Eighteen Months Old

Allyson Jae,

Today you are eighteen months old. A year and a half ago you changed my life (although I still have a really hard time admitting that.) Your hard-nosed, unemotional Mom is gone and replaced with this sappy, mushy-gushy person I don’t really recognize but am learning to accept.

What has happened in these last eighteen months? Let’s see. You were dubbed “Chicken Wing” in the hospital when you were hours old. Your dad gave you that name when you cried because he said you were “spicy.” But you were more than just spicy, Ally Jae. You were amazing. You were so little at 7 pounds – definitely the smallest little person your Dad or I had ever held. But you were full of life. The spicy-spice was just beginning.

The Chicken Wing name left and along came C-Dub, but that didn’t stick around very long either. Chickie became your name quickly and I think it’s one that’s going to stick around for a long time. EVERYONE calls you Chickie. Just wait until your Mom and Dad take a full page ad out in your high school yearbook announcing your nickname to all your classmates. Good times – ask your Grandparents about doing that one to your Mom.

You’ve passed a lot of milestones in the last eighteen months. You rolled over, you sat up, you pulled yourself up and now you’re running. “Walk!” is the new shout around our house. Especially because I still don’t understand how a person can fall down so much and just pick right up and keep going. If I fell down that much I’d be in some sort of institution. (The experts tell me this is normal, however. You falling – not me in an institution.)

You are learning new words every day. It shakes me to my core when you see a picture of Grandpa on the fridge and say “Paw-Paw.” You love stopping and looking at the pictures in the hallway. “Momma, Daddy, Ma-Maw” you exclaim as we walk on by. You now point at cats and say “meow-meow.” What happened to “keeee”? Kitty is gone and replaced is the animal sound. Amazing!

You made it successfully through your first round of teeth, multiple rounds of shots, a stomach flu (you have been one healthy kid cause you’ve been sick only once – nursing for a year must really do the trick!), a trip to the emergency room, two times on an airplane (where people raved about how good you were!) and numerous other firsts. You make it so FUN to watch you learn and experience new things. The look of pure joy on your face when you see the container of bubbles (Bubb-boools) makes me feel like I’m a kid again myself.

I’m so very proud to say I’m your mother. You’re beautiful, smart, funny and I can’t get enough of you. (Even when you’re spicy and you drive me a little nuts. I think it’s because you just have SO much darn energy!) You’re the best part of my day and the star of my dreams. I impatiently wait for the next eighteen months…

Love,

Mom