Ways Grace is cute

April 27, 2017

Dear Grace,

Big smile, bright eyes, snotty face:
this is Grace

When Uncle Luke and I were kids, grandma and grandpa kept a "cute book," in which they wrote down the cute things we said and did - you know, all those things you are sure you will remember, and then you totally don't. I don't have a cute book for our impossibly cute kiddos, but I wanted to write down a few of the things about you at 20 months that I find especially cute. 

You wave:

·      to books when we finish them (“The end!” *wave*).

·      to airplanes.

·      to every car that drives down the street.

·      When you say goodnight or go upstairs for nap.

You call blankets “lady.” (Think “blankie” then take out the starting B and turn the “nk” into a D… see, it isn’t so farfetched.) So then, when we read Goodnight Moon, when we point to the lady who is whispering ‘hush’” you point to your blankie.

Grace and one of her "Ladies"

look for the “old

Speaking of Goodnight Moon, you think the picture of the cow jumping over the moon is hilarious. You laugh every time.

You call me “Maba,” because due your constant stuffiness (dust mite allergy, yuck!), you can’t manage to get two Ms out so close together.

When you take things out of the kitchen drawers, and I ask to you to put it back in the kitchen, you bring it to your play kitchen, then grin back at me for successfully following directions.

You help:

·      You love picking up laundry that missed the basket, and little pieces of trash, and putting them where they belong.

·      You can find a tissue, wipe your nose (even blow it!), and put the tissue in the trash (which is one step further than Dada!).

·      You can put away groceries if I tell you where they go.

·      You can match socks.

·      You wipe your own highchair tray, and try to clean up other things you spill. In fact, you

Tongue out, sheer determination!

insist upon it.

You “help”:

·      When Isaac cries, you rock him (sometimes too vigorously), you feed him (with old bottles he shouldn’t be eating from), you shove a pacifier in his mouth (even if he is sleeping), or you cover him with a blanket (even his face).

·      You mimic me cleaning – dusting, cleaning the floor, even cleaning the carpet after Klaus has an accident.

·      You mimic everything.

You think you help:

·      You have been helping with your diapers… by putting them in the toilet. You see us clean out your cloth diapers in there, and think that is where they belong. Thankfully you haven’t yet figured out how to flush the toilet. Lord, help us (and our plumbing) when you do…

·      You try to put diapers together – using a cover and either a cloth prefold, or a disposable, or a liner, or a wipe… you want desperately to help with the diapers.

Coolest Rehbaum, totally

·      You try to dress yourself, and practice whenever you get the chance. And you’re getting pretty darn good at pants, if I may say – when you don’t have a diaper on, you can get them up everywhere except over your butt, so then you run around proudly with your adorable baby bum hanging out.

You walk like a boss, especially to daycare.

"Buh?" (Notice: clinging to Doll.)

You try to put your hair in piggies or ponies by pressing the rubber band against your head.

You have discovered that while it is fun to play in the dirt, it is not fun to have dirty hands.

You love personal hygiene. You are always asking to take a bath (“Ba--?”), to brush your teeth (“Deeth?”), and to wash hands (“Ha--?”).

You love to read. You bring us book after book (“Buh?”), first listening to us read it, then taking it from us and reading it back. You cannot get enough books.

You love your brother! “Izy?” Whenever he cries, you ask about him. First thing in the morning, you ask for your dad (or whichever parents isn’t getting you up), and then you ask for your brother.

Siblings playing together

You care for Isaac – patting his head or his belly, making sure he has what he needs, trying to play with him. For you, there is very little sense of sibling rivalry. Except about laps. You don’t much like sharing laps.

You look through the church directory, and find all the pictures of “Mama.” Then you find “Dada,” and “Klau.” (You haven’t yet figured out that the picture of the baby is you! You think it is Isaac.)

You love your doll (“Dah? Baby?”), holding her close, rocking her and singing to her tenderly, and then holding her by the hair and dragging her wherever you go.

These and so many other things, my dear Grace, make us smile with joy over your budding personality. We think you are phenomenally smart, observant, kind, sweet, thoughtful, helpful, caring, funny, and fun.

                                                                                              ~ Your adoring “Maba”