March 2012: 18 months

Dear Patrick,

We are the proud parents of a year and a half year old, as of today!  Wow.

• You say (or rather repeat, my little parrot,) everything we say.  Everything.  And you know words for things I don’t even remember teaching you! For example, the other day you pointed to a rock and said “moss.”  And there was indeed moss on that rock!  How did you know that word?
• You spent five days at the beach with your grandparents (BB/Grammie) and your GREAT grandparents (Papa/Nannie) and your Aunt Su-Su, and you had a wonderful time.  They said you didn't cry once.  Of course, they also gave you everything your heart desired.
• We pulled out the humidifier and had the doctor prescribe allergy medicine for you this month.  Spring came early and has covered your world in yellow pollen dust.  So, you’ve been waking up in the middle of the night because you can’t breathe through a stuffy nose.  It hurts my heart.
• You have now started saying words in the middle of the sentences that you hear - not just the last word.  “Do you want to go to the park?” we might ask, and you’ll repeat the word “want” or “go,” in addition to saying “park.”  It’s like we can actually watch your little brain work to remember all the parts of the sentence.  It’s fascinating.
• Your doctor thinks you should stop drinking from bottles this month. Personally, I wouldn’t care if you took your bottle to college, but I respect the doctor’s advice.  So at the end of the month, we have moved to a sippy cup and the transition is going fine.  A little crying and thrashing around in your crib but you get over it and are asleep within ten minutes.
• Pop came to visit you in the middle of the month and after he left, you thought you saw Pop everywhere.  “Pop!” you shouted at the butcher.  “Pop!” you say as you point to strangers on the street.  (We’ve got to get Pop back here again soon.)   
• Your toenails are crazy.  I’ll never get over it.  Even on the day you were born, you were this little perfect nugget with crazy, crooked toenails.  
• You love to draw (“write,” you say) with pens and markers. And I know its only a matter of time before the house is your canvas, but for now you’ve kept your masterpieces on paper.
• At your 18 month check-up, you were 90% height and 40% weight.  When the nurse walked in the room you said, "heeeey" and waved.  However, when the doctor walked in you started to cry and said "nooooo...." It was sweet and pitiful.
• Your father and I are planning to travel to Macon to celebrate Omi’s retirement the last weekend of the month, so you will be with Grammie and BB.  My guess is that you will eat your weight in Reese's pieces and acquire a few more toys this weekend.  Oh, its good to be 1.5!

Love always,
Mom