Happy 18 Month Birthday!

Nature girl
Originally uploaded by kristn1284

September 18, 2008

My Dearest Annabelle,

Happy 18 month Birthday! I hope you enjoy it; this is the last half birthday you get. Sorry to break the news, but after you hit 2 you only get 1 birthday a year, it is just part of growing up. But this birthday – your 18 month, year and a half birthday is just so amazing I am finding it hard to put into words. You are a dynamo!! So much has changed since your 1 year letter, in 6 short months you have grown up, and this breaks my heart while it makes me so very proud. Just last night Daddy checked on you as you slept, he reported back that you were so big stretched out in your crib, I could tell he was fighting back tears thinking of 15 short months ago telling me the bed was too big for you.

You are walking – more than walking, running! You announce “Chase Chase” and take off running, your blond curls bouncing as you go. Sometimes you slow down a bit to let us catch you so we can give you a million kisses, which makes you squeal before you take off again. This is the most fun thing ever.

You talk a blue streak! It is amazing to everyone how clear your speech is and how much you say. You are a little parrot that repeats everything. Even the doctor told us yesterday how advanced your speech and memory skills are for your age. You know your colors, count to 12 and can repeat the ABC’s. You are so proud of your skills and clap whenever you finish. Sometimes your Dad, Nana & I just look at each other in amazement at the things that come out of your mouth. My favorite is always “Love you Mum Mum” or “Hug Mum Mum”. Those expressions melt my heart every time.

A big change coming into our lives before your next birthday is the arrival of your little brother. After being told we would never have children, having 2 in 2 years awes your Dad & I at our extreme blessings. There is no way we could have ever imagined having a second baby if you had not been the sweetest, most loveable joy we have ever known. You have enriched our lives more than we ever could have imagined, and for that I thank you. Sometimes I am taken back by the sheer strength of the love I feel; you make me so very happy and grateful every day. Appreciation for the good things in life is one quality I hope to instill in you as you grow, as you have shown me this enlightenment changes your entire outlook on the world and makes it a wonderful place to be.

Happy Year and a Half Birthday my wonderful sweetheart. Know how very much you are loved by so many, not just your Dad & I but your Nana, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, God Parents, and even friends. The sunshine that radiates from you is reflected right back through the eyes of all these people. You are and continue to be the greatest blessing I have ever known.

With all my love,

Mum Mum