I can hardly believe Ollie turned 20 months old today! The past 20 months have absolutely flown by, and I know it’ll be so challenging for me to sum up what’s been going on in our busy and love-filled lives.
I was able to pop in and share about my first mother’s day, Ollie’s first birthday, and the debut of my new business, Made by Motherhood. Between those milestones, though, life can be summed up by sharing: Ben and I end every day by saying to one another, “My heart literally feels like it’s going to explode with love” because being parents to Ollie brings us more joy than I can begin to express.
Following Ollie’s first birthday, we had a really fun summer! Ollie absolutely loved her water table, bike rides with Ben, hikes at the park, and her pool. We took daily stroller walks — sometimes more than one per day — and Ben was able to get a lot of use out of the carrier I gifted him for Father’s Day! Ollie soaked up the sun (Well, slathered in sunscreen and under a cute, oversized sunhat) and enjoyed being outdoors well into the fall. She began speaking at 12 months old, so by fall, we were talking about the “crunchy leaves” we collected on our walks.
Ollie learned to walk in October, at 16 months old. I recall Ben and I bonding over our back pain from leaning over and helping Ollie walk — and soon after, reflecting on how sad we were because Ollie no longer needed our help walking. Walking opened up Ollie’s world, and she went from walking to running in about one week.
Thanksgiving was so much fun (“Happy giving!”) and Christmas was beyond magical. Ollie was 6 months old for her first Christmas, but for her second Christmas, she could walk and talk! I’ll always remember her gasp and sweet “Oh my!” when she saw her presents under the Christmas tree. Her favorite presents were her playhouse and a pretend computer my dad kindly gifted her.
In the new year, Ollie and I started going to gymnastics together! Many mommy-and-me classes begin at age 2, but I found a gymnastics class for 18-month-olds — which was so exciting! Every week, Ollie looks forward to gymnastics; she squeals when she realizes we’re parking and getting ready to go in!
Now, at 20 months old, Ollie is speaking at a 4-year-old level; her pediatrician said her speaking ability is “phenomenal” for her age. Her average sentence is 5-10 words long, and we just talk all day long — we talk about her books, her toys, food, how things around the house work… anything she wants to learn about — which is everything! A couple of weeks ago, she recited a 65-word book from memory — and this week, she’s begun reading. She honestly surprises us every day!
Beyond her growth, though, it’s been so magical to get to know Ollie and to watch her grow. She is so, so kind, always offering to “help mama” or “help dada.” She has an amazing sense of humor and will purposely mispronounce words or sing songs in monotone just to make all of us laugh. She is extremely creative — and her imagination is a wonder. She loves animals, she loves our neighbors, and she loves practicing opposites — and right now, her favorite toys are her cooking toys or cleaning toys. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen together; her standing tower is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. Ollie loves learning about new foods and baking together, she knows the name of every spice in our spice drawer, and she loves helping us mix anything we’re mixing! We include her in everything we can — having her hold cooking utensils, practicing slicing with her toddler-friendly knife — and one of our favorite parts is seeing how her face lights up when she learns or tries something new.
Ben and I end every day feeling really tired — because balancing parenting with career and self-care creates really full schedules — but we also end every day so incredibly happy: sharing pictures we took of Ollie, sharing about all the cute and wonderful things she said or did, and feeling grateful for our family of 3.
Today, we experienced our first above-freezing day in a long while, and our forecast seems to say spring is just around the corner. After a long winter and some cabin fever, we’re already planning for our daily walks, bike rides, and outdoor fun. I’m busy planning her 2nd birthday party — which is absolutely sneaking up on us — and I am so excited for every moment, big or small, we’ll experience in the year ahead. Ollie will be old enough to begin soccer in summer — something she’s talked about doing for a few months now — and we’re so excited for her.
On a personal level, I’ve been experiencing some strange and sometimes scary postpartum health concerns. I’m still going to physical therapy, and I have more appointments ahead to ensure I am OK! These concerns have been in the back of my mind amid the busyness of our day-to-day lives. It’s certainly been a one-of-a-kind era of our lives.
I want to end with a sweet photo from our Valentine’s Day date to the Sea Life Aquarium at the Mall of America. Ollie got to see her favorite animal — alligators — and now asks me daily “Do you remember the aquarium?” So, I think she enjoyed it!
Though life has become full schedule-wise, it’s also become full love-wise — and I’m wholeheartedly enjoying and loving being Ollie’s mama. I look forward to her sweet smile, twinkly eyes, and silliness every day, and it’s just an honor to watch her learn and grow. I’m so proud of her my heart wants to explode daily — and I hope to continue cherishing each day slowly, especially because she’s growing up so quickly!
