MoMo's girl

This conversation happened a few days ago.
Roma: I yuv you so much.
Me: oh sweetheart. I love you too. You're my girl.
Roma: no. I not.
Me: You're not mommy's girl?
Roma: No.
Me: Are you Daddy's girl?
Roma: No.
Me: Are you Benny's girl?
Roma: (laughing) NO!
Me: Are you Luke's girl?
Roma: No!
Me: Zack's girl?
Ro: No!
Me: I know you're not Simon's girl...
Ro: No!
Me: Who's girl are you?
Ro: I MoMo's girl.
Me: That makes perfect sense.

(she calls herself MoMo but is getting better at saying Roma everyday.  When you ask her what her name is, she will say two while holding up 5 fingers.)

This girl doesn't answer to anybody.  She never really has.  I think I've always known this about her.  She was a very difficult baby because she demanded to be in the center of the action, but she couldn't get there without being held.  She lived on my hip for a year and I couldn't put her down, ever.  I also couldn't write much about her life these first two years because we've been too busy living it.  People thought she was attached to me, but she would go to anyone who would put her in the center of the action.  Not to get attention, just to observe what was going on and be a part of it.  She is a feisty little thing and I've always loved (and hated) that about her.

She KNOWS what she wants and she knows how to get it.  She's independent and when she can't reach what she wants, she'll pull up a chair, or drag Luke over to it until he understands.  I've overheard him say several times, "Roma, I don't have to go everywhere you want me to go." but then I laugh because he KINDA does have to go everywhere she wants him to go.  She will pull at his shirt or grab his face and explain over and over until he helps her get what she wants.  Luke is Roma's boy.  They are super cute together and just started sharing a bedroom (Luke's choice.) Roma is excited that Luke's snake, Pepper, sleeps only a few inches away from the crib.

She's still in her crib (for the most part, every once in a while Luke can read her to sleep on his bed.)  She's always done really well when I put her in her crib and leave her alone.  She will sing and read herself to sleep.  And when she wakes up, she'll stay there for some time until we hear her talking.  We've tried to put her in a real bed, but it never works.  She will stay up and talk to whoever is around.  She is a social thing and she gets super chatty when she's tired.  I've tried to nap with her so many times in my bed (something I've always done with my boys) but she will NOT cuddle up and go to sleep until she's isolated and there is no one else to talk to.  Luke's only been in her bedroom for a few weeks and several times, I've heard her still up late at night talking, when I knew Luke had already fallen asleep.  Oh, and did I mention that this summer on our 33 hour drive (each way) to Georgia, Roma slept about an hour... total?  She would not sleep in the car if someone else was talking.  She wanted to listen and be apart of the conversation.  Yes, I know she gets this from me.

She's silly and makes us laugh all of the time.  But she doesn't perform for others.  She will only do it under her terms.  Often when she wants something she can't have, we will try to distract her by being silly or dancing or trying to pull out her favorite baby doll.  But she will NOT fall for it.  It actually makes her angry when we try to get her off course.  She's a smart girl and she's got some major sass.  And as long as I respect this about her, we seem to get along pretty well.  She throws tantrums here and there, but she does better if you explain things out.  Why she can't have something or what she needs to do before she can get it...  She will sit in time-out for some time and calm down and then apologize quickly without any tears.  She's not as emotional or dramatic as some of her brothers (Simon).  She's her own girl and we are all crazy about her.