15 Months Old

Dear Madeline and Savannah,

It has come to my attention (by me) that it has been a while since I've written you a letter. Your 15 month birthday is the perfect time to catch up on that.  Girls, you are growing up too fast. I need desperately to find a formula for slowing down time.  I am amazed and in awe of the fact that we have been together for almost the same amount of time now that your daddy and I lived in Michigan.  Where does the time go?

Worship with the two of you is becoming more and more fun each evening! Once you finish dinner, you play a little in the living room, and then, just like clockwork, you'll climb up into your rocking chairs in anticipation of daddy's guitar.  And sure enough, daddy will go get his guitar and your little eyes just light up!!  That's when we just sing songs to Jesus and you "play" your little shaker instruments! So fun to see you find a fun love for Jesus.

Savannah, you are now pointing to your toes and your nose whenever I ask where they are!  And I am positive, I mean really positive, that when I ask you "Do you want to....?" anything starting with "do you..?" you say back to me "I do?"  "I do?" and then I'll say "yeah?" and you'll say "Yeah?"  We have conversations, you and I, and it is simply adorable.  Ever since you were able to start babbling, you have been practicing your consonants and now I swear you are using them in sentences back to me!  Still babbles...but starting to make sense!!

You are so mischievous in the cutest way!  Just this morning it was time for breakfast and you were sitting on the other end of the kitchen with the biggest smile on your face.  I got Madeline in her high chair, and when I turned for you, you immediately turned like you were gonna run off!  I looked at you, and you just laughed!!!! So I finally turned and started running towards you and you just LAUGHED and turned and tried as fast as you could to make your getaway!  I grabbed you and you and I laughed all the way to the high chair!! What a SWEET sense of humor you have.

You love macaroni and cheese.  LOVE it.  You will do so-so through the first part of your meal, and I always save the mac and cheese for last, hoping that you will eat lots of the "other stuff" before we get to the mac.  But once it comes, you can't eat it fast enough!  Watching your sweet little eyes light up when it's sat down on your tray is cute beyond words. As for the nursing part, at 15 months, you are almost completely weaned from your momma.  Our early morning time together is still a habit with you - ok, with us both.  I could go grab some milk in a sippy and give that to you instead, but I'm still holding on to these last moments I'll have with you as a baby.  Those moments will be gone soon..very, very soon, and it makes me a little bit sad.  But, I am so proud of what a good eater you are and how you no longer need your momma to grow.

Madeline, you are completely walking everywhere now.  Ever since I first caught you doing walking laps in your crib a couple of months ago, you have been intent on walking.  Now, your wobbly little legs will slowly move from one side of the room to the other, and on into the next room.  You will buzz right by your sister as she sits on the floor, content as anything, just reading one of her books.  She sometimes stops and watches you and just smiles, then goes back to her book reading, and sometimes she gets up and walks along with you, but it's just not her thing right now...it's all yours.

You were at church a couple of weeks ago with Karey and when you were completely curious about what everyone was doing when they were kneeling down and closing their eyes, Karey told you "they are praying to Jesus!" and you immediately folded your hands and put your head down and just smiled!! What an AWESOME story to hear someone tell me about you!! I love knowing that you and your sister are beginning to understand what prayer is...that it is a time we talk to Jesus!  You have started saying new "words", but here's the thing.  You and your sister literally have your own language.  I know this because I watch you "talk" to each other, and I hear you "talking" to each other over the baby monitor.  Will you please start talking in momma's language next?  That would be great, but, I must say, in the meantime I am thoroughly enjoying the talking going on between you and your sis.  It is utterly precious.

Madeline, you have always been my girl who will eat ANYTHING, but lately, you have gotten picky on me.  Maybe it's thanks to the teeth that have been coming in, or thanks to the illness that struck you and your sister recently, but you aren't eating some of the foods you used to love.  However, just like your sis, WOW do you like mac & cheese!!! I am so in trouble with you two. You are also down to just one sweet nursing time in the morning....there are some mornings that you will sleep all the way until 8:30! Yeah! But, I still let you nurse first thing....I will work on letting that go, but I think you like that bonding time with mommy just as much as I do. 

Girls, you are the sparkle in my eye.  I can literally watch you both for hours...I love watching you explore your world together, laugh and smile and giggle at just about everything, and learn.  Oh I love to watch you learn.  You both are so determined in each of your own ways...your personalities are shining through with distinction that makes me love both of you even more with each passing day.  Keep bringing smiles to your faces, and keep Jesus in your hearts.  I love you both.

Love,

Mommy