No need to adjust your eyes, that girl with a head full of curls, looking like a big girl, is Libby Lu.
I cannot believe how much she has changed, just in the last 6 months. Her face is longer, she's starting to lose to precious chubby cheeks she carried for so long. Her big blue eyes are still there, widening and spreading across her face when they were once nestled so close to her little nose. Her hair has grown into a mop of curls that I could stare at for hours. They fall so perfectly when she gets out of the bath, but looks like such a hot mess the next morning.
She's getting some extra attention from Mommy these days, especially in the mornings. Bubba is at school, Sissy is at morning preschool, and her and I enjoy a long chatty breakfast by ourselves. Followed by what should be dishes, laundry, and cleaning. It's usually all ignored for a chance to flop on the couch with her and watch Sesame Street. She shouts the letters and numbers back and the screen and dances like a wild woman when Big bird or Elmo ask her to do so.
When I get to the Pearly Gates if God let's us pick our heaven it would be this. My kids would be this little forever.
I know this photo below is out of focus, but I had to post it to give a little kudos to our super patient dog
Libby Lu is drawn to men, I'd almost say she prefers them. If you can't find her with her Daddy, look around for Paw Paw, Uncle Michael, Uncle Chris, she is surely sitting on one of their laps.
She loves sports. She reminds me so much of Rocky at this age. She has so much coordination. I couldn't pay Luci money to play with any kind of ball when she was little. But Libby Lu will bring you a ball and want to know how to use it. So we show her - that you kick a soccer ball, you dribble a basket ball, and throw a baseball. She tries so hard to copy exactly what we do.
Yet, with all the tomboy she has, she lets me dress her in bows and bloomers and loves to look at herself in the mirror when she is wearing something fancy. It's like we took Rocky and Luci and smooshed them together to make Libby Lu.
We stuck her on skates a few weeks ago. We have a Manno family rule that all our kids learn to skate when they're still in diapers. We love the ice, my husband was a hockey player, I was a figure skater and we teach them young. (Note - All littles should wear a helmet when they're learning to skate, she had one on but we took it off for the pictures I took, and put it right back on. Daddy didn't let go of her when she wasn't wearing it)
We dream of the day we can all go to an outdoor rink and Christmas time and skate together. It's coming soon.
She loves her sissy so much. She looks up to her and wants to do the things she does. If Luci puts on a pair of play high-heels, she will run for the nearest pair to match her. If Luci is brushing her hair Libby Lu will sit right next to her and start brushing her own. When we go pick up the kids from school she gets so excited. Calling from the hallway, or parking lot "Sissy where are you" - knowing the moment big sister comes out that door that she is getting a big hug and smooch.
Getting up in the middle of the night to grab a drink a few weeks ago I found her sleeping on top of her big sister so I snapped a photo with my phone. Sisters are a magic little thing I never had the pleasure of knowing. Lord, let me remember these days, 12 years from now, when they are fighting over clothes and chucking bottles of hairspray at each other.
I have to walk a fine line with her. Between disciplining her, but not stifling her spunky spirit. I freaking love her feisty spirit. She fits into our family so perfectly that once in a while my husband and I will say to the other. I'm so glad we have her, or wouldn't we be so bored if she wasn't here? She makes our life so fun, and loud, and happy. We love you Libby Lu.
