Dear Violet - 2 and half

Dear Violet

You are just over 2 and a half.

I just spent a while looking through Alice’s entries for the same age- and you guys are just so different. I guess by now Alice already had a baby sister, so was going through a lot of change and upheaval, but you are just the chillest little person in the entire world. Your personalities have always been different, but you completely complement each other. You spend your whole time just going with the flow, and as long as you have food you’re happy.

You have the cheekiest face, and you like to point out to everyone that you're a little monkey! You jump from chair to chair, or climb into the window ledges, or roll off the coffee table pretty much constantly. You never sit still for long, and you just like to run round in circles. You scream “chase me chase me” and then pretend to cry till Alice rescues you from your capture.

You like doing anything that Alice is doing, but get bored a lot quicker. Your colouring is getting much better – you can choose which part of the picture you want which colour and love asking me to pick the colours out for you. You know all the colours now, and can count to 20-ish although sometimes have a bit of a wander off in the middle.

You completely dote on Mitch. Whereas Alice will always snuggle up to me and give me cuddles, your kisses are pretty much entirely reserved for daddy unless I have a biscuit to swap for them. You love fighting and tickling and playing rough with daddy, but that just means when I do occasionally get some kisses they are extra special.

It’s hard for me to separate you from Alice when I think about you - you’re so tangled up together and you share a room, clothes (not on purpose but you just help yourself to Alice’s a lot of the time), toys and books. You completely dote on your big sister and no one makes you happier than she does. Apart from when you hate each other and hit each other. But most of the time you’re pretty ace together.

We’ve been going to the hospital with your eyes regularly, and we’ve just started patching to hopefully correct the weaker eye. You weren't a huge fan but you’re kind of getting used to it now. You call it your pirate patch and as long as you’re distracted we can normally get the 2 hours a day in somewhere.

You still love food - especially meat. Your favourites are bacon, ham and sausage. We always joke that between you and Alice you can eat a whole meal but it’s completely true – on a Sunday dinner Alice will eat veg and yorkshires and you will eat meat and maybe mash when the meat stops coming. You cannot be talked to when we’re at the table as you’re too busy eating, and it’s such a contrast to the constant mealtime battle we used to have with Alice!

  

When you’re at home you've still been napping, although that’s kind of gone off course a little over the past few weeks while weave been on holiday. I love your nap - please continue napping till your like 30. Everyone loves a nap right?

Weave been attempting potty training every few weeks, and other than a few successes you aren't a fan. You generally just scream and cry and refuse to even entertain the idea. I don’t want to force you and make it traumatic for everyone, so we’ll keep pushing through and hopefully get there soon.

You had the best time ever on holiday. I didn't know if it would be too loud or too much for you, but you just couldn't get enough of the discos every night. You played musical bumps, entered all the competitions, sang (a bit) in the talent show, and just loved it. I think by the end of the week Alice was getting tired, but you could have kept on going for another week. All the bigger girls completely fell in love with you and were fighting over who could look after you every evening, and you obviously completely lapped up all the attention!

You’re not super sure about this baby lark. You talk to the baby a bit like Alice does, but I’m not sure how much you get it. But I’m sure you will approach it with your happy smile, cheeky face, and probably draw a moustache on her and deny it.

Love you pudding!

With love and light xo

Dear Alice and Violet - 35 months and 6 months!

Girls - I'm afraid it's been a couple of months! Life is a little more (massive understatement!) hectic now you're both around and want entertaining, so this is the first time I've sat down to write in ages. Coupled with the fact that Alice poured squash on my laptop - accidentally of course - means I'm a little behind.

Dear Violet,

You are 5 months old, and will be 6 months in 2 days! Half a year - where on earth has the time gone? It literally feels like you've been here seconds, but I also can't imagine a time without you.

Last time I wrote your sleep was okay-ish, but for the past few months it really hasn't been! We've been bouncing around between every 45 minutes, every hour, and sometimes every 2 hours. Lack of sleep has hit harder this time, as I can't really have any down time in the day looking after your sister, and I've definitely found it difficult. But, this time I also know that it will get better and you will sleep eventually. For now I'm just trying to at least appreciate some bed snuggles, although my appreciation is a lot lower at 3am ;)

Having said that, you do have a bit of a routine down now, going to bed at 7pm every night and getting up at 5 (urrggggg) every morning, with 2/3 naps a day. Your naps aren't super set as they have to fit round Alice and what we're doing, and I try and sneak a sleepy cuddle when I can!

We have just started food these past few days, and you are literally loving it. We're doing a mix of homemade mush and BLW like last time, and you have really started to get the hang of it - the only time you seem annoyed is when it isn't going into your mouth quick enough! This week you've been trying carrot, sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli, apple, blueberry, rice cakes, porridge, banana, fromage frais, and toast. Here's hoping perhaps the food will encourage a little better sleep at night!

You are rolling over constantly and get completely frustrated when you get on your front and decide you can't roll back. You're very chilled out, as long as someone is paying you attention. When you're not being occupied by something or someone you grizzle and moan. You loooove the door bouncer, and would spend about 90% of your time in there if I let you. You also love listening to me and your singing (poor you!) and playing peekaboo.

You were Christened on the 9th February, which was a lovely day and we were so lucky to be surrounded by so many people who love you and care for you. It was quite overwhelming to appreciate just how lucky and blessed we are.

You're becoming much more like a little person every day, and Alice completely dotes on you, and you her. She tries anything to make you laugh, and luckily you find her hilarious! I just hope you always enjoy each others company so much.

So, onto your big sister -

Dear Alice,

You are now 34/35 months old - or nearly 3 as I remember it!

Wow how big are you now? Both physically and in person - you are completely my big lovely girl.

You want to be involved in anything and everything that someone else is doing, and always want to be "helpful". You help me do everything, from set the table to wash the pots, and it takes me ten times as long to make lunch now. You're current most said words are "I will do it I will do it" because you get super frustrated if someone tries to help you. This generally means your shoes are on the wrong feet and your hat is on backwards but you're trying.

You love baking and cooking, and you play so nicely now (some of the time!). It's really sweet to see you playing with your animals and making them talk to each other and have different voices. Generally everyone ends up on the toilet because you think that's hilarious but that's fair enough!

You still love singing, but now you like changing the words and making your own words up to songs. You actually have a brilliant ear for a tune and for rhyming words. Current favourites are Ants Went Marching, Found a Peanut, Spaghetti song and Hokey Cokey. We have the radio on a lot in the day and you're forever getting me up and dancing, and you spin till you fall over.

You are now 99% toilet trained in the day, and as a I write this we've not had an accident in weeks - hurrah! You still wear a pull up at night but that's fine. We also have to sing the poo poo song. I'm sure you will be glad to know this when you're 21!

Food-wise you are ace. You help me prepare most things, and you loooove your fruit and veg. Current faves are sweet peppers, raspberries, cheese wrappers (as you call them), rice, and raw carrot.  You also love haribo of course.

You still have a nap once a day for about 90 mins, and go to sleep really nicely at 7pm, although you are up at 6am, although you sometimes sit in your room for a little while playing dolls house.

You can walk for miles, and hate going in the car. This often leads to a massive screaming fit if we have to go somewhere we can't walk to, and you've most definitely mastered the art of the tantrum.

You completely dote on your sister - she is the last thing you talk about at night and the first thing in the morning. You kiss her and hold her and stroke her and are far too rough with her, but I just can't believe how incredibly sweet you can be for her sometimes. Alice you will always be my baby, but to see you look after your little sister just makes you seem so huge to me.

Both of you are amazing, as always, although it's been a tricky few months! Here's hoping for more sleep, more cuddles, and more of the same all round.

With love and light xo

Dear Alice and Violet - 30 months and 1 month!

Dear Alice, and now - Dear Violet too!

I've been writing letters every month, but I'm afraid Violet that they may be a little less frequent with you! I barely seem to have time to breathe, let alone write on here. But, today is a rainy day and Sarah and Duck on the telly is giving me a bit of time. Thankyou Sarah and Duck!

Okay so Alice first - this has been a big few months for you!

Dear Alice,

You are now 30 months old, or 2 1/2. You are growing out of a lot of your 2-3 clothes, and seem to have shot up a little these past few weeks.

The first big change has obviously been you adjusting to life as a big sister. I spent many sleepless pregnant nights worrying how you'd be - would you act out? Would you be incredibly jealous? Would you try to break her? It turns out I should never have worried. You have been absolutely amazing!

Violet is the first thing you ask for in the morning and the last person you want to speak to at night. You want to cuddle her and hold her all the time (sometimes a little too hard but that's okay!). You like telling me all about her tiny little fingers, and you love to tell me she's a "tiny baby piggy".

You like helping me change her nappy and telling everyone "I'm very useful!", and you tell me when she needs "more milkies mummy". You stroke her head while she's feeding and you rock her in her chair (again sometimes a little too hard!) and you are altogether amazing. Whether that will all change when she's mobile and can get in your toys we will see but you are the best big sister I could ever ask for.

The other big development over the past few weeks has been potty training! We are now in week 3 and getting better every day (although apparently not today if my damp sofa is anything to go by!). It's still a little up and down but you are doing really well at telling me when you need to go etc. It has made us a bit like hermits for the past few weeks while we try and stay close to a toilet, but we're getting back into the swing of things now!

You are still sleeping really well thankfully, and you now wake up at 6am but play in your room with your toys / books till 7. You have generally completely destroyed it by the time I walk in but that's fine!

You have started telling much more elaborate stories, with characters that have conversations in different voices and have different opinions. I keep trying to film you doing it because it's hilarious! At the moment it's normally Shaun the Sheep talking to Tom (who is a dragon) and mummy pig. Normally mummy pig is telling you to do something you don't want to do - a bit like real life I suppose?

You also want to play games all the time now - hide and seek and eye spy particularly. Unfortunately, you only understand some of the rules, and for eye spy you can't spell, but that makes the game more interesting!

We have started a bit of a new family tradition of unplugged family time on a Sunday morning. If it's nice weather we go for a walk, and if it's not we take you swimming with daddy's gym pass. It's sort of my way of making sure you still get lots of attention, even if I'm a little distracted with Violet in the week!

I'm also going to try and take you to a ballet class on Saturday morning so we will see how that goes - hopefully you love it and don't have a complete melt down!

Okay, so on to your little sister.

Dear Violet,

I apologise in advance that I'm afraid your letters and going to be shorter and more sporadic than your sisters' - it's not that I love you any less it's just I'm a little stretched!

You are now 5 weeks old, which has absolutely zooooomed by.

You have grown so much already. I haven't had you weighed since you were about 3 weeks old, but you seem so huge already. You outgrew your newborn things in about a week, and I think you've only got a week or so left in your 0-3 clothes. You seem to grow huge amounts every night - I'm tempted to keep you in the dark so you stay my tiny baby forever!

You sleep like a baby. That's my standard response to anyone who asks! You wake up every hour or couple of hours for feeds and cuddles, but that's fine - you take all you need little one. That doesn't mean I'm not tired, but you're a lovely face to wake up to!

We've got the hang of feeding again, and you feed really well - as evidenced by your size!

You are getting more alert and spending more time awake every day. When you're awake your eyes are big, blue and bright - following our voices and looking straight at us. I keep telling daddy that you're smiling but he doesn't believe me. I can tell when you're happy as your eyes change and you just look different - it makes my heart beam.

You love both your bouncy chair and rocking swing, and will quite happily doze in them while I try and entertain your sister. However she does try and feed you chocolate so we have to watch her quite carefully! You also like being in the Moby wrap, and tend to snuggle and sleep in it which is lovely and gives me chance to explorer with Alice!

No matter how wound up you are, you always calm down for bath time with your big sister, and that's my favourite time of the day with daddy too. We all go in the bathroom and listen to music and dance, and it's lovely.

You are quite content aslong as you have been fed and cuddled, what more can I ask for?

I am so lucky to have both of you, no matter how tricky it might be figuring everything out. We love you both so much.

With love and light xo

Dear Alice - 25 Months

Dear Alice,

You are now 25 months old. Do I carry on writing these? Soon I'm not sure I'll have time! For now I'll do my best.

Your words and phrases get better on a daily basis. You now understand to say please, thank you and sorry at the right times, although most of the time you're not really sorry! You're sentences get better every day, and you seem to pick up at least a word or 2 a day. I'm trying to be very careful what I say in front of you!

You can name all the colours, and about 15 shapes. You count to 20 easily, and know about 40 animals. You can tell the difference between some really similar animals - like a rhino and a hippo.

I went away for 2 nights last weekend for a hen weekend and left you with daddy all weekend. I missed you a lot, and you barely noticed I was gone! You're so good about being looked after by different people. You've never been grumpy about it, but you love attention from different people especially now that they all think you're adorable and you can make them laugh. When I leave for work I can barely get a kiss out of you, you're far too excited to be spending the day with mama or nanny.

You have developed a strange jack in a box obsession. You've had this toy for about 2 years, and not really ever been bothered about it. I put some toys in the spare room in preparation for your sister, and you found it in there. You now carry it everywhere with you and ask for it constantly. I'm hoping you will share!

You are more and more aware of your baby sister. We try and talk about her, and you give my tummy a kiss and cuddle, but you've still not fully understood and I'm not sure you will.

We've had a few colouring disasters over the past few days, and you are now not allowed your crayons without supervision! You have destroyed the wall twice, the floor, the dining table, your little table, and basically anything that will sit still long enough. Every time I think I've hidden all the crayons, I leave the room then come back to beautifully coloured walls. I'm not sure if you're being naughty or artistic?

Yesterday you did your first pee in potty, completely unprompted! You followed me upstairs, asked to sit on your potty, and just did a wee! I was amazed, but you've shown absolutely no interest at all since. I'm just going to keep reminding you of the potty and see what happens.

You ask for cuddles all the time; generally when you've done something wrong and want to make it better. I am not sure I can ever turn down a cuddle.

You've been sleeping really well (...famous last words!), and have thankfully gone back to having a little nap in the day. I'm not sure how long it will last, but you are much happier when you have it, and so am I! You sleep 7pm - 7am which is perfect, and have a nap in the afternoon about 1pm.

I have times where you seem so little and baby like to me; when I do your bedtime bottle and you snuggle up to me, twist my hair and smell like sweets. And other times when you seem so huge; you run off at the park and giggle and jump and climb up the slide. I don't think I ever want you to grow up, but I'm so proud every time you do.

With love and light xo