I started this post over a month ago.  Well, maybe that is an exaggeration; I really just put a title down as a place holder.  But now that I’m finally feeling up to sitting at the computer to write this post in honor of your 18 months on this earth, you two are actually 19 months old.

So happy 19 months to my precious little girls!

The last three months have gone by in an incredible blur.  I’m very unexpectedly expecting your new brother or sister.  For the most part, your mommy has crashed back into bed as soon as the two of you would consent to take a nap.  Some day I even woke up to the two of you squealing like banshees trying to wake your momma from a coma in the next room.  Thanks for that… I think I might still be sleeping if not for your efforts :-p

You’ve become such big capable girls.  You’re able to feed yourself with spoons and forks (when you choose to).  You’re able to climb the ladders to any slide in any playground on the universe.  You’ll gleefully go down slides (on your bottom!) that are taller than mommy and steeper than a roller coaster.  You can take off your shirts if I get one arm out for you.  You can make your daddy cower in the corner by roaring at him with dinos, lions, and giraffes (though I’m still trying to figure out why giraffes roar?).

Today you fell asleep in the car as mommy drove home from the gym.  It was so unexpected and not even near naptime.  You looked precious.  You might be big girls and you might be big sisters soon, but you’re still the most precious snuggly little babies ever.

Aeralind Grace

Your primary goal in life is to be helpful.  With a little direction, you shut doors and drawers.  You mop floors with a rag. You put away clothing and diapers.  You’ll hand me items out of a clothes basket to hang on the line.  But your absolute favorite way to be helpful is to point out birds.  Your daddy is a birdwatcher; he collects bird sightings like some people collect stamps or porcelain dolls.  You patiently point at a bird and say “Burd” until daddy notices and tells you what it is.  So cute!

You have developed a love of stuffed animals/dolls and books.  You will walk around the house carrying anything stuffed.  Dolls, kitties, Chick-fil-a cows, and mommy’s ancient teddy Cranky are not safe.  If you can’t find a suitable stuffed object, you grab the nearest shirt with a tag and carry that around for awhile.  Your other love is books.  You will sit there and let me read books to you for hours.  You even know what it means when mommy says “Go get a different book,” because she’s so tired of reading certain books.  Sometimes you beckon Bronwyn to sit with you and will read entire stories to her in baby gibberish.

You melt my heart when…

• You attempt to blow dandelions.  
• You twirl and dance whimsically to music.  
• When you say “mwah!” while giving me a kiss. 
• You walk around the house sucking your thumb and carrying a stuffed creature or a tshirt by it’s tag.
• You hand me diapers to hang.
• You get so excited to point out birds and ducks for daddy.
• You get all squealy.

Bronwyn Hope

Your primary goal in life is to figure out things. You wrestle with a marker until you discover how to take the lid off.  You climb a bar stool just to see if you can stand on top and reach that forbidden food.  You climb up the computer’s CPU just to get on top of the desk and try to figure out how to operate the computer..  You re-program clocks. You try to take your shoes off.  Sometimes your curiosity gets you in trouble… other times it’s just so adorable to see your joy when you figure something out!

You have developed a love of communicating in the past 3 months.  You can clearly sign “eat,” “more,” “please,” and “all done.”  You love pointing at things and saying “please” accompanied by a verbal “blah”.  It’s hard to resist you when you’re being so charming and polite.  But I love how your mastery of those three simple words has made you 100% less frustrated.  You hardly ever throw temper tantrums and freely answer when I ask you “What do you need, Bronwyn?”  I’m glad you caught on to these signs!

You melt my heart when…

•  You sign “Please!” 
• You crawl up on the couch just to sit shoulder to shoulder with me.
• You smile with your nose all wrinkled up.
• You smile and wave right before you intentionally disobey.  How am I supposed to deal with that?!
• You figure something out and have to show it to me.
• You want me to feed you because you’ve gotten too frustrated with your cutlery.
• I find you on the desk trying to figure out the computer.
• You eat your sandwhiches: always taking the first bite from the middle like a vampire.

I love you two so dearly.

P.S. I managed to get this up a whole week prior to your 20 month birthday!  Aren’t you two proud 🙂