She Says… 18 Months

Owen,

Since you were born, time seems to work in mysterious ways. It feels like just yesterday I was breathing slowly and clutching my belly as the contractions washed over me and your little body told mine that it was time for you to come out. But, at the same time, I feel like I have lived a hundred lifetimes since then, as sometimes moments with you, staring into your beautiful blue eyes or dancing around the kitchen together, can feel like they stretch on for days and days. It was only 18 months ago, but so. much. has. happened. since. then.

You went from smooshy, floppy newborn to stable sitter to adventurous crawler to full-speed-ahead walker to wild runner to fearless climber. And I do mean fearless! You are confident and silly and will do anything for a laugh. You thrive on being the center of attention and have already mastered the art of deliciously reeling your audience in. Daddy and I already know how hilarious you are, but it has been so fun watching other people get hooked on you as well. You are a charmer, buddy. Use that power wisely as you grow.

You went from scratchy newborn cries to making tentative sounds to gibberish to words. Real! Words! Now those words are a constant string of the thoughts flying through your brain. This morning, from the second you woke up it was, “Doggie! Hi, doggie. Car? BUS! Open. Moon. Hi, moon. Morning, Mommy. Diaper. Roll it! Milk. MILK!” and on and on. Every day your vocabulary expands and you surprise me with some connection that your mind has made. You amaze me.

You, my little chatterbox, are an incredible communicator. You use words and sign language and gestures and pure, unadulterated emotion to get your point across. Oh, you are a master of emotion. You do not hold back when it comes to smiles and laughs. You throw your head back and laugh so hard that sometimes I worry you might just stop breathing. Confession: You make me feel like the funniest person in the world. I’m not. But I am to you. It goes the other way too — when something happens that makes you sad, your whole face opens up in the most beautiful pout. Hot tears spill over your cheeks and you are consumed by that one emotion. Luckily a quick cuddle from me can usually dry those tears in an instant. I hope that is always the case, though I know it will not always be that easy. Still, when your heart is broken, I’ll be here to try to dry those tears too.

You mirror emotions in others too. As a baby, you were always a “social crier”. When other babies at daycare cried, you would cry too. Now when you hear a baby crying, you freeze and get a very worried look on your face and say, “Baby!” anxiously. When I read sad parts of books (like when Corduroy gets left at the laundromat), your eyebrows knit together thoughtfully and sometimes you whimper or whine. A page later you are raising your arms and shouting “Hooray!” when he is found. I hope you are always so honest and free with your emotions as you are right now. Wearing your heart on your sleeve is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a beautiful thing.

Always keep that remarkable ability to feel other peoples’ emotions. Care. It’s hard to see things from someone else’s perspective sometimes, but it helps. I promise.

My wonderful boy, I can’t even explain how much fun we have when we’re together. When you are older, I hope you look back and feel the same way. And, someday, I hope you feel the same happiness in your life as I do right now.

I love you. Always.
Mommy