for you I would have done whatever....

Dear Sloane,

You are 19 months old this month.  July has been a whirlwind of talking, mimicking and trying to beat the heat, with water!

I am so happy that you do not have a fear of water.  I cannot swim, and am pretty afraid of water but have been working extra hard since you were little to help foster your own relationship with water.  I want you to have all the things I feared as a girl (going to a pool party, hanging out at the lake, going on a boat etc).  

On the 4th we spent some time with your cousins in the pool and your aunt Pesha took the lead helping you to learn to love the water and try new things.  Everything that she had you try you loved.  You didn't care if someone splashed your face or if you swallowed water.  This joy that I see in you makes me feel so happy.  It even makes me want to push myself to actually like the water more for myself. 

When you want to play in the water you say "fash fash" (splash splash) and someone usually is able to accomodate your request, either at the splash park, in grandma's back yard, in the bathtub or at uncle Chance and aunt Pesha's pool.  It's been a great way for us to beat the heat and still get you outside (like you love). 

You say lots of names now too...most notably you have quit calling aunt Tay "momma" and "taymom" you now love to call out "TAY!"  for your favorite playmate. 

You also say "Mayee" (Maddy) "Hiee" (Heidi) "T" (Tiernan) "Bee" (Brielle) "Pawpaw" (Grandpa) "G" (Gigi).   Your favorite person to talk about these days is Daddy.  "Dahee"  You always want to know where he is and when he is coming back.  You are turning into Daddy's girl for sure. 

You weren't much for fireworks

You are also still stubborn, strong willed and precocious.  Sometimes I see flashes of the young person you will become.  I was grabbing a coffee before work last week and I drove through McDonalds and when the lady asked if a coffee was all you answered back from your car seat "Fies!" (french fries)...alas it was 9am fries were not in the plan but the lady at the drive through and I had a good laugh.

After Bible class a couple of weeks ago you had a hard time when I left you.  You cried and cried and gagged yourself which upset the other kids so they now have you sit a few chairs down from the others (this broke Mommy's heart).  I had been working so hard with you to prepare you for class.  But this day you just didn't want mama to go.  After we got home from church Daddy asked you about class asking if you were good or not.  You ignored his question.  When I asked you "what did you do in class?" you quickly retorted "I dunno?".  We all laughed at your spitfire answer but that was the last flash I need for the teenage years for awhile.

Another teenage tendency you've picked up lately is your love for Justin Bieber.  You sing Baby and request it vigorously of anyone who has it on an Ipad, computer or the car radio.  It takes exactly 4 rounds of Baby to get from grammy's to our house daily, so I am a little concerned of how many choruses of Baby we will listen to on our way to Winter Park next month.  I can't help that watching you dance in your car seat and sing "oh oh oh oh oh oh oh" "bebee" "be mine" is a little too cute to quell (for now).

 title courtesy of who else, Mr. Bieber and his mega hit Baby