You have three favorite books that you love making me read over and over: Little Bunny (from Tita Gigi), Goodnight Moon and The Owl and the Pussycat. The last two books, you can finish each line as I read them. I think you've pretty much memorized those books but you still can't get enough of them.
• You've learned a new game show catchphrase: Wheel of Fortune (although it sounds a lot like, Wheel of Water)

But before your readers think you're some sort of rainman genius baby, I should also share that you have expanded your arsenal for charm offensive. You've picked up these really adorable expressions that you just blurt out randomly throughout the day. Sometimes you put your finger to your lips and say, "Hm. Maybe..." Maybe what? I don't know. You just like to say it. You also say "Hay naku!" and "Grabe!" There was a time you kept saying, "Wha happened? Wha happened Mommy?" Nothing happened sweetheart, you're just being unbelievably pa-cute. And it works.



Of course there are things you do say in context that's even more irresistible. You say Please and Thank You. And how can we ever say no to a well-placed Please? And when you say thank you, it makes us want to just give you whatever you want over and over again.

I think it's clear to see that you are a very bright and vivacious little girl. It's amazing how much you've picked up in the last two years. Daddy and I have been looking at photos of you from last year and wonder at how much you've grown, from Jabba-the-Lia who can barely roll over, to the jumping, singing, dancing superstar that you are now. And this is only the beginning. We know that the best is yet to come.



There are several changes coming your way. Your yaya is leaving, and you've been closer and more affectionate to her lately so I'm a bit apprehensive as to how you will handle her absence. Also, your baby sister is arriving in less than two months. And for all that you point to my tummy and say "baby sister" and hug and kiss it, I'm not sure you're prepared for the actual human being that it will turn out to be. I'm hoping and trusting in your apparent "maturity" that you won't give us too hard a time, and always be assured, that even if there will be another baby in the house, we still love and adore you just as much as before, and look forward to seeing you become an Ate.



You will always be my favorite first baby.


Love, Mommy