15 Months

Back in 2014, when Lewis told his friends with daughters we were having a girl, two or three of them made comments about how "she'll be running the house before she's 5."  And he would tell me these comments and I'd scoff.  No daughter of mine is going to be a diva.

But as with everything else ... you get what you get and you don't throw a fit.

This chica has had preferences since the day she entered this world, screaming and with a full head of hair.  Put me down?  NO.  Bath? NO?  She liked her mama and snuggling and eating, thank you very much, and we will only do those things, thank you very much.  The boys liked those things too, lets not get that wrong, but they also enjoyed their swing.  Or the carseat.  Did Julia like those things?

That'd be a big fat no.

If you left her in there for 5-10min, you'd get 5-10min of full-belly, infant-baby screaming.  I arrived everywhere looking haggard and stressed.  I felt like carrying a sign ... "she screamed the whole way here - GIVE ME A DAMN BREAK."

For three months.  Three months of screaming carseat.  Three months of sleeping only when held.  It makes me laugh to think about it.  It's a miracle I didn't lose my damn mind.  But we loved her so.  I was so grateful she was here; to have a complete family.  She was the exclamation point our family needed.

Lewis has no background with girls.  He was raised in a family of three brothers.  So girls toys?  No idea.  Princess movies?  He's seen them.  He did have a mother after all, but it's funny to watch him with her because he has no idea she's manipulating him and I do.  Oh I know.

And she knows that if she turns on the tears Daddy will pretty much crumble.  Mama will roll her eyes and send her to her room (fact).  Daddy will probably cuddle her and give her a pony.

Do I agree with this?  Of course not.  Can I do anything about it?  Probably not.  He'll learn though.  Or maybe he won't.  I can't dictate every detail of his parenting style.

I love her spirit.  Her feistiness.  Her willfulness.  She gets what she wants.  She's has two, big, loud, opinionated brothers.  She has to be aggressive.

It will serve her well.  She'll be writing all of our pay checks some day.

Or she won't.

She also is very empathetic and caring.  She mothers her brothers.  She mothers me.

Let's be real, she thinks she is me.

When I get mad at her it wrecks her whole world.  She collapses into fits of despair ... my beloved mommy raised her voice at ME!  

She's all about horses right now.  And the little $2 My little Ponies from the check out line in Target are just the right size for her little hands.  She likes the show, but I hate it so we rarely watch it.  I can't stand the whining and the social fighting.  That horse was mean to me!  What do I do!  Well pony you can start by not WHINING and by getting a soccer ball and finding someone else to kick it with.

There are worse things to watch but for me it ranks up there with Arthur and Caillou.  Why would I let me kids watch Whining?  Like they need that example.  Everyone isn't going to like you all the time, or want to play with you, and everyone doesn't always have a good day.  So if some kid doesn't want to play with you on any given day ... it's okay ... go find another friend.  Read a book.  Don't internalize it.  

Anyway.  She loves horses.  And Elsa.  And the mice from Cinderella.  We sing the songs together, and act out the scenes that fancy her.

We work on our colors.  She knows them but if I ask her to name them or point them out she gets confused or I don't know what's going on.  Working on it.  She can count.  She can dribble a soccer ball.  She can hop.  She can color.  She loves doing "homework."  She loves her princess castle and her horse stables.

She loves the kitchen and playing tea party.  The other day she grabbed her dad by the hand and said she had to make him breakfast.  He had to go upstairs and sit at the blue table.  She loves saying "cheers" and clinking her glass.

She loves dinosaurs.  And cars.  Lightning McQueen.  She loves pillow fights and "attacking" her dad.

She loves the colors pink and purple.

She loves chocolate.  A lot.  Cheese and ice cream.  Pizza.  Spaghetti.  Rice and beans.  Chips and queso.

Frozen is still top rated.  Paw Patrol.  Daniel Tiger.  If she can get the boys to watch it, Rocket (Little Einsteins).  But they are so far past that show ... but she loves music.

All music.  Play the music mom!  And I'll turn on the radio.  Turn it up!  She loves the beat.  She dances at music at school.  She sings songs to herself constantly.  No idea what she's singing.

She loves books.  Waddle.  All the Uzborne books.  Ladybug Girl.  Peppa Pig. Anything about animals.  Butterfly's Bath.

She looooooves her scooter.  I knew it would be a big hit and it's technically not really a birthday present so much as it is a household item but eh, whatever.  Her "purple scooter" makes her happy.  I need to upgrade G's helmet.  He also needs a new bike.

She loves going for walks and chasing ducks and birds.  Being included.  Anything the boys think is cool she's all in, on.  She likes sitting in the chair in the living room with them and watching television.  Being included.  Being treated like a person and not a baby.  They have gotten so much better, but, to that end, so has she.

The weekend before her birthday we took her to Dallas Children's Theater to see The Hungry Caterpillar.  It was adorable and she was glued.  All the kids loved it.  I love DCT.  They do such a good job.  The next show for the kids is Lion King at DSM.  It will be awesome and I'm super excited.

Her braids are her "elsa hair".  When it's pig tails it's "unicorn hair."  When it's a pony tail ... well just a "pony tail."  She's good about letting me do her hair.  She likes sitting there with me and doing our hair together.  She likes it when we match.  She likes going through my make-up bag. (not much there folks - make-up ain't my thing).

If I say "ouch!" she rushes over ... "are you okay?"  I don't know how she does at school really, but she seems to do ok.  Walks in and plays with the other kids.  No tears.  She is excited about going.  What more can a mom ask for?

We love her so.

Happy Birthday Julia.  I hope you enjoyed the weekend and it's all about you-ness.