William is 18 months old

Dear William,

Today you turned 18 months old. You are changing and doing great new things every day. Today, your father taught you how to catch a ball and dunk it in your tot-sized basketball hoop. I can't even explain how exciting this was for your father to see! You seem to be a pretty athletic little guy. You like to throw, kick and bowl with balls.

Today we went to Gas Works Park and saw float planes, sailboats, dogs, kites, and people throwing balls and frisbees. You were most interested in the frisbees and the airplanes. You sat contentedly watching everything from your stroller for at least 15 minutes. Then we went to the Ballard Locks and watched boats go through the ship canal. You weren't nearly as interested in boats as in airplanes and frisbees.

This month you've done so many things for the first time. You are saying new words, mastering new skills and trying different foods. You had your first hot dog this past week for lunch at the Pacific Science Center. You are saying bubble and up and pop and ball so clearly now it's incredible. You LOVE spotting airplanes in the sky. When you hear one you look up into the sky and smile and when you find it you point and giggle with a huge smile on your face.

You are very strong, but you like to shake your head saying "eeeeeee" while our foreheads touch. This is your version of cuddling.

You are a pro at going to bed without a bottle or being rocked to sleep. We put you in your crib and give you kisses and pats and give you your favorite blue blanket and you go right to sleep without crying. It's awesome. I'm sooo proud of you William. You are such a fun person to spend time with. You love to laugh, see new things. You love to point out the moon in the sky. You love being outside in nature. We often go for a walk down to the path on the greenbelt behind our house before dinner time. You love this walk and will now let me hold your wrist while we walk. One of your favorite activities is puddle jumping. You love to stomp your feet and splash around in puddles, and the bigger and wetter the are, the happier you are.

I can't even put into words how much your father and I love you William. You are such a joy and blessing to us! We love you with all our hearts.

Love,
Mama