Month 12

Dear Desi,

Happy Birthday! You are finally one year old! You can have chocolates and nuts and shellfish. If you like. Yesterday, on the day you turned one, we had a really BIG birthday party for you. Lots of friends and family, balloons and cake, and games and prizes. Everyone had fun and you were the star of the show. Unfortunately, Mommy was too busy organizing everything and facilitating games, and Daddy was busy greeting your guests that we didn't have time to take any pictures. I was only able to take a picture of you after the party was winding down, most of the guests had left, and you and Ate were chillin at the playground. This is what you looked like on the day you turned one year old.



Proving without a doubt that you are your Daddy's daughter. Don't worry babe, Angkol Jerry took lots of photos, and hopefully so did a lot of other people and once I gather all those files, I'll be able to show you what a fun and swingin' party your first birthday was.

The past month went pretty quick, and the whole last year went by like a blur! From a teeny tiny little helpless thing, you've grown to be a beautiful, sweet, smart, adorable little girl. Up up and up seems to be your motto. Because although your preferred mode of mobility is still crawling, you seem really excited to climb anything and everything you can. You climb down the bed, and once you're on the floor, you try to climb back up. You try to climb out of your crib, and then when I put you outside, you try to climb back inside. The other day, you figured out how to climb up the couch in the sala. You haven't been able to repeat that, but I'm sure you'll remember soon enough. One time we were at a relative's house and you climbed the stairs all the way up to their second floor, despite all my efforts to distract you, or put you as far away from the stairs as I can, you just turn around and climb all over again. It's like, you have to climb it because it's there. Oh dear.



You've also learned some body parts. You can point to your nose and your ears. Sometimes you confuse them, but for the most part you know where they are. And you will even point to other stuff we don't ask, just becuase you want us to know that they are there. You particularly like pointing to the light, and saying "Aaaa!" And then clapping your hands. You are such an engaging baby, you like to carry whole conversations with signs, waiting for us to say what you mean. Lately your favorite has been signing twinkle twinkle little star over and over again, insistently point "up above the world so high!" until someone sings it to you. You will sign twinkle twinkle no matter what words are applied to it, be it ABCD or Baa Baa Black Sheep. Maybe this means you're musical. You certainly love musical toys, like your maracas and xylophone, and you love wearing your little plastic guitar around your neck.



Your adventurousness belies your wonderfully sweet personality. You love to cuddle and hug and climb on to mommy's or daddy's tummy and then lay your head on our chest for "loving loving loving!" Daddy said you will probably grow up to get away with A LOT. Even more than your Ate. I asked him why? Since Lia can be sweet too. He said it's because you'll probably attempt to do more shenanigans than Ate and then charm your way out of trouble. He can hear it now, "Daddy, sorry na..." With those big, innocent eyes, hugging his chest, looking up to him. It probably won't help if you read this before you're able to get into any significant trouble, I'm arming you already. Oh well. I INSIST that my daughters grow up to be good and obedient girls. Daddy has nothing to worry about.



This morning we were opening your girts and you were patiently waiting as I opened each one, and played happily with all the toys I passed on to you. When I gave you the baby doll, you hugged it! And then I told you to kiss it and you planted a slobbery one right on its lips, and then hugged it again, and then kissed it again without much prompting. You are such an adorable sweetheart! I have never seen a baby treat a doll with such care as you. I'm taking this as a sign that you will grow up to be a loving mommy someday. Or even if you decide not to be a mommy, I know you will be a loving, caring person. Because that is who you are now. You can only get better at it.



You are so charming and cheerful, and unlike your Ate, taking your own sweet time in growing up. You are my baby and you love being my baby, and I love that even if you're already one, you're still a baby I can carry and hug and cuddle and play baby games with. I thank God everyday for the blessing of you, who has made my life, your Daddy's life and your Ate's life so much brighter and richer that we can barely remember what life was like a year ago when you weren't yet in our lives.



I love you Desi, my baby, my one-year-old.


Love, Mommy