Month 30

Dear Desi,

Happy happy two-and-a-half years old! I have been both excited and dreading to write this letter. Excited cause you're growing so well and learning so many new things that there's so much I want to tell you. Dreading cause of the mountain of photos I have to go through, and I can only post a few for your letter. Also dreading that with all the things I want to tell you, I might not be able to say it all. I will do my best. So here goes.



Many many things have happened since I wrote your last letter. They are quite major changes for a person who has lived for only two years. The first change is that you now have a baby brother. Whereas before, when your Ate is in school, you had me all to yourself, now you have to contend with someone else. I guess when your cousin Luis came to our home, it was like a dry run for you, how you would deal with not being the littlest baby anymore, or maybe it's just your natural disposition, you absolutely doted on Ramon from the very beginning. At first you'd be extra lambing to me, or to your then-Yaya Fe (she left us na, but that's another story), but that was the extent of your selos. From then until now, you like to yell "I wanna play with Ramon!" And you'd play peek-a-boo or shake his feet or even ask if you can carry him. You don't seem to mind if we have to interrupt our playing or reading time because Ramon is crying and I have to feed him. You just let me go tend to Ramon and play on your own or pester your Ate Lia. You are a very good Ate, Desi. You definitely love your baby brother very very much.



The other major change in your life is that you've started school. As I had written before, this is earlier than I had originally planned on putting you in school. But it broke your heart when Ate left you every morning, and when you did get to visit, you had no reservations about joining in with other kids that it almost seemed mean to not let you go to school, especially knowing that I would be busy with your baby brother and will not be able to give you the attention your Ate Lia enjoyed at your age, even though she wasn't in school yet. And so you went. And so you LOVE it.



Of course at first there were days when you didn't want to go because your school time is a couple of hours before your Ate, and right on top of your nap time. But within a couple of weeks, you were looking forward to school. You have a best friend, her name is Cassie. She's younger than you and doesn't talk as much as you do yet and she tends to communicate with hugs or by stomping her feet. But even when she gets a bit too physical with you, you are very patient with her and never complain. You even hug her back. Teacher Des says you're progressing well. You know all your concepts, that's letters, numbers, colors and shapes (but we already know you've known those even before going to school) but that you're also starting to talk more, and participate in class.



When she told me this, I told her that it's good you're talking and singing and participating more in class, because you tend to be quiet around people you don't see on a regular basis. In the few times I was able to observe you in school, you are definitely quieter. You speak much more softly than you do when you're at home, or not answer at all. But you still always do what the teacher says. In fact, during your Linggo ng Wika presentation, on stage with your Toddler classmates, and the older kids from Nursery Class, you were the only one doing the actions, copying your Teacher in front. This in spite of the fact that you were so sleepy you had fallen asleep in the car on the way to school that Day. And it's only a 10 minute drive to school. Which goes to show that even if you're not talking, you know what you're supposed to do.



Teacher Des was quite surprised to know that when you're at home, you talk virtually non stop, in complete sentences, about anything and everything you want to say. You even like to play jokes, like singing "Mary had a little CAT, whose fleece is white as ELEPHANT!" This always makes your Ate laugh. And you love to sing and dance, along with your Ate, copying her every move. But mostly when you don't think anyone else is watching. If we're with other people, like in Ninang's house of in St. Ignatius, no amount of cajoling can make you perform. If we ask you, you even hide your face in your hands. But the second you think no one is paying attention, you start to sing to yourself. It's really very cute. But also nothing new, because you've been singing to yourself even before you could talk.



Your current obsession (besides Ramon) is Daddy's new iPad. You can't compete with your Ate Lia on the laptop cause you don't know how to work a mouse yet, but the iPad just makes you happy. Even when you try to play games you don't know how to play. Once Daddy brought the iPad with him to work and our conversation went like this:

"I wanna play with the iPad!"

"Sorry Desi, Daddy brought it to work. Would you like to watch TV instead?"

"No! I wanna play with the iPad!"

"Sorry Desi, the iPad is not here. You want to play a game or read a book?"

"No! I wanna play with the iPad!"

You almost cried, but I successfully diverted your attention elsewhere, after promising that you can play with the iPad when your Daddy came home.

You really have a fascinating personality, a perfect counterpoint to your Ate's OC-ness. You are more laid back, you enjoy following her lead. But when she gets too bossy, you simply ignore her and refuse to play with her. When she remembers to ask you nicely, you are happy to say "OK!" and follow her lead again. I think the two of you will be best of friends. And that makes me happy beyond belief because that is one of my heart's desires.



I love playing with you and talking to you, and reading to you (your favorite books these days are anything Maisy. Especially the pop-ups.). I get to spend more time with you than I thought I would, even if I have to frequently stop to care for Ramon, or turn my attention to your older sister. You are a lovely dear and darling child. Unique and precious in every way. If only I could keep you like this forever. Happy, young and so carefree. But that would just be keeping you from being the awesome woman you will be someday.

You're my baby forever. Even if you're already two-and-a-half.


Love, Mommy