18 months...

My dear sweet boy. You turned 18 months last week and I can't quite grasp it. You are growing so quickly, each moment passing faster than the last. This morning you lay in my arms wrapped in your blanket with most of your body hanging off my lap. I was touching your soft little cheek and you smiled...with your eyes first, just like your Daddy...and then softly caressed my cheek with your precious little hands. Times like this are priceless to me. It lasted only a minute and you realized the day had begun and there was so much to see and off you went.

You are talking up a storm. Repeating at least one word in almost all of my sentences. I am learning to decipher your little words but I fail sometimes. Sometimes you will repeat the same thing over and over and look up at me so frustrated. I am sorry for those times and will try to listen closer.

Thank you for the joy your bring us, son. Thank you for each squeal of delight, each jump of joy and each exaggerated expression. Thank you for making me laugh when I am frustrated. Like the other night when you would not eat your dinner...I was frustrated. But you knew what to do--you covered up your eyes and slowly peaked out between your fingers. How quickly you turned my frustration to laughter. I tried not to laugh because really, you needed to eat, but I so appreciated your little sense of humor...so young, yet so observant.

There is so much to say about all that you are doing, but for now just know that in all you do, I love you. In so many ways you bring me joy, but even when you do things that do not bring me joy, I love you.

I love you, I love you, I love you my dear sweet boy...