18 months

Wow. You probably know I’m about to go on and on about how quickly time has passed. Well, it has! I CANNOT believe my baby is 18 months. I cannot believe she’ll be TWO (!!!!!!!) before I can blink. I cannot believe she is OFF the charts for height, and holding her on in weight. Everyone tells me she is tall, but she’s mine so I don’t realize it. Well, I got the stats today. Her doctor was shocked- yeah tell me about it… I carry her big ol’ self around. Sadly, I’m not in better shape.
I want so badly to freeze time. I want so badly and I try SO hard to soak in EVERY second, but it’s SO exciting to watch her grow. It’s so exciting to hit milestones and just praise our Father that she is so healthy (in all senses of the word)… and thriving… and flourishing and….well…just growing like a darn weed. It’s unreal. Babies are truly a miracle and it’s amazing to sit and watch them- be it an hour or over the course from womb to 18 months. Evie, bless her heart, is clumsy like her dear ol’ mother I’m afraid. However, she isn’t afraid of anything and thinks she can scale any height. So, she doesn’t let her clumsiness deter her-unfortunately. Her hand-eye coordination is fine, but really, in my mind, I equate this to sports because that’s all I ever heard growing up… So, with that said, she wants so badly to dribble her ball-we’re getting there. She throws balls both left and right handed- a switch-hitter, perhaps? Her vocabulary, while not crystal clear, is definitely growing. She said “buff-wy” (‘butterfly’ for all you who don’t excel in one year old jargon) to her doc today. We read a book about a “buffwy” and I didn’t think much of it, but her doc was proud and, of course, my heart then swelled with pride. She adds to her vocabulary daily-we won’t mention what her dear ol’ dad has taught her to say- and it’s fun to listen, but not so much fun to try and decipher in the midst of a battle.

I’ve finally hit the point where I see the inevitable change into toddlerhood. I’ve (you’ll find this shocking, I’m sure) ignored this for some time. At church she’s in the “toddler” room. Last August I saw “toddler” on her door at school and I cried. I’ve been known to cling to words that keep her my “baby,” but she’s doing things that indeed sway more “toddler” than “infant.” However, it’s been fun….. Yes, it has been fun. AND… I realize, it’s a blessing. This transition from sweet baby breath to stinky “wake up from a nap” breath is all a big blessing. Eczema one day to Hand, Foot and Mouth (again) the next… it’s all good. She keeps us in stitches (with the words her dad taught her… I’ll spare you)….. 18 months later, I still can’t believe she’s ALL mine…ehh…ours.