Eighteen Months

Behr, you are a year and a half! I can hardly believe how the time has flown. Someone recently pointed out that your 2nd birthday is only six months away. I am not ready for that yet. I don't even want to start planning you party (my favorite thing to do) because that means I am accepting that you are getting older, no longer my little baby.

All I really have to do is look at you to see what a big boy you are becoming. Your hair is getting long and curly in the summer heat. Your knees are full of scrapes from your daring tumbles. You can now reach most surfaces in our house as you are growing so fast. Watching you become a big boy is so many mixed emotions, but mostly exciting. And yet, I cherish the snuggles that we still share.

You are striving to communicate with us. Your sign language has improved and the words you say are now said with authority, BOOK, BALL, CAR, HOT, Bu-BBLES, MORE, MILK, DUck, MOmma, DA(d). Sometimes you confuse who is Mom and who is Dad. I am not sure whether you mix us up just to get the giggles out of us, or if you really get confused. Either way, we are working on sorting out that distinction. We are also working on "thank you" and "yes please." I am thrilled that you are shaking your head yes when I guess the correct object you are pointing to, but as your Daddy reminds me, we can't hear your head shake. Hopefully that short little word will be next. "Yes!" Practice it with me now...Y-E-S, yes!

You love the spray park. The water was a bit intimidating to you at the start of the summer, but you have warmed up. We are thrilled that you now jump in enthusiastically. I can only pray to adapt to the beach this well. Our first try will be this weekend. Embrace the sand my little boy, embrace the sand!

You love to help me cook. We had a bit of a mess making cookies, but we laughed hysterically. You are teaching me that in life, there are no exact measurements. Every time I move towards the kitchen, you head perks up to see if you can "help." You are my ultimate sous chef.

I think you might be a techy at heart as well. You are obsessed with the vacuum, light switches, and you are learning how to play games on our iPhones. Now that you know the vacuum is stored in the front closet, you open the door in search of cleaning, often making a mess just to pull out the vaccum. We have had to move your crib over the few spare inches we had to keep you away from the light switch in your nursery.

And my oh my are you teething. Last week your Dad announced that as we approach your 18 month marker, we have regressed 12 months in sleep. You are awake far more than you sleep, and the hours between 7pm and 7am are especially brutal. Dare I say that getting molars is worse that cutting first teeth? Mommas everywhere just stopped reading this in horror! I wish I could do more to help. The upside to this pain is that you have renewed interest in brushing your teeth. It has even accompanied us out of the house on a few occasions. Perhaps it is the bristles offer some relief? Either way, I am glad to see you bond with your tooth brush once again.

Little man, we have made it a whole 18 months. This time last year, things were still pretty overwhelming, your first birthday seemed lightyears away, and I never could have imagined the simple rhythm our family would have settled into. We love you more that we ever knew our hearts could love and still that love continues to grow again and again and again...

Happy Half Birthday!

I am envisioning this being the perfect reason to have some parties in future summers!