dear ramona,

what a beach bum you were (and had)! we went to the beach this past week and you just soaked it all up. you loved loved loved the sand — especially when we let you run naked and especially when papa would bury you up to your chest. you’d go find a low spot in the sand, wiggle your butt in, and say “bury me! more bury me!”. papa would push the sand up up and up around you and you’d giggle and squeal and then try and burst out, first wiggling your toes and then flinging your legs free.

you and i would take walks up and down the sand and you’d just plunk yourself down at the water’s edge, letting out a “woohoo” whenever the wave came up and kissed your toes or hugged your body. it was only when mama took you out deeper w the choppier water that you let out cries of fear. this was, obviously, not the swimming pool you were used to! you said “no wave! play sand!” and we’d go back up to the shore, plop ourselves down, and dig for shells, letting the wet sand fall from our hands onto our legs and feet.

what fun we had with you, miss mo. i love you. love, mama.

a portrait of ramona, once a week, every week, in 2013. inspired by jodi’s project.

dearest ramona moo,

i’ve been remiss in posting your weekly photos bc we’ve been having so much fun! nona was in town helping us get the house ready for a little photo shoot and we went on many (shopping) adventures with her. then the weather finally turned nice so we’ve been taking advantage of the sunshine and going for bike rides and dates to the park. you seem to get more and more confident with “riding” your bike and going down the slide by yourself. you actually ask to wear your helmet.

your verbal skills have seem to taken off, almost over night, and you just are chatting our ears off. in addition to repeating every.single.thing. we say you are really getting a grasp on getting a hang of your own words. you know the difference between hearts, stars, butterflies, and circles and point them out with glee. you “draw circle” with special crayons auntie jasmin bought you and you constantly look for “helopoptors” in the sky. one cloudy day, you pointed through the windshield from your spot in the backseat and said “moon”, directing your teeny finger to a little sliver in the sky that even a trained eye would have to search for a bit. and if it sounds like your mama is bragging? i totally am.

i am so so proud of you my little minka. you are chubby and bright and stubborn and funny and serious and very very determined. your capabilities astound me each and every day. and, as i’ve talked about before, there’s a lot of pride bc you came from papa and me. but there’s also this amazing awe when i look at you: that you are this little person completely your own. and i am just so totally impressed.

i love you. love, mama.

a portrait of ramona, once a week, every week, in 2013. inspired by jodi’s project.