16 months with the Skigirl

Well, 16 months and 13 days. Whatever.

How do I explain the big things breaking out of this tiny kid? She’s monstrous and loud. She’s so very happy and really, really pissed. She's magnetic most times and kind of annoying others. Ladies and gentlemen, I have a toddler.

Her standout thing in a room of other toddlers is her insane agility paired with a complete lack of fear. Her current sports include skiing and swimming, and despite her inability to speak coherent words, she skis – yes, skis – better than some people I know. Bring on the #1 fan sweatshirts and cold weather folding chairs; she’ll be going for gold and Tim and I are really obnoxious now. More than usual, folks. We've peaked. We will probably tell you our 16-month-old skis more than in this post. Even in a business meeting. Even at your grandmother's funeral. Even when you're trying to tell us about your most horrific break-up. We will interrupt your panic and distress with a "that's too bad. Did you know Rainie is skiing?!". And I am so, so sorry.

Anyways, in ski class she manages to perform the task without following instructions. Unfortunately, where skiing on a carpet hill in a kid's gym is safe to trial and error on your own, swim lessons require a little more... structure. For survival. She currently jumps into the pool whether we’re ready or not (we're not) and shoves herself out of the arms of people who are holding her, only to break free and realize oh sh*t... I can't swim. It’s been a great exercise for us as parents to enforce firm no's and boundaries with a fearless kid. She can climb out of the side of a pool really well. She can even pull herself onto a floating device. But she can't swim and doesn't want to calmly float on her back, which is sort of the whole point of swim lessons for babies. Shout out to her instructor, Ms. Lisa, who will break her in before it’s all said and done and she has our full support.

In terms of other milestones, Rainie has simply put off learning full words. She's just really, really busy with playing outside and ski and swimming. She’ll get to it later. And you know what, in a world of kids with different skills and timelines – the words will come. She fills every minute she’s awake with explosive extroversion, rambling in long, loud, incoherent babbles even if she’s sitting by herself (though that is rare… the people need to hear her). I’d call her a drunk sailor if her balance and agility weren’t so impressive. It’s an optical illusion to witness loud babbles similar to 2am sorority girl as she sprints and moves with excellent balance.

Speaking of sorority girls, and as a former sorority girl (IYKYK), she knows how to squat behind a bush and pee. I wish I were kidding, but also… impressive.

She smooches us on the mouth. It came on one day, which is both adorable and mildly not okay? I think Tim tells himself that Tom Brady was accused of kid smooches and Tom Brady was a Patriot (you know that?) so maybe, like, it’s fiiiiiine. I watch him perform these mental gymnasts as I unapologetically smooch all members of my household. Stay tuned for next month, where we all succumb to the plague.

We skipped the 15-month update, but in July we went to visit her Hoyman cousins in Atlanta. She and Eleanor, one year her senior, are made for one another and may get arrested in college for streaking. Til then, it's so cute to watch them get into little bouts of mischief and giggle their pretty little brains out. Plus, it's so much fun when you and your best friend watch your kids play. After Atlanta, we ditched Tim and headed to the Swampland to visit Mar Mar, Grandpa, and Uncle Clark (and Cooper). Rainie had so much fun scaling their furniture, finding small batteries in precarious corners of the house, pulling the dogs ears, and jumping into the hot tub. The rest of us focused on keeping her alive without sprouting more grays and losing hair. We were successful and it was so much fun watching my parents play with her and enjoy her company. She loved it.

This past month we didn’t travel, and it was this long spell of staying put that we didn’t know we’d need. I love jet-setting, but squirmy, screaming carry-ons are statistically shown to be the #1 cause of anxiety and only children. Instead, we enjoyed a month of being home with friends and fighting the occasional cold. Actually, now that I think about it I had bronchitis that turned into walking pneumonia. This is that evolutionary postpartum joke (there are many) where you forget all the hard parts of parenting so you'll have more kids. I had a cough for two months and just sort of shrugged it off. Finally went in. Pneumonia. Haha. Lol. Funny.

I leave you with this pinnacle little moment I've savored in the past two months. About once a week she has a nightmare. While it is hard to hear her struggle, there is nothing that fills my heart like a 3am soothing session, her nose nestled against my neck and her arms wrapped around it as we rock back and forth to my whispers of it's okay sweetheart and I love you. I wish I could bottle those moments and bring them out later.

Happy 16 months and 12 days to our little fish <3