Evan: 18 Months/ONE AND A HALF

Dear Evan,

One and a half! No longer a baby, but a full-blown toddler! 

You are so easygoing! It's simple to come up with a list of your loves:

balls

snacks

breakfast (many days you eat at least three of them)

the big kids

being scared

playing with legos

hiding in my closet

snuggling when you first wake up

playing with things you shouldn't have (sharpies, knives, dog food, dishes, kids' stuff)

You are not so much about:

sitting in the stroller if there's not motion involved

staying in one place

having your diaper changed (see above)

being left behind or having doors shut in front of you

This month you:

split your lip

scraped the skin off your nose

pulled several chairs over on yourself

pulled the stroller over on yourself

climbed several ladders, slides, and play structures

found your way down ladders, slides and play structures

kissed Sam on the lips several times while he napped on the couch

tried to get a fly and a moth to come to you, involving a high-pitched, sweet "'ere" and an outstretched, beckoning hand

You fell asleep:

in our arms

in the car

in the stroller

strapped in your high chair

on the way to school

on the way back from school

in parking lots

in the ergo

Yet also managed to NOT sleep through the night nearly the whole month. 

At home you are great at playing solo. You love to tinker downstairs and look out the upstairs windows.

At church you love to play in the nursery, run around the downstairs, and act like you own the place.

At school you act like you belong there, climbing all over the K playground and keeping up with people twice your size.

At night, you love to wake up screaming. When that doesn't work, you call out, "MAMA!" And if that doesn't work, you sing "MaaaaaaaaMaaaaaaaaaaaa!" until I get you.

Thanks for filling our lives so full of laughter and joy. No thanks for sleepless nights, but hey, we'll eventually forget all about it thanks to the memory impairment from frequent wakings and lack of sleep.

Thanks for not playing with your poop when you removed your diaper one morning. I'm thankful the situation was "contained" by easily washable bedding and didn't find its way onto walls and furniture. 

Thanks for trying to pick up dog poop in the backyard with plastic bags. I'll go ahead and do that chore until you're more coordinated.

Thanks for the snuggles, the kisses, the pat-pats, and the big hugs. Every day is a gift with you, our little gift from heaven.

Love,

Mama