Where has my baby girl gone? You are 18 months old now, and there have been so many times this month where I’ve exclaimed “Can you believe that she was just a blob a little over a year ago?!” Now, you run around all the time and absorb information like a sponge!
This past month, you started Mother’s Morning Out at the preschool I attended! Your first day was delayed by a week due to Hurricane Irma, but you’ve gone to two days so far and loved it! Both times, the teachers commented on how much you love to dance! Ha!
I may have mentioned it before, but I had originally signed you up for two days a week. When I found out I was pregnant, I cancelled one day so that we could savor our remaining time as just the two of us every day. Honestly, I am having a bit of a hard time coming to terms with how much I’m going to miss our time alone. I know we will find our new normal, but you’ll always be my first baby – the one who made me a mama – and that is so special to me.
You’ll see in the photos that I bought a leash for you this month. You are such a little explorer – if I set you down in a store, you bolt! As much as you love your mama, you don’t like to be held or sit in my lap as much as most babies, so it can be tough to get you to stay with me. Fortunately, though, you like the leash and the freedom it gives you.
While your love of dogs and Sesame Street have certainly grown this month, you’ve also developed some new interests! You figured out how to hold a crayon well, and LOVE coloring! You also love spending time outside. When Hurricane Irma hit Atlanta (as a tropical storm), I took you outside to feel the wind and rain, and you laughed and laughed! You are so independent and confident – it’s like nothing could scare you. We sat at the window and watched the trees sway in the wind, and felt very lucky that the power didn’t go out at our house.
As of the end of this month, your sixth tooth has finally broken your gums. Your teeth are taking their sweet time, so hopefully that means they are extra strong. In other medical events, you had your first stomach bug this month, which I got at the same time. It was terrible, but we survived. I think your tummy may still be recovering, so we’ve been laying low for the past week.
Every day you become more independent. I joke that you always have a plan, even when I don’t know what it is. You especially love taking things out of boxes/buckets/bags and then meticulously putting them back and carrying them around like a little purse. You also love talking on your toy phone and going down your new slide. You’re always moving, but even when you’re busy, you make sure to circle back with me for a hug or to sit on my lap. I think it’s your way of reminding me that you love me even when you’re on the go.
Rosemary, one day you’ll be 18 years old, trying to decide who you are and what you want to be. For now, though, you are 18 months, and I want you to know who you are and what you mean to us. In short, you are perfect. Sure, lately, you’ve been going through a little bit of a toddler phase. You cry for “na-na” (food) all the time, but when I give it to you, you reject it. You say “ah!” for water, but refuse the sippy cup. You think you can drink out of a water bottle, which you can’t. I spend a lot of my day trying to guess what it is you want, and failing. But you know what? That doesn’t matter.
To me you’ll always be perfect. It doesn’t matter if you’re tall or short, fat or skinny, smart or dumb, athletic or not, artistic or not, etc. I hope that you make good choices that protect your safety and health, that you are kind and that you succeed. But only because I want you to be happy. Whatever you do, though, know that I’ll support you. That if you are struggling, I will do my best to help. That if you are sad, I will be a shoulder for you to cry on. You are so young and innocent right now, and I want to tell you right now that I will always be proud of you and always love you. You are starting to become more and more cognizant of the world, which can be such an intimidating place. Just know that your dad and I will always be here for you.
