14 months old

Lila. Oh, my Lila. How I love you. I love to sit and just watch you play. Watch the way your mind works. I already think back to "when you were little", and wonder how much I really remember, and how much I've forgotten. It breaks my heart a little to think I could forget any of the details that were so important at the time. One of your infant room teachers, Mrs. Allison, mentioned this week how you always burped best on the shoulder rather than sitting upright. And she reminded me of how we would use what you now call your "night night" over your sheet to catch all the drool because you were so juicy when you slept. Those are little details. They don't really matter, and don't mean much to many people. But those things matter to me. Because I'm your Mommy.

Lila, I want to remember who you are at 14 months, just as much as I want to remember who you were the day you were born. Each day is just as important to a Mommy. I really want to remember these little curls that spring up at random times in the back of your hair. I wish I could write out what they smell like, but there are no words to describe such a wonderful scent. When you get out of the bathtub, I always scrunch and tickle these little curls, to make sure they spring up just right before I hand you off to Daddy for storytime. He loves them, too, you know. You light up your Daddy's face like a Christmas tree.
I hope that I always remember that mischievous little streak you have, too. It's always easy to look back and remember the good things, the funny things... But sometimes we forget the things like how you LOVE to play in all of Daddy's things on his end table. You love to sneak quietly over and pull remotes, pens, DVD's, and pieces of mail off his table. You certainly know how to get his attention when he's ignoring you!!! We used to tell you, "No no...", and you would shake your head no, and crawl off to a new toy. Not anymore! Now you just get a devilish grin and try to grab something else before he can catch your super fast little fist. We pretend we're really angry with you, then we try to turn our heads so you don't see us laughing. You usually know, though!

Lila, you are really looking grown up these days. Your face is so thin, and now that you're walking everywhere, you really look like a toddler, and not a baby anymore. But sometimes, especially when you have on a hat or a hood, those little cheeks look the slightest bit pudgy again, and I can catch a glimpse of my Baby Lila once again. I try to savor those moments, because I know they are getting further and further in between.

I hope I never forget your pudgy baby face in your winter dino coat. I feared that you would really get tired of me shoving your little leg and arms into it, but you never seem to mind. You know that when we put your coat on, we're going somewhere. You are so much like your Momma! You LOVE to go! As soon as I get our coats out, you start saying, "BYE BYE!" You love to shop with me, and you're always SO good. You sit in shopping carts, wave at other shoppers, and just watch the world go by. I hope you'll always love shopping with me.
I hope I'll never forget your first attempts at playing "pretend". You've started picking up anything with a strap or handle, and putting it over your wrist. You'll carry it around like purse, and say, "Bye bye" or "bag". If it really is a bag, you'll go around collecting treasures and filling the bag. You also love to mimic me. If I'm giving you a breathing treatment, you'll try to fill the chamber, and tap on the top to make all the liquid go to the bottom. You love when I put my lip gloss on you (with the lid on, but you don't know that). I do NOT want to make time go any faster, but I DO love thinking about all the fun you and I are going to have playing pretend in the next few years!
I hope I never ever forget your sweet kisses, Lila. When we ask for a kiss, you pucker right up, and dive in for a big huge kiss on the lips! Sometimes you give open-mouthed kisses, but more and more you're actually starting to pucker up and smack those lips together! You've also started signing "thank you" with a blown kiss very consistently. The actual sign for "thank you" is moving your hand from your chin outward, but you add the kiss for free!
I hope I never forget how you LOVE stacking and nesting toys. You have nesting cups in the bathtub that will keep you entertained for a sweet forever. You like them so much that I've gotten you two more sets, and you love them just as much! You also love a stacking toy that Doug and Michelle got you for Christmas. You don't get the blocks in the right order, but you will concentrate SO hard on getting the blocks all onto the pegs. Of course, you also lose parts and cups all over the house, and I constantly go crazy trying to make sure we keep up with them all, but that's half the fun!
I asked your Daddy what he would always like to remember about you at this age. His answer, "how curious she is, and how busy she is....and the poop." Haha!! He does NOT enjoy changing your poopy diapers, and he just finished one. Someday I'm going to sneak in and video him changing your poopy diaper just because it's such a funny production. I definitely don't want to forget that!
You are learning SO much SO fast, Lila Jane!! You are starting to recognize body parts. You and Daddy practice after bath. You can consistently identify your eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and feet. Working on the rest! You obviously know where the "hat" goes, as well. That's probably still your favorite word. You are saying SO many words now, though! I thought about trying to make a list, but you really say several new words every day. There's no way I could figure out how many you're saying now. You really try to repeat most any word we work on.
You found a picture of Cooper yesterday, and your face just lit up. Doug and Michelle were here, and you ran over and showed it off to Michelle. Then you just sat and looked at it, and loved on it, and really tried so hard to say "Cooper". The best attempt sounded a lot like "Boo-buh", but I think that' s a pretty good start! I'm going to get you a photo album of your very own put together to take with us to Florida so you can see all of your favorite people.

We leave for Florida to see Mim and Pop on Saturday. I'm SOOO excited for the vacation, and to see the 'rents, but I am also very nervous about flying with you! It should be interesting!!

I love you, Lila Jane!