15 months.

  Sylvie, you turned 15 months old last week.  Lately every time I look at you I think, “How did that happen?!”  You are one hundred percent toddler now, and all of a sudden you look so BIG. 

  You are so much fun, and completely capable of entertaining adults for ridiculously long periods of time just by being the big ham that you are.  You’ve got the drama queen thing down pat.  It’s making me a little nervous for ages 2 and 3, because you can throw a mean tantrum.  For a while you were banging your head on the floor, at least you’ve stopped doing that.  But it is most obvious that you are a girl who knows exactly what she wants, and you’ve got a stubborn streak the size of your dad’s and mine combined.  (scary.) 

  You are also one of the most active children I’ve ever known.  You are either sleeping, or going at top speed.  You get into everything – and it’s rarely out of orneriness, you are just busy.  Sometimes when we’re having a ‘relaxing family evening’ and you just aren’t satisfied with the amount of energy being expelled, you just start running around in circles singing very loudly.  After all, you wouldn’t want it to get too quiet!  Did I mention you are very, very, very, very loud?  My mom has always told me how loud I was when I was little – and now I am beginning to understand.  It’s as if you are using a megaphone at all times.  I love it.

  I’m going to go ahead and claim your passion.  In this department you remind me a lot of me.  Everything you do is done with passion, and you get so passionate about things on occasion that your entire body shakes with excitement.  You just can’t hold it all in.  You are also very passionate when you’re trying to communicate.  You are also very passionate when you are upset.  Like I said, you’re a lot like me.

  With all that said, we are seeing your beautiful personality come out.  And I am convinced that if we are able to channel all of your passion, stubbornness, and determination in a good way – you are bound to make some massive change in this world.

 

 

You are a very verbal little girl.  (Did I mention you are loud?)  You’ve started trying to mimic everything we say.  You’re vocabulary increases by the day – now you can say (unprompted) mommy, daddy, nana, papa (grandpa), ball, baby, uh-oh, wow, book, yes, yucky, yummm, ooooohh, and cookie.  I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting a few.  You also try to say everything that we do, and you usually get the first sound right.  Uh-oh is by far your favorite thing to say, and you get plenty of practice in by throwing things on the floor.

  You also make lots of animal noises – your favorite being the monkey, which doesn’t surprise me at all.  If you had a tail, I would wonder.  You only nurse once a day now, which we are both okay with – pretty soon your sister will be here, and she’ll claim a monopoly on that anyway.

  Other things you’re really enjoying these days? 

Your baby doll.  You love her, you rock her, you pat her, you sing to her.  It’s adorable.

Food.  Any, all, as long as it’s in your mouth.

Books.  We read books a good percentage of our day every day, and you also like to read them to yourself.  Occasionally you’ll stop and laugh.  I always wonder what about the story you’re telling is so funny.

 

So, that’s a compact version of you.  You’re changing so fast and learning so much that I wanted to get some of it down before you’re completely different.  I love you so much, baby girl.  There is nothing in this world that brings me more joy than you do.  Right now, I am your best bud (as long as Nana isn’t around) and I love it.  One thing – you could grow up more slowly and I would be perfectly ok with that.  Ok?

 

Love you baby,

          Mama.