End of an Era?

Hi Diddle,
I've been meaning to write to you for a while now, but things have been flying by here in our new life in San Francisco.  I am pretty certain you love it!  You have so many new friends and are just very popular.  You go to birthday parties nonstop, communicate practically fluently in two languages, and are just a pure delight to be around.  I am so proud of you.

I have two things to tell you and I think the first is still not completely certain, but it felt huge tonight. Each day when I get home from work, you ask me for milk.  The procedure goes that first you help me take off my shoes, or offer to do it for me (soooo sweet!), then you usually offer me my pajamas because you know I like to be cozy, then I go to the bathroom, then we have milk.  Today you asked for milk, then went the ritual-- but when I was in the potty pre-milk, you came in and said "no mommy's milk, I want cows milk."  I confirmed it with you and told you that this would be the end of mommy's milk, and I hugged you and told you how much I loved you and that was it.  Tonight when we read, we skipped milk.  You mentioned it briefly and I told you that milk was over and you did not argue.

I want you to know that breastfeeding you for the last 28 months of my (and your) life has given me great pleasure.  While breastfeeding you learned Spanish, you learned the ABCs you learned to read, you learned to count, and so much more.  Most importantly, we bonded so intensely.  You have been so healthy and strong and I am in awe of how much I love you and being your mom.

Also, I wanted to tell you that you got into preschool!  Well, you got into several, but we got one that we really wanted.  It was a very competitive process, but you are a remarkable young lady, so it was easy!  We are going to attend Mission Kids Coop in the fall and I am thrilled to be able to invest some energy into making your school experience amazing.

Scarlett, you are polite, thoughtful, smart, fun, and just plain bananas!
I love you,
Your,
Mommy

Noe Valley Baby

Hi Scarlett,
Well, you are officially a full-time San Francisco baby now.  You love to read the book with that title, and it makes you so excited to see the monuments around town that you have read about so many times in our books.  In August, we moved back to San Francisco after our beautiful summer together at Mimi and Doodle's.  We moved into a pretty wonderful apartment in Noe Valley.  There are parks one block up and down our street and you love it here!  We love it here.  We play all over the city and you are so incredibly smart, Scarlett.  It's amazing how much you remember about everything.  You remember things that happened once months ago and you remember the titles of all the books we read and your language skills are so high.  You are just a pretty perfect little baby and I am so in love with you.  My favorite thing in the world is to cuddle you and just hold you and kiss your head.  We keep you busy and active!  Your daddy is part of a mom's group and you all go to museums, parks, rec centers, and so much more, so you have a large group of friends there.  Then you have all the kids you know at the park.  Then there are Gus, Fiona, Audrey, Lucy, Laney, Harper, Landon, Carson, Andre, Diego, Alejandra, both Lucias, Camila and more.  What I find especially great is that you remember everyone and love them all.  You are a people lover and you enjoy getting to know all types of people.  Lately you love to do puzzles, push around your shopping cart, sing songs, dance, and play with play doh.  You are 25 months and are about to read.  You can identify some sight words, and we do a bit of work each night, but you are just doing so well.

I just wanted to tell you how much I am loving raising you here the city.  The only part that is hard is leaving you each day for work.  I love you so much and want you to know that you are the best daughter I could have ever dreamed of.  Thank you.