18 Months

You became a little girl.

I wasn’t consulted on this, and if I had been I’m not sure I would have approved. You’re a wonderful little girl. The best little girl. But 6 months ago you just were finishing up with being a baby, and I thought I’d have more time to prepare for the next thing.

Years from now, you’ll want to know all about this part of your life. There’s change everywhere, and you’re not so hot on forming long term memories just yet so you’re counting on your mom and me to take accurate notes. We’re trying. We have a running log that Mommy tries to keep up to date with every new thing you do:

Lily gives lots of kisses now, sometimes when asked, and sometimes spontaneously! She kisses her toys, pages in books, and definitely people.

Lily loves to share things with her toys – they often to get to share her water or her snack. She also likes when we wrap them up in a blanket and rock them to sleep.

Sometimes she likes the water, sometimes she’s really hesitant about it. Mostly she likes to play with the toys on the side of the pool. Life jackets? Forget it.

You literally learn new words daily. Some of my favourites in the last week: Hospital (sounds like hoh-pitatah), aluminum (a-lem-in-nen), tilapia (dala-pala), and dirt (dut).

Your mom and I talk about you a lot. What kind of school you should attend, what kind of activities you might be interested in, what we can do to ensure we both spend as much time with you as possible. We know we can’t predict the future. We know that you’ll have your own opinions, loudly stated. We know that change is constant, and that it can sneak up on you. We do it anyhow, because the illusion of a plan gives us something to hold on to when the uncertainty gets overwhelming. I think you won’t understand this the first time you read it but, when you have kids of your own, you might.

Today you ate a mouthful of sand at the playground.

Today you refused to eat your sandwich until you dipped each torn up little piece into a blob of ketchup.

Today you lay with me on the couch and made me put on music videos and then told me which ones to skip.

Today I have something in my eye.

You became a little girl.