18 Months

Dear Daniel,
Today is your 18 month birthday.  18 months!  For some reason this, your 1 1/2 birthday, is monumental.  It's the time that my friends said would be the most fun.  The time before "they" say that you're going to turn into a little 2 year old toddler nightmare (not MY baby!).  The time that you're still kind of a baby but I can feel that slipping away every single day as you become more and more of a toddler.

Keeping up with the blog has proven to be difficult recently and since this is my diary to you, it makes me sad that I haven't been able to log my thoughts and your stories more frequently.  I can say that it's one of my New Year's resolutions but that would just be plain silly!

What I can do is tell you what you're up to right now.  This divine, special, split-second-long chapter will change every day, so I'll try to include it all:

1.  You are still one of the sweetest boys imaginable (this is not just an "I'm your mom, so I think so", this is a truth that people tell us all the time.  You love to hug and kiss.  You cuddle (for only a few minutes, but still!), you say "baby" in a much higher and sweeter voice than you say any other word.  You don't hit.  You love to share. (both of the previous sentences could easily end with "Yet").

2.  You are still pensive, like you were as a baby.  I love this about you because I can see your brain working and growing every time you look at a project and think about it  before you dig into it.  Every time you flip a toy over to see if you can take it apart and every time you squat in front of the cat and try to communicate with him before trying to touch him.
3.  You lay in your crib and sing to yourself and then you clap at the end of your song.
4.  Your babbling is nothing short of RIDICULOUSLY amazing and constantly keeps me laughing.
5.  You still don't say a ton of words, but the ones you are into these days are:
Baby (you say it in 3 syllables, "ba-beee-beee")
Mama (and now you're finally talking to me and not just needing something)
Dada and Daddy
Kitty
Uh-Oh
Peeesh (please)
Doggy
Up (I haven't heard you say this, but you apparently do)
The following animal sounds:  Mooo (cow), Uff Uff (dog), Snnnn (snake), Cack Cack (duck), Tsss Tsss while shaking your finger (this is what you say for Monkey because of the book "Caps for Sale" which is one of you favorites), Hi Kitty (for Kitty.. no joke).
Bus
Uckch (Truck.  This is our favorite)
Yay! (after clapping)
6.  You are a fabulous sleeper.  You sleep from about 7:30 to 7 and you take one nap from 1-3 (or later) every day.  We love you for this.
7.  Your favorite books are "Everywhere Babies", "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel", "Caps for Sale", and "The Very Hungry Catepillar"
8.  You run to me and throw your arms around me and hug me tight before kissing me.  Oh my lord, there is nothing better.
9.  You still like to play with my hair like you did when you were nursing.
10.  You love to dance and have made some new dance moves over the last few months that are particularly groovy
11.  Music calms you down and you love it when we sing big musical-type songs to you (you often applaud us when the song is over)
12.  You have a lot of teeth now and they are sharp. 
13.  You love the snow which makes me hopeful that you will snowboard with me in a few years.
14.  You are randomly enjoying spicy foods.  On Christmas, you were loving super spicy Hot & Sour soup in Chinatown

15.  You love to wash your hair (and your tummy, tushy, hands, etc).  Here you are at the Liberty Science Center washing your hair at a bubble exhibit.  Nice.

16.  You are happy and loving and curious about life.  You are an angel.  You are my best buddy.  You have changed me and made me better in ways that I'll never quite be able to explain.

Happy birthday, Daniel Bing.