Eighteen Months Old

Dearest daughter,

You are 18 months old today and your daddy and I couldn't be more in love with you. You are bright, beautiful and oh so busy! You make us laugh so very much every day with all of the silly and adorable things that you do. We are amazed at how much you can say and do and all of the things that you have learned. Your vocabulary is expanding every day (today you learned "chilly" and yesterday, "itchy"...both courtesy of na-ma). You can identify several letters and can count to four! You can also sing/hum the tune to several songs. Your favorites right now are "Row, row, row your boat," "Twinkle, twinkle," and the ABCs.

At 18 months, your other "likes" include listening to music and singing (especially music including Elmo and the rest of the Sesame Street gang), sweet things like strawberries and graham crackers, coloring and scribbling, looking at books with photographs of real babies and animals (even better, ones with lift-up flaps); you have also taken to any book with Santa in it and have been reading The Night Before Christmas with pa-pa every night before bed. You absolutely love climbing stairs anywhere you can find them, chasing bubbles, banging on computer keyboards, carrying a cell phone around on your shoulder and saying, "Hi, daddy! Hi, daddy! Hi daddy!". You have a very nurturing side as you care for your baby dolls and are gentle with animals; you especially like puppies, kitties, and birds (you do the cutest sign for "bird" and say "tweet, tweet"!). One of your greatest pleasures is cuddling up with someone under a blanket and sucking your thumb while you squeeze that someone's index finger. At the present you are having quite a bit of fun exploring na-ma and pa-pa's house and all of the fun things in it. You have found Jacy's old kitchen set, complete with plastic food, appliances and dishes galore! The glittering Christmas tree with all of the presents underneath it has also caught your attention. You have already said "op it" (open it) several times since we arrived in North Dakota last Tuesday. We can't wait to watch all the fun you will have this Christmas!

Your dislikes are getting dressed, winding down for naps and bedtime, getting cleaned up after meals and snacks, sitting in one place for more than a minute (oh how you squirm on the plane!), North Dakota's very cold weather (it takes your breath away), waiting for anything or anyone for more than five seconds, getting into the car seat or stroller, and the vacuum.

The list of your "likes" is much longer (and I could have kept going) than your "dislikes" because you truly are a happy baby. You have a very outgoing, friendly, and cheery disposition. You make fast-friends where ever you go and are very interested in new people and places. Though it may take a minute or two to warm up to someone, once you are comfortable with them they become your new best friend. A few weeks ago, you met one of my classmates for only a few minutes on campus and couldn't stop talking about him for several hours: "Bob?! Bob?! Bob?!" Yesterday at na-ma's Master Chorale concert, you made friend with 2-year-old Lucia. She was actually a little shy, but you went right up to her and said, "Hi! Hi! Hi!". Within minutes you two were holding hands and tripping up and down steps together.

Tonight your na-ma, pa-pa and I looked through pictures of me when I was your age. Our birthdays are only 22 days a part so you are almost exactly the same age as I was at Christmas time 27 years ago. You and I look so much alike that we kept seeing you looking out at us from those old pictures. (I will add some pictures here on the blog once I figure out na-ma's scanner.) You look like your daddy, too, but I will need to inspect his toddler pictures once we are in Minneapolis next week. One thing is for sure, your size comes from your daddy!

Emmy Lou, even though you are still little, we are so very proud of you. You are learning and growing so much every day. We love the little person that you are becoming: so curious, independent and sweet with a touch of spit-fire. It is such a profound pleasure to watch you grow, learn and experience the world. We are so deeply thankful that you are ours.

We love you little one,
Mommy and daddy