Lucy at 15 Months

Dear Lucy,

15 months old! You continue to be curious, fun, dramatic, expressive, impatient, beautiful, cuddly, and tenacious. I wish I could mentally freeze moments in time so I could grab pen to paper to note certain little quirks I notice daily. Your daycare teachers consider you independent but good at playing with others.

You are officially down to one nap a day, but often wake too early in the morning. This results in you being very crabby in the morning, but we're working on it. Our bedtime routine is pretty simple -- we bathe you starting around 6:45. From there, it's pajamas and the last cup of milk. You either get a second wind of fun energy or you get really whiny and squirmy. When that time comes, I ask "Do you want to night nights?" If you collapse on to my shoulder, that's your "yes!" Daddy and I take you to your room and put you down. You flop to your belly, nuzzle up to the blanket and put your butt in the air.

Speaking of milk, um, you're addicted. You were drinking more than the recommended maximum, so I had to come up with ways to cut down. If you had your way, you'd do nothing but drink milk all day long. So now I try to distract you with snacks, get you new fun sippy cups for water, add ice to your water, and put water IN with your milk. ::sigh::. In other health news, your eczema has flared up a lot the past month. :(

Speaking of addictions and causes of mommy guilt -- you're also infatuated with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. You can be in the grouchiest mood ever and a switch flips when you see Mickey walk over that hill to greet you.

You say hi and bye and wave most of the time. I've been told you keep everyone laughing all day at school and that you're pretty well-known throughout the center. I'm beginning to think you have a bigger-than-life personality. You definitely light up a room, which is fitting as the name Lucy means "light."

As much as the toddler stage is scary and infuriating, I manage to love you more with each passing day. What IS that? I can't get enough of you. I want to cuddle and kiss you all day long. And you're a bit of a cuddler, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE. You're usually content to snuggle with me on the couch while you watch Mickey. Every day, you surprise me with a new trick or a new expression. My heart bursts by the minute each time I glance at you. You're my world, Lu!!