Today you turned 22 months old. Yes, I am finally on time for the first time in a while.*
This last month could be summed up with the following words: Christmas, Sydney, Beach, Summer, Hot & PhD. However, that doesn't really reflect just what a full-on month it has been.
We were inundated with guests and family over the Christmas period and by and large you took the enormous disruption in your stride. You love being around lots of people - especially 'your people'. Christmas day was probably a bit too full-on, but even that you handled admirably - preferring to give than receive and taking time out by requesting milk whenever you needed to recollect yourself and recharge.
Despite your preference for giving, you actually got a pretty amazing amount of cool toys, books and craft supplies for Christmas. In fact, you were thoroughly spoiled. We are going to have to manage this better in future years in order to stem the inundation of things into your life.
After Christmas we spent a week up in Sydney with Grandpa David and Grandma Sarah - and Midnight and Freya (dominant household members of the canine and feline variety). Oh how you love being up there.
You woke crazy-early (well far earlier than your usual 7:30-8:30am) in order to go for a walk with Midnight (and Grandma and Grandpa), while Papa and I returned to a blissful morning sleep-in, followed by a lovely peaceful breakfast. After you often crashed for an early nap - exhausted from running around after all the puppies in the dog park and getting up stupidly early. This is when Papa and I continued with our relaxation by reading or wandering down the street for a coffee. It was a hard life.
Post-nap we generally headed to the beach for a picnic and play. The water really wasn't that warm and so we tended to dig a 'pool' in the sand for you to play in and took it in turns to go and fetch water to keep it full of water. (Of course, in reality we let most of this burden fall to your willing servant - Grandpa).
Fortunately when we returned home it was to a house full of wonderful new things to play with. You have had so much fun with everything, but have been particularly enjoying your new dolls' house, painting easel and musical instruments.
Once home I also had to launch myself into Operation PhD Blitz, which has meant lots of Papa time for you - and time with other lovely family members who have been coming over to look after you. I am so proud of the way that you have adjusted to this and am loving the fact that it is really increasing the already close bond that you have with your Papa.
Other than that, it has been hot hot hot. Sometimes we deal with this by filling up your clam shell with a little bit of precious water (which we then put on the tomatoes in the evening). At other times we have made use of the lovely local pool in order to cool off and to have somewhere bearable to eat dinner in the steamy evenings. It isn't the beach, but it has still been pretty good to us.
On a far sadder note, my baby girl, these last few weeks have been darkened by harrowing daily news reports from the Gaza strip, where over 1000 Palestinians, including 315 children, have been killed in a horrible war. Though far away, the death of so many innocent people has seemed awfully close to your mama of late - especially the death of so many children and the orphaning of so many more. While holding you tight at night, I have been praying for them and for peace in their homeland. I can only hope that when you are old enough to read this letter that this time will be a footnote in a just and lasting peaceful settlement.
love
mama
xo
*Of course, then I got interrupted before finishing this letter and had to finish it today and so it is late after all...
