Letters to Lyla and Lottie

My sweet babe,

you are 18 months. Half way to two years old. How in the world did that happen? Part of me feels like I never knew a life before you while the other part feels like it was just yesterday that they were placing your shivering little body on my chest. As impossible as it seems, you get funnier and cuter every day! I swear...just when I think there will be nothing more to write about in these letters, you evolve in another way and leave me amazed. There are moments when your platinum blond hair shines in the sun and your blue eyes sparkle like the ocean when I think there can't simply be anything more beautiful on this earth.

This will likely be our last month before our lives change quite dramatically. I've been trying to soak up every given second with you as I know it will be harder to spend quality one on one time. I really hope that with the new changes you never feel neglected or second best. I know that's silly but I never want you to feel like you are anything less than the very most important thing in my life (you, and our sister of course). How special we feel to be giving you a little sister. I hope you feel the same way :) In the meantime, we spend all day together doing things like going to the library (and getting a coke on the way home), going swimming, playing at the park, and doing fun little play dates with two friends you've made in the ward. You have a girl and a boy friend who are both within weeks of your age. We get together about once a week to play. You love it. I love you baby. You are the very best. Now, don't you ever grow up okay?

Other adorable things about you...

I quiz your knowledge of body parts in the bath. Now when I say "where's your tummy" you show me, and then say "bum" and pat your bum because that's the next question I always ask you! SO SMART!!!

`You sign two words now, like "more water"

`You follow me everywhere and mimic me. Now, when you accompany me to the bathroom you pull off some toilet paper, pull up your shirt and "wipe" your bum. HAHAHA

`You say no to EVERYTHING!! Even when you mean yes :)

`You make the cutest dog barking sounds. You always bark on our walk or whenever you see anything resembling an animal.

`Your moooooo is pretty cute too

`You're saying more two words sentences as well. Like, "NO dad!"

`You are obsessed with Despicable me and want to watch it daily. You bring me the movie cover and remote and say "watch!"

`You have done SOOO good sleeping in your big girl bed. You shocked all of us when the first night you only woke up 2x. You still sometimes wake up and cry for a minute. All it takes is for me or dad to lay down by you for a minute and you're okay. I'm so releived since you needed to get out of mom and dad's bed! Can you beleive you NEVER spent a whole night in your crib and didn't leave your parent's bed until you were 18 months old?!

`It seems that you've been working on those molars forever! They're still slowly working their way in which will give you 8 teeth

`Like I said, you mimic. You now put your play cell phone in your "bra". HAHAHA! How cute are you!

`You have the most adorable run. You shake your butt and swing your legs side by side. It kills me

`You want to share your food with everyone around you. It's annoying :)

`Your feet sprouted in like a day! You went from a 3 to almost out of a 4 in less than a month

`You went to nursery for the first time and you absolutely loved it. You ran in there, saw the kids and toys and didn't look back. You got sad at the end I guess when moms started coming. It kinda broke my heart.

`You LOVE BBQ chips. How weird is that?

` You are so social that whenever someone comes to the door you want to go home with them. You'd go home with the fedex man if we'd let you!

`You're wearing 12-18 months clothes.

Happy 1 1/2 year b-day my dear. I love you.

Stats

weight:18 lbs 3 oz....1%

height:29 3/4 inches...5%

head: 18inches...25%