18 Months Old

November, 6, 2009

Dear Penny,

How did I end up with an 18 month old? Where did the time go? I keep saying time is passing so quickly, and it's true. Sometimes when I hold you I think about how big you have gotten and someday, you won't fit in my lap anymore. That thought makes me feel a little sad, so I don't dwell on it for very long. For now, I love to hug and cuddle you. I still rock you a little before you go to bed, and we have an inside joke: Either you or I will start making a funny croaking sound in the back of our throats, and we take turns making each other giggle.

You are so much fun! If you had told me a year ago that motherhood was THIS enjoyable, I might have been skeptical. Not that I wasn't having any fun. But I worried about everything, all the time. Now I feel more relaxed and confident in myself as your mom. You understand so much now. Your vocabulary is growing tenfold and you try to say ANY word we say. Today's exciting new word was "delicious," or "ish-ous." You are also putting two words together. Tonight you said, "Baby watch?" while signing "baby," because you love Baby Signing Time more than anything on the planet and you wanted to go watch it. You think every DVD should be BST and you get a little annoyed if anything else is on TV.

You know something like 14 body parts, and the best words you say are "ees?" (please) and "dank-o" (thank you). Your "please" is heart wrenching because you sign it too, and when you are really desperate for something, you say "ees?" in the most plaintive voice, and then I have no choice but to succumb to your request. Ah, your mom is such a sucker, isn't she?

We have started going to Story Time at the library, and you like to "read" to me while I get ready for work in the morning. You love to scribble on your Magnadoodle, and your scribbles are becoming more purposeful. You like to "cook" while I make dinner, and you have picnics for your dollies using the plastic food from your shopping cart. You are always talking about something, although I think your primary language is Ewok.



You had fun on Halloween, except for the pumpkins. You really don't like pumpkins. We tried to get some fall portraits taken with your cousin, but when we got to the photo studio, they had fake pumpkins as part of the backdrop. You decided right then that you were not going to sit next to those pumpkins and there was NO WAY you were going to get your picture taken without clinging to me and crying. So, we went to the bedding department and I took pictures of you with my cell phone. We saved a lot of money that day.

I still call you my baby, but that is a misnomer. You are a toddler, the very definition of the word. Sometimes you get mad if I don't do something immediately, and you stand rigid, shake your little fists and yell. We have days where every toy and book you own is off the shelf and there is food all over the floor, because things are a lot more fun to get out than to put away. But this is life with a toddler.

In spite of the messes and the mini-tantrums, you are becoming a beautiful little girl. You still fit in my lap, and you love to be cuddled and rocked. I fully and truly adore you. You will always be my baby.



Love,
Mom