Her one and a half mark passed in the blur of our move east. And I was skipping a month and saying the she was nineteen months. But indeed our sweet Cecily is one and a half years old.

Greeting the morning.

From when she arrived at just over 34 weeks but left ICU a day later, Cecily has made it obvious that she intends to embrace life…um…not always conventionally. Her days are filled with motion and expression.

Something that is not meant to be climbed, will be climbed. Big slide meant for older kids? Cecily will throw herself down it. I have learned that if she yells or cries out of eyesight that I had better move quickly. More than once, I have found her clinging precariously with determined little fingers so that she doesn’t fall. Thankfully, she seems to have a sense of when she is in trouble.

Her social interactions both delight and caution me. She is the child who waves to everyone in the grocery store. Or says hi in her sweet husky little voice until the person responds. Without prompting she will pipe up with “Tant tou” when she is given something. She stops to greet every dog that she sees exuberantly, although she holds long grudges against any that dare touch her uninvited.

who needs a baby swing?

And oh she laughs and she dances, saying “(a)gain” and “Ceci, happy” “Dance, dance”. Then before you know what happened, that little brow will furrow deeply, and she will say, “NO! mine!” because something that she feels belongs to her was touched. Or that pudgy little hand will rapidly go up and down on big sister’s head. She is sweet and cute and funny, but in response to the often asked question of how I can discipline her when she just looks so cute and funny, I just picture her in 10 year without some loving direction. But when she leaves her play to come gently rest her head on my knee just to softly say “mama” and I run my fingers through her ringlets or kiss her soft cheek, my heart melts every time.

My sweet girl, I have so many hopes and dreams for you. For you to grow as a strong and beautiful woman who embrace others and the life that you have been given. I hope that you will open your arms wide with courage and grace. That you will speak strongly for truth. That you will always love so well and wholeheartedly. That you will cling to the One who made you and gave you life.

my happy, healthy girl!

what joy!

and I do love these curls!

So...maybe...she climbed almost all the way up while I was playing with Aneliese and not watching closely...but I stopped her from going down...after I took the picture.