Double Joy

Dear Lily Kate,

Sweetest baby girl. Right now you are fourteen months, the adorable stage where you transform overnight from a baby to a toddler. From the time I wake you up in the morning to the time I put you down, you are smiling, rosy cheeked and jibber jabbering away.

You are perfectly fluffy and look so darn cute weeble wobbling around the house, always carrying something. Blankets and stuffed animals are your favorite and you lay down on everything that looks soft and cuddly (pillows, rugs, blankets, dolls, and mostly Maya). Cuddly stuff and loud stuff. You have a little green music playing radio you just love right now, and dance all around the house carrying it with you.

When Cooper is playing, you want to play too. You sneak in to take his toys and hope he doesn't notice, running away with the evidence and putting it in your mouth as fast as possible before Cooper can take it away. When he gets mad and yells, you come running to me arms reaching in the air crying "mama". I can't help but giggle. You grab me so tight I can't hardly pry you off sometimes!

Now that spring has come, you want to be outside all the time. You stand at the glass door, hands pushing in hopes it will open. And now that you have your first pair of hard soled shoes, you won't let me take them off you and bring them to me as soon as you see them. I have to hide them at times...

You love to tease me while I make dinner. You sneak over to the stairs, climb up one, and when I peek out and say "no no no", you smile all huge and sit down on the step and swing your chubby legs up and down. Over and over. Every so often you'll come in and push a song on the magnet on the fridge and look at me expecting a dance. I twirl around and you copy me delighted. Pleasing you is the easiest thing in the world and that pleases me immensely.

At bedtime, you used to throw books when I would try to read to you. Now you reach ecstatically for them and won't let me put them away! Pointing away making the cutest mumbles as you try to talk and suck on your bottle at the same time. And oh how you love your bed. Just this morning you cried when I picked you up out of it. I put you back down and you giggled in delight and nuzzled your blankets closing your eyes. Yes, a girl after my own heart. We adore sleep. And I adore you little Lily bean.

XOXO Mama