15 months

Dear Ace,

Today (well technically, yesterday) you turned 15 months old. I have a really hard time believing this. I remember the 2.5 months between the time Daddy and I started dating and the time we got married, and thinking it was the longest 2 and a half months of my life. This has, by far, been the shortest 15 months of my life. You keep getting bigger, you keep getting more handsome, and you keep amazing me.

Your favorite song right now is "If You're Happy and You Know It." At just the right time, a huge smile breaks out across your face and you clap. This is major to me, as it's the first signs of communication, give and take, back and forth. You laugh so hard when Daddy makes funny faces that your eyes are squeezed shut, and sometimes you snort. This, of course, makes me and Daddy laugh, which makes you start to fake laugh as though you just want to be in on the joke, which makes us laugh harder... it's an awesome cycle.

Your occupational therapist thinks you're on the verge of sitting up. You're starting to have more control over rolling over, and you'll stay pushed up on your elbows for a longer period of time than ever before. This is exciting - it means that all you have to start doing is pushing up on your hands and you'll be sitting.

Your physical therapist thinks you're about to start crawling on your hands and knees. You really enjoy rocking back and forth on them when you're on soft ground, all you have to do is put one hand forward and you'll be on your way.

You sleep so well - and some days, this is your saving grace. Don't kid yourself. But thank you for sleeping upwards of 12-13 hours a night, and taking 2-ish hour naps during the day. Thank you for doing it consistently. And thank you for being so amazingly adorable when I go in at night to check on you and you have your arms wrapped around your kitty and your booty up in the air. It recharges me to see you that way.

You love Cheerios, carrots, sweet potatoes, avocados (see, Angie, GREEN), ravioli, yogurt... well, you like eating most things. You're not a big fan of green beans. That's okay. I wouldn't like them either if they didn't have salt on them.

You've been... well, a bit grumpy lately. I think it's that 7th tooth coming in... maybe a growth spurt. You're enormous. We'll find out tomorrow (well, technically today) exactly how enormous.

I'm so proud of you, baby. You've come such a long way and you don't let your pesky physical limitations get in your way at all. You're still going to raise hell all over this house any way you can. I can't believe how much you've grown, how much you've persevered, and how beautiful you are. You make me happier and better than I've ever been.

Love, Mommy