Letter to Davis 18 Months

My Dear Sweet Funny Man,

I can not believe you are already 18 months.  You are no longer a baby and it is breaking my heart!  I have moments in the day when I look down at you and catch myself feeling heart aches, because I know that these tender toddler moments that I am witnessing are going to pass by so quickly.  It is as if I am longing for the present.  I am so lucky to get so many sweet moments with you throughout the day.  My favorite ritual I have with you right now is eating snacks on the front steps after nap time.  You sit your chubby legs next to mine and we eat off of the same plate.  It is one of the rare moments where you actually sit still and I can talk to you.

That being said, not everything is peachy.  You are a BOY and you are always full of adventure, surprises, and mischief.  The other day I caught you holding Teddy at knife point.  I made the mistake of leaving the dishwasher open and the next thing I know you are holding a knife to Teddy's neck.  Ted was looking at me with a lot of anxiety in his eyes.

Teddy is your best friend.  You are constantly wrestling him, poking him, riding him like a horse, and kissing him.  Sometimes I have to separate you two, because you guys are naughty together (eating all of the food in that pantry, making a mess of the toys, you like to feed him your dinner, etc).  I'm glad that you are growing up with a dog.

You are starting to talk.  You can say "Mama, Mom, Dada, Papa, Momo, Teddy, Hot, Bye, and Truck."  You were slow to walk.  You didn't walk until about 16 months, but once you started… oh boy!… It was at full speed.  You are all over the place and very active and independent.  You climb all over playgrounds by yourself, you run down the street, and you love playing in your Cozy Coupe.

You are a little dare devil.  You love all of the rides at Lagoon, you love the watersides at Cherry Hill, you love riding in Miles' Dune Racer, going down any steep slide by yourself, and anything else that is fast and thrilling.

I love being your mom and every day I marvel at how cute you are and how lucky I am.  I started my Master's Program at Weber State, so it has been difficult juggling motherhood, work and an MBA.  You are my priority, but I feel like working and going to school helps me enjoy my time with you.

Things I don't want to forget about you right now:  your soft skin and chubby thighs (I love holding you and squeezing you), your excited reaction and squeal when you see Maeve, Bea, and Miles, when we hike together you always reach around and grab my nose and honk it, your jibber jabber and the sound of you yelling "aye, aye, aye, aye, aye", I hope I never forget the feeling of your after nap cuddles when you throw your warm little body on my and rest your head on my shoulder.

I love you with all of my heart and hope that you will always know that.

Love,

Mom.