Half Birthday – Bon Appetit Hon

Dear Libby, I took this picture of you today. Somehow, in this moment you aren’t my 18 month old. No, in this moment I see the big girl you will become peeking out at me. And it makes me all melty inside because it happens so quickly.

I swear it was just yesterday you were this wee crying baby that we brought home. And now you say actual words like cat, night night, elmo, more, and up. You don’t just walk, you run…even when there isn’t enough room for you to, you run at full speed. I’ve watched you mimic with your dolls the things your Dad and I do with you…you give them medicine, you feed them, you show them books, and you hug and kiss on them. Watching you be the momma taking care of your dolls reminds me that you don’t miss a trick and I need to be mindful that your eyes are always on me.

You won’t remember these days. So I want you to know that even from the time you were just getting to know the world, you found joy in it, sometimes in the most unlikely places. Whether it’s turning any request into a game of catch me, providing the sound effects when we read that all the hippos go bezerk, or discovering that momma’s black loafers and old watch are the perfect accessories, you embrace where you are. I hope you will always hold on to that trait.

I also want you to know how you got that the tiny scar by your right eye. By the time you grow up it will probably be hardly noticeable, but I will always know it’s there. And so before that particular detail gets lost to me….you had a real knack for knocking into the coffee table. Usually it just resulted in a bump or bruise. But this one time you hit the corner just right and got a cut that turned into your very first scar. I know you can’t even see it in this picture, but I promise you it’s there. I also know it won’t be the only hurt you will ever experience but I hope that the others that are sure to come will fade in time as well.

Happy half birthday to you dear Libby. I love you to pieces.

Happy Half Birthday precious girl. You have amazed me over the last 180 days with your growth and development. You’ve gone from being a cuddly bundle of newborn-ness, completely unaware of the ways of this world to becoming this tiny person who has a big personality and is beginning to tap into the power you wield. I am in awe of the fact that within moments of waking up each and every day, you BURST into smiles. Once the sleep has worked itself out of your hazelish eyes, you are on…singing, jabbering, flailing your arms and legs, just itching to launch yourself out of my arms and across the room. It is only a matter of time before you figure out that if you synchronize the arms and legs you will be mobile.

As much as you smile, it’s no wonder that you have the sunniest disposition imaginable. You seem to be happy whatever and wherever; you charm everyone you meet with your easygoing nature. I love that you sit back and take everything in. You’re an observer. But you’re also the ring leader. At daycare, you’re the one showing the other children how to scoot around, stealing the socks off their feet, and deciding that napping is optional.

There are many milestones yet to come….if your increased fussiness is any indication, you should be cutting teeth soon; before I’m ready for it you will be crawling and walking; and soon enough you will recognize that those noises and sounds that come out of your mouth have meaning and power.

But I’m in no hurry for those things to happen. I am enjoying the moments as they come. Whether it is watching you make a glorious mess of yourself and your highchair as you discover solid food, trying to comfort you during these days when all you know is that your mouth hurts, or listening to you unleash a rare belly laugh when your dad manages to uncover one in your cheeks or behind your ear or under your arm…I keep telling myself to commit these moments to memory because they will be gone before I know it.

Six months from now we will be celebrating your first birthday. And there will be cake and presents and family and friends. And I will revel in every second of that experience. But these half birthdays, they are my special opportunity to celebrate all that you are.