Nineteen Months

Sweet Evie,

You are nineteen months old today. It seems hard to believe that another month has passed already. You are growing up day by day, and it happens so quickly.

You've begun to speak much more clearly. In the last few weeks, you have gone from calling Maddy simply "Maa," to clearly saying "Maddy." You love to say "Got it!" when you pick something up. If I say ouch, you ask "Okay?" Last week, you learned to shake hands. "Meet you," you say, meaning "Nice to meet you." Instead of saying "Hi," you now say "Hello," when you talk on the phone.

You are so very independent. From climbing the stairs to putting on your shoes, you want to do it alone. If I'm in a hurry and I put shoes on your feet, you actually take them off so you can put them on again by yourself.

You love to buckle things - especially on your little stroller or your car seat. You enjoy coloring and playing with Play Dough. You got a Backyardigans guitar for our trip to Marysville and you took it everywhere with you for awhile. I've even had to change your diaper while you held onto that thing! You've recently begun to play with shape sorters, and it's fun to see your proud face when you push a shape through the right hole. You have three dolls now, and you are a good little mommy to them all. The other day you sat on the couch and held one of the dolls to your chest, patting her back. It was such a sweet moment.

You really love books. Your haul them out of the book bin and plop them down by me. Your favorites right now are Rainbow Rob and Ten in a Bed. There is a rainbow in the Rainbow Rob book, and you point right to the blue part and say "Blue!" My little genius!

Your appetite has waned a little this past month. My same-old food worries have resurfaced, and I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get you to eat protein. Your favorite foods are edamame, corn, and candy. You ate raw corn at Aunt Shari's and now I have to keep a close eye on you when I'm shucking corn at home. If I don't, you bite right into it! You also like to eat eggs, and I always slip a little whole milk and cheese in when I scramble them. Hey, I have to sneak in calories when I can!

Your sleeping has gotten worse. It's a struggle to get you to sleep, and when you wake up in the wee hours, only the comfort of Mommy and Daddy's bed will do. I enjoy the cuddling, but Daddy doesn't sleep well with you kicking him all night.

You are still so attached to me, but lately you've been playing more on your own. I can take a shower while you play in the living room. I like the freedom, but some crazy part of me feels like you're pulling away just a bit.

I love you with all my heart. There are times when I look over at you, and I just can't believe you're mine. You are so beautiful and smart and loving. You are my best blessing, Little One.

Love, Mommy