18 months!

Dear Punkin Pie:

You are now halfway to your second birthday. Already? Already! It is amazing how quickly time flies when you are truly having fun. Raising you and being your Mama is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, and I only hope I can do everything for you that I have in my head and my imagination.

You are becoming so independent and free-spirited and it lights up my world. Some of me has a hard time seeing the "baby" parts of you go away, but I know that you are enjoying asserting your independence and showing off your new skills. You are trying so hard to eschew some of your babyhood, wanting to refuse the high chair and the sippy cup, but perhaps for sanity's sake we can hold on to those a little while longer. ;)

Your vocabulary continues to grow in leaps and bounds and you are starting to learn the concept of possession. You eagerly point out which shoes belong to which person, and insist that Mama have a drink if you have a drink. You still love to boss me around, and many of your new words are verbs which you bellow with some sense of importance: READ! PLAY! COLOR! So far we have not been witness to any real fall-down-drag-out tantrums. I am very thankful for that.

You continue to light up everyone's life, and your child care provider is also very taken with you. She continuously gushes about how many words she knows and how many new skills she is picking up. I know that she loves you very much and I feel good leaving you in such capable hands. People stop us all the time to tell me how beautiful you are or how smart you are or how well-behaved you are. I am so proud of the polite, helpful little girl you are becoming!

The more steps you take away from your baby self, the more I want another baby in our lives so that I can see the two of you interact and grow up together. It is just a pipe dream, but that doesn't make it go away! I think you would be an amazing big sister and you would enjoy teaching another baby everything you've learned.

I enjoy watching you grow every day, and treasure every moment we are able to spend together. Thank you for letting me be your mama.

All my love.