Today I found myself with a free hour and I thought I'd try to get some Mabel blogging in. Jenna did a fantastic job recapping the 17 months and who Mabel has become as a little individual. Rereading her last letter to Mabel reminded me of how lucky we are to have such a great connection with our little bean. Everything Jenna wrote last month is still true, only some of it is bigger, brighter, louder and even more clear.
No two days with Mabel are ever the same. No matter how hard we try, she just constantly decides she's going to adjust on a day to day basis. One day she loves bananas and can neatly and cleanly carry it around and mow down the entire thing. The next day, bananas happen to be the most disgusting thing in the world, which needs to be proven by rubbing them all over anything and everything within reach.
The most helpful advancement in response to this is her massively accelerated communication style. Two word indications are still around, but more and more each day she's adding full phrases with proper emphasis and even opinion added in. Somethings saying things are "ew" is just funny for her, but she's rarely joking when she says "no fanks" or "no please" (she's sorta very polite). When she's in a good mood she's very articulate and will tell you exactly what she wants to do, where she wants to play, what she wants to eat and drink, or how involved she wants you to be in her activities. Sometimes she'll go full whine. When she goes full whine, she embraces it. She does this fake cry that is so forced it's almost funny. It's actually really funny until it gets frustrating because we know she can tell us what she wants and she just chooses not to. That mind of hers gets made up and it's not easy to change it.
These are the things I'm most thankful for. I know it sounds crazy, but I am. She's becoming her own little person. She knows what she likes and what she doesn't. She goes to the bookshelf and brings back the exact book she wants you to read. She fills in the blanks at her favorite parts and sings along with her favorite songs. Seeing her become comfortable in her environment is heart-breakingly joyful. I jealously love when she gets shy around new people. She nuzzles in as close as she ever gets and has a secret little smile while she's deciding if she is going to like this new friend. It's only a matter of time before she warms up to most people, but in the meantime Jenna and I get to be her safe spot. She knows she's safe and she knows love. Hearing her little voice say "I love you" is the best thing that's ever happened to anyone. Ever.
So, between almost 17 and 18 1/2 months not a ton has changed, but everything seems to be on overdrive. It's moving so fast and each day is something completely new and exciting. It just happens to be a new and exciting version of something that happened in the last few days. She keeps us guessing and keeps us on our toes because even though she's done it before, we never know when she's going to do what and what she's going to add to her little toddling toddler equation. I think she likes it that way. That sweet nuzzle and that secret smile warms your heart. It makes her feel protected and free to blow our minds in a new way each and every day. I think that's her plan to begin with. She's a sneaky little fox.
