Miller is 18 months old!

Dear Miller,

You're one and a half, Little Man! Holy moley! I'm not sure how this has managed to happen but it has, so let's deal.

These days you have one strong personality. You are stubborn like a mule and your main means of communicating is "the slap." You don't want to eat? You slap the food. You don't want to drink? You slap the cup. You don't like Emmylou in your face? You slap her. Have you noticed yet that she slaps back?!

I'm reminding myself daily that this is just a phase and I'm begging you here to please make it quick. I know you're really frustrated because you don't have the words you need to talk so I'm hoping they're right around the corner. It seems like just this past week you've started talking a lot more, spouting out more sentence-like speech which is completely unintelligible but really cute. Most of it has to do with "choo choos," I think. "Choo-choos" are your favorite thing at the moment followed by cars or anything with wheels. Good thing we're on Mopac daily because we are constantly seeing choo-choos up and down the track. You get SO excited.

You're still pretty stingy with your kisses (you'd rather be tossed around on the bed and tickled or rough-housed) but you're even more cuddly and hug-able now than ever. You were never one to sleep much on my chest or snuggle a lot but that seems to be changing. I love it.

When Emmylou isn't practicing her Ultimate Fighting Champion moves on you, you guys actually get along pretty well. I'm always a little surprised at how happy you seem when she appears and she takes a lot of pride in making you happy when you're sad or mad. It doesn't take much coercing for her to share a snack or toy with you and lately she's been asking me to have another baby so she must like you pretty well. (Not a chance.)

You are both a whirlwind of energy and a careful observer. You love to run and climb and you think you can go down staircases all by yourself (yes, you slap my hand if I try to help you!). But you also love to really look at toys and you seem to already be trying to figure out how they work.

Even though you're turning 18 months today, I just took you to the pediatrician for your 15 month check up (yes, I'm way late) a couple of weeks ago. You were in the 75th-90th percentile for your height and 25th-50th percentile for your weight. Even though I think you're pretty skinny, the doctor says it's okay to give you a little tough love with your picky eating. No more days of eating nothing but graham crackers and yogurt! We're going to work on that a lot this month. Please don't waste away to nothing.

And please stop hitting me and everything in sight.

I love you, Miller-Boo!!

xoxoxoxo,
Mommy