21 months

Today, our Cecily Jane is 21 months old. Our curly haired little sprite who never fails to bring smiles to faces as she marches around (usually in her cowboy boots) with wide blue eyes taking everything in, face dimpling into a smile, and chubby hand waving to young and old, familiar and unfamiliar faces. Those same chubby hands that cling tightly to her daddy’s neck as he carries her to bed or gently shush her baby to sleep. That dimpling face pressed close to mine to give a serious little good morning and wake up kiss or that turns into cloudy determination with a stuck out lip when being asked to choose to obey. The blue eyes that glisten with delight; “look, Mama! Cow!” (or this morning, “look, there’s a car!” for each and every car we passed.) or that darken with gentle concern; “Liese, crying?”.
This little one lives spiritedly, energetically for sure. She is the child stressing other parents out at the playground with her climbing; but she really isn’t going to fall. She is the one who, if she doesn’t get a response, will keep repeating until you listen and respond. She knows how to play hard and a story such as her favorite book, Jamberry, is one of the only things that will convince her to sit still. Music makes her dance and she now sings some songs herself; ABCs, Ickety Dickety Bumble Bee, and Praise Him being her favorites. The last line of the Bumble bee song is, “(name), that’s a very nice name” and one day I said “Cecily” in an exasperated tone to which Cecily said, “that’s a nice name.” And then she smiled and said, ” Cecily Jane (our last name), that’s a very nice name.”. End of exasperation.

Cecily Jane, a very nice name for a precious girl.