18 months old...

You are 18 months old now. Can you get any cuter? This is by far my favorite age. I don't really enjoy being pregnant and I don't completely enjoy the newborn stage (except the smell of new fuzzy heads). I really like the walking, talking toddler.

You say all kinds of words and phrases now. You new one is calling your sister Ellie "princess" and you the "knight-knight". You do this as you carry a big stick around, slaying all the dragons. Your favorite beverage is tea and must have some before taking a nap.

How many times have I caught you jumping from one piece of furniture to the other - almost giving me a heart attack in the process. You carry your little red chair around so you can get up on things. You now know how to say all of your sisters names and they melt and do whatever you want when they hear it.

Ellie is a great playmate to you now and you pretty much do what she directs - except you won't put the dolls in the stroller and push it around. In your world, strollers are for trucks and balls.

You won't go to bed without knowing tiger is right there. Even if you are half asleep when we lay you down you will reach a chubby little hand up and say Tiger. Then you request your crochet blanket.

Tiger has seen better days. We purchased him right before you were born. We gave your sisters each their own stuffed animals when they were born but none of them cared. You care. Look at Tiger now. Most of his whiskers have fallen off, he looks mangy and sits lopsided. He also stinks with the smell only you can love. It is hard to find a time to wash him because I don't dare not have him ready for your naptime.


You are about to become the only boy in our family with the discovery that we are having a girl. How will you handle I wonder? Everyone says they feel sorry for you. They don't see your life here. You are so loved and cared for that I can't imagine you feel anything but happiness. How can you feel deprived with 4 sisters willing to do whatever you want?

I wish I could keep you at this age but I am looking forward to watching you grow to be a young man. Already you are quite the gentleman. The other day you wouldn't get in your chair to eat breakfast until you had grabbed a sister, pulled her chair out, made her sit and then tried to push her chair back in. We have no clue where you picked that up from but it brought tears to my eyes.

I love you Grae.