You are 18 months old today! A year and a half! Sometimes I squeeze my eyes real tight shut and wrap you up in my arms. Because maybe then time will stop for a minute. So I can hold you a little longer. Because it's too fast, my girl. Too fast.
You are a bundle of energy and belly laughs and white blonde hair and morning snuggles and fun. You were so quiet, so easy going as an infant. But your personality has blossomed, and it is BIG. You are feisty and passionate. You are impatient and easily excited. You fill my days with pure joy.
You have four top teeth, two bottom teeth and all of your one-year molars. You love nap time. You don't necessarily have a favorite toy. You just love to play. But anything with music quickly captures your attention, and you begin to sway or bounce or your new thing is "raising the roof." You love pushing your stroller and the shopping cart. You love baby dolls. You also like books and often climb up into my lap with a book in your hand that we have to read over and over until you decide to get down and move on to something else. You LOVE electronics, and it is difficult keeping my phone away from you and the Kindles, too. You enjoy your LeapPad, and one day I promise I'll keep extra batteries in your diaper bag so it doesn't go dead when we're waiting at Mason's therapy or Hannah Kate's dance!
You wear a size 4 diaper. You were a super picky eater for awhile, but now you really do eat pretty much everything I give you. Except fruit. You do not like fruit. And you do not like sandwiches. So I have to be sure I have left overs on hand for lunch. You aren't particularly a fan of macaroni and cheese either. And definitely not mashed potatoes. I can't say you have a favorite except maybe yogurt and ice cream. You like rice and corn and chicken and oatmeal. Not all together though. You also love to eat with a fork. By yourself. You're doing a great job eating all by yourself with a fork and spoon. You like having your teeth brushed. You love taking a shower, but you refuse to sit down in the bathtub for a bath. You have mastered the stairs. Up and down.
Your vocabulary is exploding. Your favorite words are bow, doop, dat, juice, shoes and more. You love wearing a bow in your hair now, and you ask for a bow every morning (but you don't have a bow in these pictures because it was right after nap time and I just didn't take the time to put it back in . . . but you can tell by your hair that you had a bow that morning!). You usually hit yourself on the head while yelling, "Bow! Bow!" And when you need a clean diaper, you come to me and say, "Doop." We all know what that means. But you say it whether your diaper is wet or dirty. We aren't potty training yet, but I think you're getting close. You always want "dat." You point to "dat" all the time. When you're thirsty, you stand in front of the refrigerator and yell (literally), "Juice!" That could mean milk or water or apple juice mixed with water. You have a rather unhealthy shoe obsession. You love shoes. Everyone's shoes. You love wearing shoes. Everyone's shoes. And you always want "more."
You are still super attached to the paci. It's not going to be easy, but we're going to get rid of it one day. We're trying to limit it to sleep times, but sometimes it's just easier to give in during the late afternoons when you start getting tired. You love your Wednesday Bible study class and always look forward to going each week. You are also a big helper. You love to help clean up and put things away where they belong. You are also climbing now. You can get on the sofa without help. You can also climb up into the chairs without help which means you can climb up on top of the table by yourself. That's where I found you earlier tonight when I turned my back for 15 seconds.
But most of all, you love your big brother and big sister! Your favorite time of the day is the first moment you see them after school. You always let out a big squeal, a grin stretches across your face and you start waving like it's going out of style. Mason and Hannah Kate love you, too! They dote over you and hover. We all do. Because you are pure sunshine!
You are growing up, my Ellie girl. Too fast. Too fast. My arms ache to hold you again as a newborn baby. But my heart is so full as I watch you grow and discover and explore and become. Sharing my days with you is nothing short of exciting. Exhausting, too. But just wonderful!
I love you, Ellie girl!
Momma