Baby Mim - 18 Months

Dear Mimmy,

And just like that, you’re 18 months old. A year and a half has passed in the blink of an eye and you’ve quickly moved from the world’s sweetest baby to the world’s most adorable little toddler. I can’t get over how quickly time is passing and feel like you grow inches by the day! The past few months have flown by and I can’t even keep up with all the amazing things you’ve learned and all the hilarious things you’ve done. Believe me, I’m trying, but you’re incredible! 

The most drastic change over the last few months has to be your speech. Your vocabulary is extraordinary! I cannot get over how many words you know and all the things you can say. I thought your brother was an advanced talker, but you’ve proven that you’re just as quick and bright as he is (maybe moreso). Your dad and I are in so much trouble with the two of you! Just since Christmas you’ve probably added 100 new words to the 100 words you already had. I started a list in early December, but that’s now so outdated it’s irrelevant and I can’t keep up with all the words you can say now. 

Everything you say is adorable, but there are a few that are my favorites. I never realized how much I must ask you if you’re ok, because you’ve started answering all my questions with “Kay!” (okay). “Kay” has replaced yes anytime you’re asked a question. “Do you want milk?” “Kay!” I never want this to change. In true girly-girl form you love talking about shoes, and you say “shoes” and “boots” in the absolute most adorable way. You play a ton of hide-n-seek with Mac, so you basically know how to count (at least to five) and then everything is “nine” after that. You call your brother “Nonner” and then always add, “W-are you?” (short for “where are you”). You sing the ABC song and the Wheels on the Bus, but both in complete gibberish that sounds surprisingly similar to the real words, but makes no sense. You look up at me and say “hold me” and I melt. You say “mommy” and “daddy” and “Sagey” with no difficulty at all. You call our nanny “Bobby,” which is totally adorable. 

You are still my amazing little eater. You love food and haven’t really found anything you didn’t like. You’ve got a sweet-tooth like your brother and start asking for a “gookie” as soon as Mac asks to be excused. You love cake almost as much as I do and I’m so proud you inherited that gene. Your favorite foods (other than cookies) are steak, mashed potatoes, rotisserie chicken, peanut butter crackers, grapes, noodles, yogurt, puff-corn (thanks to your Papa) and anything you can dip in ketchup. 

We haven’t had your 18-month doctor’s appointment yet, but I feel like you’re tall for your age (like your brother). You’re incredibly coordinated and very athletic. You’re tough as nails – I guess you have to be with an older brother that’s as crazy and physical and Mac. You can most certainly take a licking and keep on ticking. You're always "kay" and rarely shed a tear over a serious wipeout. You’ve started to lose those delicious baby rolls that I loved so much as you get taller and leaner. You’re looking more like a tiny little lady everyday. Sometimes I look at you, in your boots and bows and necklaces and can see the teenager you’re going to be in just a few short years. All you need is a cell phone in one hand and a Starbucks in the other and you could pass for 18. 

Your eyes are big and round and look so much like my grandmother’s that it hurts my heart just looking at you sometimes (in a good way). Just like her, you love owls and every time you point out an owl I think it’s her, sending me a message from heaven through you. I love that. But your most striking physical feature has to be your hair. You still don’t have much on top but the back of your head is covered in beautiful blonde ringlets. Everyone that meets you comments on your little curls! I can’t get over them either. I’m sure you’ll probably hate them, but they are the sweetest little things and so darn adorable I’ll never be able to cut your hair. I finally got you a hairbrush and started using conditioner on them, which has helped a lot with the tangles. You wake up in the mornings with such wild crazy bedhead that I wonder what kind of crazy dreams you were having to cause such chaos! 

You are still a total sweetheart and love to be snuggled and held. You love your mommy (and your daddy, but maybe me a bit more right now…which I totally need). You love attention, but you are also really great about playing independently while we deal with your brother. You got an iPad from Santa (less than a month ago) and have completely mastered how to use it, how to switch between games/apps and how to play Frozen. You love LOVE love Frozen and seem to fall into a deep deep trance when it comes on. It’s been a complete lifesaver in the car, but we have to really make sure we limit your screen time while we’re home, otherwise you’d never take your eyes off of the “noman” (snowman). While your brother still won't watch more than a few minutes of any given show at any given time, you get sucked in to Frozen. Ob-sessed. 

You also love to play games with us. Hide and seek is a huge hit and you and Mac can play that for hours and hours. Every time you find him you clap and jump up and down in pure delight. You love play "Baw" and sit on the floor and throw/roll the ball back and forth to each other. You are still taking gymnastics and really enjoy it! You have mastered a front roll and can do one all by yourself (something Mac couldn’t do until he was much older). You love hanging on the rings and swinging. You are a master at bouncing on the trampoline! You raise your arms and say “ta da” after everything you do. You also are a complete fish in the pool. You adore swim lessons and are the happiest of the day in the bath at night. You are a serious bathtub-splasher and get in trouble every single night for splashing. It doesn’t phase you in the least when we get angry with you for splashing (or biting or pulling hair) -- you look right at me, smile and keep on.  

You’re also now impossible to keep up with most of the time. You run very fast and can climb to the top of the stairs quicker than I can turn around. You are a total wild woman during diaper changes and dressing, just like your brother. You have what I like to call a “crazy leg” that wraps around my hand and kicks me out of the way, making it impossible to change you or get your pajamas snapped. Distraction works great and you prefer your distraction in song form (preferably, “If You’re Happy and You Know It”). You love to dance and will break out your awesome and hilarious booty shaking anytime you hear music. Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" is by far your favorite song to get down to. Anytime you see my phone, you look at me, start bouncing and say, "shake shake...more shake shake." I can never say no. Mac has even figured out how to ask Siri to play "Shake it Off" for you if I'm busy. 

You love animals and gravitate to them anytime we’re around them. You’re really gentle with cats and dogs (which you call “meows” and “bubbies”) and most of them really like you back. You make the most amazing animal noises (sheep, bison and owl are my favorites) and can be found mooing or neighing all over the house. You love getting your picture taken and now make the biggest, cheesiest, goofiest toothy smile anytime I aim the camera at you. You love books and insist on sitting in our laps and reading at least 50 books a day. Just like your brother, you’ve started memorizing books and can now recite a number of them all on your own. It’s absolutely crazy! 

You are an amazing sleeper (knock on wood) and put yourself to sleep from wide awake every single night. You sleep about 11 hours a night and still take a 2-hour afternoon nap. BEST BABY EVER. You also now sleep with at least 25 stuffed animals and insist on snuggling with as many as you can every night. You still love your Jellycat bunnies the most. You also love your crib fish tank that plays music, which you listen to for an hour every night to help you fall asleep. It’s also playing in the morning when I come get you out of your crib. You make a point to turn it off before I pick you up, presumably to save battery life. You’re really thoughtful like that. 

So, basically you’re the most amazing thing ever. I am so incredibly lucky to have you in my life. Thank you for being you. Thank you for being mine.

Love,

Your mama