Addison Sophia: 15 Months

Dear Addie::

Here we are back here. 15 months. Wow! That is hard to believe sometimes. You are growing so fast. It seems that every time I look at you, you have grown taller, changed again. I look back at your earlier pictures and I see all your features just as they are now, but instead of looking like a baby you look like a toddler. You look so much older. With every passing day - with every day that you look older - you are also changing. Your personality is getting stronger and more defined.

I don't know where to even begin. You have been doing so much. You have such an amazing little personality. You laugh when you think something is funny. You make faces. You get upset, especially when you get in trouble or want something you can't have. One of the cutest things is when we read you Oh, the Places You'll Go. There are parts of the book that you giggle at every time. You even giggle when you are flipping through the book on your own. And that doesn't just apply to that book, but just about anything. When things are funny, things are funny and you giggle. It's pretty adorable.

You had a great Christmas. We were gone for five days which was the longest we have ever been gone, so we were a little worried about how you would do but of course you did amazing. You didn't mind the long drives, especially since we got you a portable DVD player so you can watch movies to whittle away the time. We were also worried about you sleeping in the port-a-crib, but again you did pretty well considering. By the end of our visits, you were starting to warm up and let a few people hold you. That was very big of you. Which I should mention, you still aren't big on doing that in general. You are such mama's girl, except when daddy is around. You get pretty excited about daddy whenever he walks in the door. There is nothing like playing with daddy.

Your biggest new thing is definitely climbing up stairs. A couple days after Christmas, after being gone for five days, we get home and were messing around the house. You were with your dad in the family room and I was in the kitchen. I hear your dad say my name, I turn around and see you halfway up the stairs. You had never gone up more tan one step before, but you crawled all the way like you had been doing it for months, never stumbling or struggling. The downside is that you can't go back down, which makes me nervous. Luckily, you are pretty good about just waiting at the top of the stairs and not trying, but it still makes me nervous. Your dad and I think it's a little funny that you can climb up the stairs before you can even walk.

You have been big on testing your boundaries lately. If I scold you about something you aren't supposed to be doing or if I take something away that you can't have, then you get upset and start scream-crying. You have been trying to use your emotions to get what you want. Of course it doesn't work, but that doesn't mean you don't try. Sorry, kid, but I don't give in so easily. I know it's just a phase and you are just testing me and testing to see what you can get away with. Along with that is your new-found love of throwing things on the floor and having us get things for you. Oh the joys of being a 15 month old. It's the little things in life that delight you.

One of the best things about the stage we are at is that we are down to one nap, which means you are tired when we get to nap time and you go down without a fuss. I love it. You have been sleeping 2-3 hours in the afternoon and I'm definitely not going to complain about that. It's the same for bedtime. We haven't quite been so fond of you getting up for two hours or so in the middle of the night ready to play. It's not every night, but it's more often than we would like. On the plus side, you have been sleeping until 9 am, so I'm loving that

You are amazing little girl. You have clear likes and dislikes. You are happy. You love playing. You love your daddy. You are smart. You are on the verge of walking - I would swear by that. You are just forever changing. You love Stella Cat - you say "hi cat" every day to her. I love you my sweet girl. I love the cuddles, the hugs (you are a great hugger), the happiness you bring to our lives. Just keep being you. I love you so much.

Love, Mama