Letters to Littles

Dear Aria,

You are 18 months old today. I can't even believe it. The days pass slowly, but time is flying. (That will only make sense to you when you are older, don't worry.)

You are transforming from a sweet little baby into a (dare I say) sassy little toddler. Oh my, do you have some sass! There is still a lot of sweetness there though, thank goodness. You are still very different from your brother in that you love to just sit and cuddle. You get your little thumb in your mouth and just lay your head on my shoulder. I love it.

I'm amazed at the things you can understand. Full on sentences that you seem to completely grasp. Like, "No, no Aria, you need to have the insert in your little potty before you sit on it." You get up, I put the insert on the potty and you sit back down. It's amazing. Speaking of the potty, we are only dabbling. I have no expectations or hopes that you will have it down before baby #3 gets here. For some reason, I'm totally okay with that. You seem to really enjoy sitting on it and making pssss sounds right back at me.

We are working on obedience. Sometimes you obey completely and right away, but sometimes you test the waters. You look back with this glint in your eye as if to say, "Make me." Oh dear, my little one, I'm praying that God will give me a diligent heart in this area. I usually don't have to spank hard, I think you are pretty sensitive right now, much more than your big brother was. It's just that when you get upset, there is no going back. It's usually the end of the world. That's often when I put you in your crib for a few minutes so I don't lose my mind. I come back and you are nice and composed as if nothing has happened. I'm so thankful for short toddler memories.

You are unafraid. Ladders, slides, heights, water, you're definitely keeping me on my toes. You are busy busy busy. I have to make sure things don't get too quiet, otherwise, you're getting into something.

Your favorite book is Mister Brown Can Moo by Dr Seuss. You are starting to repeat words and sounds. Most words either sound like "Mimi" or "Dada" your please sounds like "eeeese!" And thank you sounds like "Dah Doo!"

Best of all, you love your daddy. He is the one who hung the moon in your little world. You obey him much better than you obey mommy. You sit still while he reads to you, you love to show him your new outfit or shoes. He loves you too. He holds your hands so you can go down the stairs, he spins you in his desk chair, he is tender and sweet with you. This is precious to me.

I love you my little sweet girl. You make life more challenging, but you make me better for it. You are a gem, a precious gift.

Mama