39 Month Newsletter

Dearest Gwennie,

It has been months since I wrote a newsletter for you. I feel terrible. October and November were blurs and such miserable times. This month was the worst though. You are thirty-nine months old now. You are about to celebrate your fourth New Years (and yes, once again you seem to have gotten a cold, or you have a lingering cold, not sure which.)

You really miss your Daddy. You talk about him, and wish he were here. I know that. We all do, especially since it was Christmas. In some ways you seem stronger than Rhayn and I. Maybe it is because you are younger, and haven’t been with him as long as we have. I don’t know.

Let us start in October, since it’s been a while since I wrote. October you acquired a new, baby cousin, MellyRose. Although you weren’t in the room when she was born (I WAS! As was Rhayn) you were fairly excited to see her. But it had been a long day, and you were tired. You chose to get a hair cut, I mean you chose to trim your hair. But the shorter hair fits you and we have grown to love it. Halloween was fun. You enjoyed Trick-or-Treating and looked very cute in your purple unicorn costume. The costume was the same one that Rhayn wore when Daddy was in basic training. That seems so long ago, it was before you even.

November was hard. Daddy sent you and Rhayn some videos of him reading stories. You loved them, but at the same time you looked so forlorn while you watched them. Daddy sneezed in one of them, and you told him “Bless you” you probably did that the first 3 or 4 times you watched that video.

December, although sad, was a great month for you. Your grandparents and I took you and Rhayn to Sea World. You had never seen the ocean before, but the day we went it was frigid and wet. You also had your first real vomit-fest. You were great at making it to the toilet when you needed to puke. I was thankful for that, being in a small hotel room with vomit all over would not have been a pleasure. It was difficult enough listening to your tiny body expel bile every hour or so all night long.

After that trip we rested for a few days before it was Christmas. You had asked Santa for just a few things (no long lists for you just yet). These items were “a big horse, a spotted bunny and candy.” You did not get a spotted bunny, but your sister bought you a really cook pull-a-long bunny from her school’s store. You had played with it and pulled it around the store for a time whilst she and I shopped. Santa brought you the big horse you wanted. It is a sit on pinto in brown and white. You named him “Spot.” (Or her, I am not sure which.)

You still hate the dark. You want someone with you all night long, practically glued to their side. This is usually me, because Rhayn can’t sleep with the light on. We lay down and I read for a while, you snuggle me, talking and playing with a stuffed animal, then slowly your eyes droop and you drift into dream land. Most mornings I wake up and go downstairs. You sleep a little while longer, but not much unless Rhayn has made her way into the bed. If you wake up alone, you yell for me. And since I am a well trained mama, I carry your lazy bottom downstairs where we snuggle on the couch for a moment.

Before Daddy comes home, I hope to move you into Rhayn’s room. I want you to be able to go to bed and sleep without me to hold you. Changing this is hard for me, because when he isn’t home, I get really lonely at night. I do not like to sit alone and watch a movie at night. I prefer to snuggle someone on the couch or in bed. I would prefer that someone be your Daddy, but you are a mini version of him, and are you ever a snuggle bunny! I enjoy that about you. Rhayn only likes to snuggle when she is sick or really tired (like last night.)

I am in awe of how big you are, how grown up you seem, how much you talk. I love you and your silly horse noises, your funny stories, and most of all, your loving nature.

Always,
Mama