18 months

18 months really snuck up on me. I can't believe that you are 1 1/2 already. I have learned that having a child really makes you see the progression of time right in front of your face. The changes you have made in the past year are amazing, I didn't grasp the drastic amount of change until a friend of ours asked "so he's 18 months now right, does that mean he is crawling?" I of coursed laughed at this question b/c you are so far past crawling and thought he must be joking. But he came back with "what, he's doing more? He's only been here for 18 months, I'd think crawling would be big time for that age." As parents we know what to expect and what the "norms" are so we don't really think about the bigness of what you are doing in such a small amount of time. When 2008 started you were a plump little ball that was beginning to crawl and was babbling strings of sounds. Now with 2008 ending you are a running toddler that has a huge vocabulary and puts 2 words together. What a difference a year makes in a tiny persons life.

At 18 months you have a personality that is so infectious that everyone loves to be around you. Your laugh is contagious and can make a room of people smile even if they don't know you. Some days when I think that nothing can make me feel better because it is such a rough day (your getting into everything or daddy gets in a car wreck or something of the sort:-) you look at me and something makes you laugh and all is perfect in my world for that moment. And in that moment where I thought my life was as bad as it could get I realize it is actually as good as it gets that having you makes everything better and even if I have to pick up the contents of the bathroom drawers 10 times or clean the pots and pans 3 times in a day because you love to "cook" in them while I cook it is all worth it. You've taught me the small things really don't matter, that yes my All Clad pans are very expensive and when I got married 4 1/2 years ago I thought they were so perfect and shiny and I'd treat them with such care.......and then I turn around from the stove and watch you smash it on the floor and my teeth grind only to find you laughing hysterically at the huge sound you just made and I can't get mad, I can only laugh with you. You have taught us that "stuff" doesn't matter, that we can have the nicest things but at the end of the day what matters most is how many times we laughed so hard that our tummies hurt or how many times your eyes lit up like a Christmas tree because you connected the dots in your little head about a new discovery.

Some things I love or want to remember about you at 18 months are.....
*How you wake up in the morning and say "choo choo" because you want to get out of bed and play with your train table that instant.
*How on our way home from wherever we are at you say "Didi" because your excited to go home to Fifi.
*How much you love your bath and you request to take one a couple times during the day.
*That I'm the only one that can put you to sleep.
*When I start singing one of your songs you instantly start dancing and once the song is over you keep dancing to let me know I need to keep singing...if that doesn't work you start telling me more until I break down and sing to you.
*That when I bring the camara out you say "cheese" with the biggest smile you have b/c you know that is what I'm going to make you do.
*How excited you get to see your daddy when he comes home from work or walks up to the car
*The way your face lights up when you see your friends
*How much you love trains (and trucks and planes but trains are the favorite this week;-)
*How while we were home in NE for Christmas before you went to bed you'd give everyone a hug and a kiss......and then toward the middle of the trip when you were tired you'd initiate going to bed by going around and kissing everyone goodnight:-)
*That while we were in NE you'd request to nurse by asking to take a nap...tricky little guy you are!
*How curious you are about everything......yet cautious at the same time
*How all the sudden you'll come up to me, lift my shirt and blow rasberries on my belly and we'll laugh hysterically for several minutes while blowing rasberries on e/os bellies
*Sometimes you'll decided that the fork and spoon or your fingers are too slow and you'll lift the plate up and eat right off of it....I know, I shouldn't laugh, it isn't acceptable but it makes daddy and I roll
*If you want someone to come play with you or to show them something you won't take no for an answer and push, pull, until they go with you.
*Every old man you see with a beard is Santa to you and you point at them and say "ho ho ho"
*You have a great vocabulary for an 18 month old, you say tons of words, put 2 words together frequently and repeat almost anything we ask you to.