18 Months and Counting...

Natalie is 18 months old today. Copying a great idea from one of my favorite blogs, I have decided to write a letter to Natalie each month, documenting her development as a child and maybe even my development as a mother.

Dear Natalie,

To start with, I have to say that the past year and a half with you has been the hardest and most rewarding time of my life. That sounds cliche but it's true. I can't believe how quickly time passes and how much you have grown. I am always looking forward to each new stage of development but absolutely miss each stage as you grow out of them (except for the hair-pulling one!).

This past month you have started to talk and new words come out of your mouth on a daily basis. It is so fun to see you shape your mouth and maneuver your tongue in an attempt to make the desired sounds come out. You are so pleased when your are successful - and so am I!

Here are a FEW of the new words you can actually say and people (besides myself) can understand: eyes, nose, elbow, shoe, apple, banana, ashes (from ring-around-the roses), Ashleigh, Sasha, please, no, no-no, where is it?, what is it?...

And for some of the words you are still working on - some of which you know the signs for and therefore don't "need" to say them clearly for us to understand: olive, ball, grandma, grandpa, cookie, cheese, baby, dog... You even said your name for the first time this month "Naa-nee".

Honestly, the list of these words would go on and on (I'll make an official list another day). I would guess that if I actually counted all the words you can communicate (speak, sign, act out), it would come out to be near 100. Seriously.

The past week we have had a blast together playing on the trampoline in our back yard. Now that your dad and I lowered it for you, I can actually enjoy the time you spend on it instead of having one LONG anxiety attack until I can convince you that you've had enough "jump" time. What a relief it is to have made it MUCH safer for you to play on. I am having so much fun playing with you and watching you play with me, Nixon and the water. You get the biggest kick out of spraying me with the hose. I squeal when you get me wet and you copy me with that squeal when I get you wet. It's SO cute. I honestly look forward to spending all summer with you out there!



Now that it's getting warm out, the lizards are coming out to enjoy the heat. We've enjoyed many hours this past month looking for them. You love them! You love to find them and when they run away you are always concerned about where they've gone. You are also fascinated with birds, airplanes, and any sounds you can hear in the neighborhood (i.e. lawn mowers, big trucks, leaf blowers, chain saws, motorcycles, etc.). It is so cute to hear you mimic these sounds and ask "Where is it?".

Here's a picture of you looking at a lizard. This lizard, if you can't see him, is at the same height as your head and two blocks to the right.


You have also recently developed a deep love for your pacifier. I'm worried that at this point your love of this habit will be extremely hard to break - I have made a few attempts already. Whenever you feel sad or tired, you ask for it - tapping your mouth with your fingers. This tap usually follows the sign for blanket and sometimes is also followed by the sign for milk (in a bottle). It's hard not to give in to these requests...especially because when I don't you immediately let me know that you weren't kidding around when you asked for them.

"Say cheese!"

"How about without the pacifier this time."

Although you spent at least 2 weeks of this past month sick, we've still managed to have a great month! Now you are so comfortable with sleeping in my bed next to me, I don't know how I'll ever get you back to your own bed - although you've never really slept there all night anyway! But all the uncomfortableness your dad and I experience is overshadowed when you wake us up with a kiss. You learned to give butterfly kisses this month and even woke me up with a butterfly kiss the other morning. How could I not love that! I'm sure it's your little way of making me want to have you sleep next to me. It's working!

My mom keeps telling me that every moment I think you can't be any cuter or more fun, you somehow are. IT IS SO TRUE! Some day I might just really eat you up. I'm sorry. Just know that I couldn't help myself. Besides that, it really was your fault for being so dang lovable!

With love,

Mommy

PS - You can now officially go to Nursery. Yippee!