nigh, nigh!

isabela's way of saying nighty night :) isn't that adorable?!? my pretty girl is now repeating, or at least trying to repeat, everything we say to her. a couple of months ago this wasn't the case, and it really didn't fully kick in for her until a couple of weeks ago. to all of you out there who read my blog you know that isabela's speech, or lack there of, had been a major concern for me. she is now almost 25 months and still her vocabulary isn't as extensive as others her age, although i know you should never compare kids, it's hard not to. however, being the worrying mom that i am sometimes, i couldn't help but feel like she was behind with her talking. now with this change in developments, literally, i can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel! thanks to God for answering my prayers!!!

besides that though, she is a super, super smart kid and she has grown by leaps and bounds in her almost 25 months of living :) she understands everything we tell her, she follows directions to a T and she is amazingly aware of everything around her! i just absolutely love seeing, and now hearing, every new little thing she does or says!!! leave it to a mother to be especially proud of her kid, but i can't help it, she is mommy's bright little shining star through and through!!!!!

anyway, one of my absolute favorite times with her is in the evening when we're getting ready for nighty night...it has become our special bonding time together :) she's not always happy to go upstairs and go to bed, because she LOVES spending her time with mommy, daddy, anya, and her gazillion amount of toys, but once we get up to her room she practically starts jumping for joy! i'll change her diaper, put her pj's on, turn on her heater and night light, and then sit down with her and read her her favorite bedtime books (can you tell we have our routine down pat?!). her two favorite books are nighty night by sesame street beginnings, and i love you because you're you by liza baker (my favorite of the two). after we finish reading, i pick her up, turn on her sleepy time music, hold her for a second while i kiss her on her cheek and i tell her i love her (my favorite moment besides reading to her)...then it's down in the crib with her babies- her very first teddy bear, her pink elephant and her glowing seahorse. she does after all have to have her favorite toys to snuggle with in bed, i mean who doesn't?


i thought i would share with y'all our favorite bedtime story, so you can see for yourselves why it has become a part of our bedtime ritual :) enjoy!!!

i love you because you're you, by liza baker

i love you when you're happy and grinning ear to ear.
i love you when you're sleepy and want to snuggle near.

i love you when you're silly and dancing 'round and 'round.
i love you when you're frightened and hear a scary sound.

i love you when you're bashful and hide behind my knee.
i love you when you're brave and from my arms you flee.

i love you when you're curious and searching here and there.
i love you when you're proud, your head held in the air.

i love you when you're sick and need to rest in bed.
i love you when you're frisky and standing on your head.

i love you when you're sad and need a kiss and hug.
i love you when you're playful and rolling on the rug.

i love you when you're angry and cross your arms and pout.
i love you when you're wild and yell and scream and shout.

i love you any way you feel, no matter what you do.

i love you any way you are. i love you because you're you!

during the last sentence when i say to her, "i love you because you're you!", i point to her chest when i say the word you and she loves it! just tonight when i read it to her, she herself pointed to her own chest right before i did...isn't that just precious?!?! GOD i LOVE her!!!!!