Delaney is my sweetest thing and I love every single ounce of her. When I look at her little face, I melt inside and I can’t believe she’s our baby girl. She’s beautiful, funny, inquisitive, stubborn, sweet, habitual, emotional, and unpredictably predictable. There are many things about her to go against the “norm” of what others say about toddlers or girls or kids in general. For a long time, I yearned for answers to get to her sleep longer or eat what she’s given or wake up smiley or not get upset with babysitters — but I’ve realized that she’s her own person and we don’t have to change who our kids are (nor can we) and that so much of our happiness as a family comes from understanding who eachother are, knowing who we’re dealing with, and learning to accommodate. I never understood how or why parents parented children differently until recently – but the reality is that every human being is different, children are human beings, and just because you parent a little differently doesn’t mean that there will be some kind of unfairness. Everyone needs something different, including me and Jordan and every other adult!

I, for one, hate to be yelled at and will be much more likely to obey rules that are given to me gently. I hate late nights and would much prefer working out, working, talking, socializing, and doing just about anything in the morning vs. the evening. I’m a crier and a talker when I’m sad or angry and I need to express my feelings, talk through my emotions and get things off my chest instead of holding it in or letting it pass. I know for a fact that my parents, coaches, teachers and everyone else has had to approach me with some tact, but I also know that I’m a pleaser, an obsessive thinker, a planner, and 96% of the time, I’ve thought through how someone else is going to feel or react to something I do or say before I do or say it. For these reasons, I think I’m pretty great.

1. She rarely wakes up happy. I’ve never understood this since Delaney was a tiny baby how other babies were always described as “cuddly” or “smiley” when they woke up. We encounter bloody murder crying when Delaney wakes up and recently, she’s actually fairly happy if she’s slept long enough but only if I go and get her. For five months and counting, she hates when anyone other than me puts her to bed or gets her from bed. I don’t know why this happened, I’m not that fun, and there are parts of me that realllllly wish I could just relax while someone else did these things — but alas, it still rings true and I’ve come to realize that I will miss this oh so much the moment she no longer needs me. I love that I comfort her and while I yearn for her to be comforted by others just as much, I love that I get to do this.
2. She needs options. We ask Delaney a lot of questions about what she wants and from afar, this is probably really annoying and sounds like we are letting her run the world. Perhaps we are, but it’s also because without options, she seems to feel trapped and conflicted and downright pissed sometimes. We can’t overwhelm her with too many options, but we almost always have to give them even if it’s not *really* an option. For example, “You can put your shoes on by yourself or I can do it for you.”
3. She is more aware of you than you are of her. Adults in general think babies and toddlers are stupid. This is annoying and particularly annoying when I have a super tuned in child who knows exactly what you’re saying, exactly how you’re gesturing, and exactly when you’re faking a smile. People don’t like that they can’t pick Delaney up or that she doesn’t want a stranger in her face. I actually love this about her and hope she doesn’t lose her ability to protect her space and body.
4. She has never, ever done anything once. Everything Delaney does becomes a habit in some way or another. Whether it’s a two-day habit or a two-year habit, I have never known Delaney to ever do something once…good or bad. If she wakes up at 5am one day because the birds are chirping too loud, you better believe she’s waking up at 5am again tomorrow. If she jumps over a pot hole on the way to school one day, be prepared to stop at that pothole every day for a week or more so she can do it again. If she got a lollipop at a store in Maine last year, she will point at that store and tell you that she wants a lollipop the next time you’re there. I absolutely love this about her even though it the “negatives” drive me up the wall. Her memory is impeccable and amazes me all the time.
5. She’s a “natural” athlete. I hate to even project this phrase because I don’t ever want Delaney to feel like she’s supposed to be an athlete or that difficult things come naturally. I trust she will work hard based on her temperament so far, but I have to say that her balance and agility have always amazed us. Delaney never rolled or crawled before she walked, which was just the craziest, funniest thing and made our lives a whole heck of a lot easier than most parents with babies. She sat steadily (once she stopped face planting) at around 5 months and was pretty much stuck in that position until someone moved her. It was great! Once she walked at 9 months, she ran and now as a 2.5 year old, she cruises on her scooter like she’s a teenager.
6. She’s a hugger — to us at least. Delaney hasn’t been held by more than probably 12 people in her life. I don’t actually think this is an exaggeration, especially if you exclude the first month of her life when she didn’t know how much she hated strangers yet and/or daycare when I’m sure assistant teachers have held her against everyone’s will. I feel bad that nobody really gets cuddly Delaney, because she is such a sweet girl that gives the strongest, best hugs and will position herself perfectly in the nook of your body while you read or watch TV. She always fits me perfectly, even in her growing height.
7. She is witty and funny. Delaney has an awesome laugh, knows when she’s gotten the room’s attention, and appreciates laughter as much as her Dad and I do. Her comedic timing is also fairly impressive for a 2-year-old.
8. She’s a helper. Delaney loves to have a job. She has been helping us put toys away, make dinner, fold laundry and clean the house for a year or so now. This makes her happy, you can see the look of pride in her face, and while she’s still a tornado in our house most of the time, I do believe that she’s developed a sense of respect for our home, responsibilities and neatness that I’m grateful for. At school, she has always been the teacher’s helper — not only by cleaning up but also for tending to any new kids in the class, befriending anyone who is new, and generally taking care of her friends (i.e. bossing them around) by helping to put shoes on, throw their lunch away etc.

There are so many things to love about our sweet girl.