Scarlett Grecia Mercurio-Corao: Changes

Hi Scarlett,

I just finished spending an amazing week with you. It's been hard because I taught summer school for six weeks this summer and all I really wanted was to be with you. You are turning into an incredible young lady: you have so much imagination, intelligence, kindness, patience and fun in you. You are up for anything and it has just been a joy to be your mommy so far.

You have been speaking so well. You can communicate your needs perfectly and I really love talking to you. Recently you have started to go pee pee in the potty and we all get so excited each time and celebrate. I am not rushing you. I know you and I know that when you are ready to do it, you will, but in the meantime I want you to feel safe and comfortable to move at your own pace.

We bought you a big girl bed. It's beautiful and has a balloon comforter and all sorts of pillows. I love it. You, however, still prefer to sleep in the pack and play. You are just like your mommy in that you don't like change and cling to what is comfortable and familiar. Again, I just want to let you do this at your own pace. I know that when the pack and play starts to feel uncomfortable you will change. In the meanwhile, enjoy the last parts of being a baby. I am in no hurry for you to grow up.

Your imagination has taken off. You love playing with nature and turn sticks into baby seals, leaves into families, branches into balloons and more. You create slides from chairs, fountains from small pieces of paper, and so much more. You have an imaginary friend named Bickariri and he is always present, alongside Viva and Panda. Panda seems to be like your child and you really work out what you learn through panda. You parent him the way we parent you.

So at this point you are 2 years old and 8 months. You are already able to read and spell many words. It's pretty phenomenal. I have continued to teach you using apps and you are beyond smart. Lately you love to ask me how to spell all sorts of words. You also have an incredible memory and attention span. You can sit through so many books absolutely still.

You love Frozen. I think it is your first phase. I ordered some Frozen stickers and tattoos and each morning, as a reward, if you stay in bed until the sun comes up, you get a Frozen tattoo and sticker. You look so cool with all those tats! I true San Francisco baby.

We have done a lot this summer and this week alone: We've been to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk 3 times and you love it. You even went on a roller coaster and bravely placed your hands over your head. You love rides! We've hiked down Fort Funston and watched the hanggliders; we went to Traintown in Sonoma and you fed llamas and rode trains and other rides; we went on the cable car to Ghiradelli where we had our first ice cream sunday. You were obsessed. We went to Fairyland where you saw your very first play, a puppet show of Wizard of Oz. You were perfect. We went to the movies on Father's Day and you saw your first movie: Inside Out. You were perfect. We go to museums constantly, and parks, temples, tea gardens, beaches. You have had so many experiences already and I will never stop exposing you to new things.

You are so polite. You always ask other people questions about themselves. You also have pretty perfect manners. Daddy and I went to Palm Springs earlier this summer and we left you with Mimi. It was the first time in your life we left you overnight. Each and every day, without fail, often up to 5 times a day you ask me how Palm Springs was. It's adorable. Then you tell me that you all went to Bates and you saw ostrich, peacocks, turkeys, etc.

You love to do art. We discovered Terra Mia and we have been painting clay. You made daddy at bird for father's day; mimidoodle a giraffe, and Sarah a dragon. We also love to do art projects at the Discovery Museum.

Another trait you have acquired is your desire to have everything clean and in it's place. Before bedtime I sing you Twinkle Twinkle and Ba Ba Black Sheep. As I am singing if you spot anything out of place, you ask me to return it to where it goes. Down to something being just an inch off of where it is supposed to go. Sometimes I put you down and you call me back to the room to remove a hair clip or push a stuffed animal two inches this way or that. You have a very clear sense of where things go and who they belong to. We accidentally took a brush from Mimi's and you are very anxious to return it to her.

Another cute part of your personality is your sense of fashion. You have very clear opinions about what you want to wear and what you don't want to wear. You HATE pants and want to only wear sun dresses even in the cold. It's very adorable. You are a Margarita baby at heart, right?

Overall, I must say you have become my best friend, Scarlett. It's scary how much we love each other. We take a bath together each night and I just love being near you. I honestly can't bear the thought of not spending every day with you again when I return to work. You are my life and I am trying my best to provide you with what you need. I am so sorry for my many imperfections. I will continue to strive to be a good mommy, but I cannot thank you enough, ever, for being the most incredible, beautiful little person I have ever known. I couldn't have ever asked for more.

Love,
Mom