Dear Isabelle,
Yes, I am still a few months behind, but I completely blame you. You never stop growing, even when I ask you to hold on for a second you ignore me and continue on growing. How can I keep track of all you do if you never stop doing?! Somehow I'll manage, but you're not making it easy. Anyways, here we are at your fifteenth month of life and this month is clearly marked by two things: 1) you understand everything, and 2) you had your first trip to Monterey.
It amazes me how quickly you pick up our form of communication known as English. I mean, you come out of the womb knowing nothing other than that you're cold, hungry, tired, and crying. But then all of a sudden you say words, listen to conversations, and now you recognize letters and point them out. Sure, you may not know them all, but you know they are called the ABC's because that's what you say when you see them. At one point I was on the step stool in the kitchen and you were trying to climb up after me when you stopped and started saying "Aye, Bee, See! Aye, Bee, See!" So, I looked down and saw that you were pointing out the letters of the manufacturer name on the step stool. You're fifteen months old and you already like to read as much as your Mommy.
Lately we've been trying to teach you to say "please" and you have actually been getting the hang of it. You rarely say it on your own and have to be reminded often, but when you do it's quite cute. One time while visiting at your Grandparents' house you wanted to climb the stairs and said "Dada! Dada!" to get me to help you. I said "No Belle, I don't want to climb the stairs right now." You walked over to me, put your hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eyes, and said "Pees." My heart melted right there on the hardwood floors. Needless to say, I escorted you up the stairs.
One thing that is becoming quite clear is that even though you can only say a few words yourself, you completely understand what we are saying at all times. This means we are now entering the watch what you say and negotiation phase of parenthood. Before when we'd change your diaper, get you dressed, or did something else that you didn't like, we'd have to just endure your complaining until the deed was done. But one time while wrestling you into your clothes out of exasperation I said: "If you don't get dressed then we can't go to the park." You stopped, got this expression of "Oh..." on your face, and then let me dress you without any further complaint. It took awhile to grasp what had just happened, but once I did I couldn't tell if I was happy or frightened. I think I was frightened.
It has been a learning process staying at home to raise you, changing the house to accommodate this new little person in our lives. We childproofed as much as possible, installing bumpers around the fireplace, covering outlets, and locking up kitchen cabinets. I always thought that was the only way to keep you from getting into things you weren't supposed too. I was wrong. One day when I was in the office I heard your little feet pounding toward me from the other room yelling "Dada! Dada! Dada!" You came tearing into the office hands moving, words spewing out that I couldn't understand. You were so worked up over something. It was like a scene out of Lassie calling for help, although you'll have no idea who or what a Lassie is when you read this. Anyways, I said: "What is it girl? Show me!" So you run out of the office, through the living room, and right into the kitchen to stop and point at one of the cabinets because the child lock was unlatched. You looked at me, moved your hands together, and said "fix, fix, fix." I couldn't believe it. I fixed it and you smiled with relief as if to say: "That was a close one Dada, I almost got into that." I scooped you up and hugged you so hard, loving you for being such a sweet child.
Before you were brought into this world your Mommy and I would go up to Monterey every year. We didn't make it during your first year of life, but we did make it during your second. I'm happy to report you did fairly well for the trip up and down the coast. I believe we borrowed a DVD player to help keep you busy, so I'm sure that helped. This trip marked many firsts in your life, for instance your first time seeing wild sea lions, sea otters, starfish, and tons of other sea life. You had your first trip to the Monterey Aquarium, the best aquarium in the world I might add. You had so much fun playing with all of the interactive exhibits, especially this particular sea otter one where you would spin a picture of an otter around and around. It took us awhile to get you away from that one.
We went on hikes to our favorite "Rhino Rock." We had breakfast brought to our room every morning in Monterey. We drove up in the hills to a remote Monastery for church on Sunday, of course they had incense, which bothers your Mommy's asthma, so we stood outside to hear them chant the mass. We lounged on anorak chairs at Ragged Point. You saw the giant Elephant Seals at San Simeon and got to hear their lovely sound effects. We walked on the boardwalk of Moonstone Beach in Cambria as the sun set over the ocean. We ate lunch at Bubba Gump's on Cannery Row and of course had Ghirardelli Sundaes for dessert. We did everything your Mommy and I have done countless times before, only this time we did it with you. And that made it the most special time of all.
Love,
Daddy