18 Month Day

Today is my daughter's "18th Month Day". What an exciting day! She has grown so quickly. She wakes up in the morning and says "goo money!" which is toddler-speak for "good morning". She says "BYE DAAAD" as he leaves for work and says "NO!" as soon as he closes the door behind him, realizing that he's gone for the day. She then proceeds to her Little People house and joyfully plays and humms some song, then runs over and hugs me, just because.

I can't believe the time gone. Zapped so fast. It seems like yesterday when she was in an infant car seat unable to do anything...and a few days ago she's standing up in my shower and enjoying the water falling on her, stomping around like she were outside on a rainy day.

In my 1st week of March, my husband and I went on a business trip and Grandma, my husband's mom, got to watch her for the 1st time. I'd pick no one else to watch her. Grandma LOVES to love and so does my daughter. A perfect match, and Grandma loves her to pieces. It was my 1st time leaving my baby. I cried, and spent many days with a lumpy throat and glassy eyes. She had just learned to say the letter "Y". We don't know why, but that letter stood out in her head over all other letters. I showed Grandma what I do in my daily schedule, and took a deep breath before walking out the door. It was easier to an extent since our flight was so early in the morning, that I'd leave in the middle of the night without having my girl see me leave. Didn't help me, though. "She just learned the letter "Y"' I thought to myself on the plane. I remenisced how she pointed to any sign that had the letter "Y" when we'd go to the grocery store together. I remember sighing and trying to swallow my motherly tears. I just loved being a mother, and most of all, HER mother. I made sure to call as much as I could to see how my darling little nutball was doing. A few days in our trip I was on the phone talking to Grandma to see how my baby girl was doing. Just then my husband, who was going through our suitcase, stood up and had a look of surprise and delight on his face. He held up a small lime green magnet. It was the letter "Y". I started to cry and laugh at the same time. How great that THAT letter of all letters happened to come along on the trip with us! I told Grandma about it as I was wiping the tears from my face and holding the letter in my hands. Grandma then said "You know what else? I've been singing the alphabet song and your daughter cuts me off when I get to "X" and says "Y"...". She then said "so I'd sing, Q-R-S-T-U-V...W-X..then little girl screams out "Y!" and I'd finish with "and Z"." Wow. I was amazed. What's even more amazing is that with taxes due in a short while, the economy stinking, politicians out of control and real estate being in the worst condition, I have actually found sheer delight and content in a topic that remarkably involves a toddler and the wonderful letter "Y".



Today my daughter is 18 months old. "Happy 18-month-day!" I said to her and kissed the heck out of her. A thousand kisses doesn't even scratch the surface of how much I want to kiss her. I celebrate each month because of something my husband once said to me about Christmas: "Every day is Christmas". He's right. Everyday is Christmas with my daughter. Every month that passes tells me that it's another month she has grown and experienced life with me and the man I love.

I bought her a little cupcake to enjoy and she gave me a hug followed by a loving "awwwwwww". I love celebrating every month with her. I know one day it won't matter to her, and we'll just be celebrating every year...but when I look back, I'll be glad that we had these days. Happy 18-Month Day, babygirl.