14 Months with our Bebe

Goose is 14 months old.

For those offended by the month measurement, she’s 1.17 years old. And yes, for those really, really paying attention I’m either a month(ish) late on the 13 months old post or two days early on 14 months. Whatever. What is time anymore?

This is the holy giggle phase. She laughs at her reflection, my reflection, a spoon - it’s all hilarious. And boy I love that. She doesn’t walk really, but struts around the room and puffs her chest, arms outstretched, like a powerful gorilla. She falls if there’s a light breeze. In a room of bottles and sippy cups, she'll take the water bottle the size of her torso, thank you. And as I hear her screaming in the room next to me because I just put her to bed and she don’t wanna — I realize this is the dawn of her “OH NO I WON’T” era. Leh sigh. They grow up so fast.

In an effort to be tres chic, my mom group book club read Bringing Up Bebe and I was moved. No, really. Her Daddy is tired of me insisting “but the French book said she does it like this”. It isn’t that I’m frequenting a wine bar or chic cafe with a calm and abiding child in tote, it’s that the book makes me think that one day, I will. And she’ll speak French words and very clearly understand the word no the first time it’s softly mumbled from my lips. It has me preparing her dishes of colorful varieties, to which her nanny has complimented her beautiful meals and I think “ah, oui oui. I am bringing up bebe”. She’ll be ripping café au lait on a Vespa in no time.

Check out my full review on the book here. I listed the top recommendations we've popped into our parenting (and how) and the ones that I was all like hellllllll no.

My favorite theme of the book: the French are hellbent on living their lives almost exactly as they did prior to kids. I know it’s controversial to some, but it was the one thing that had me go “ok, I think we’re doing this right”. I’m so grateful I’m with a partner who equally values having friends and social events outside of kids. I’m grateful for friends that are all for me bringing her along, but equally great at getting me out without her. They say you should find a partner who doesn’t complete your life, but compliments your life. That’s tough with her, because my goodness she completes us, but this girl also compliments my life without running it over. And we will raise her to proudly be her own person outside of us.

It’s getting a lot easier and a little harder all at once. She had her first ear infection and just needed mommy as she melted into me night after night. I was so exhausted and sad for her, but so, so happy to be there. She's such a wonderful little girl. Even after her wildest tantrums - and they're wild and weird and spontaneous folks - she’ll melt into us and we get all gooey.

We love you bebe.