Today my babygirl turns 18 months old. It is so hard to believe that we have gotten this far so quickly.

Anna Kate,

Today you turn 18 months old. You are a JOY! You bring so much joy to me and our family. I couldn’t imagine not seeing your bright and shining face every morning. You are growing up too fast for me. You are no longer that 6lbs 15 oz baby that I first held 18 months ago. However, you do still have a need to be held by mommy or daddy most of the day…every day.

You are a talker. I mean, one serious talker. We thought Jake was a talker at this age, but you can talk circles around him. You say things that amaze me. It’s not just what you say but is HOW you say specific things. You say it sass and attitude that is so unbelievablely cute.

You love your brothers. You want to be everywhere the “boys” are all the time. If they go outside, you stand at the door and cry saying “outside, outside.” You are a rough and tumble little girl always wrestling with the boys and trying to do exactly what they are doing.

Speaking of boys, there isn’t a boy in the world that you love more than you daddy. He is the greatest and there is nothing like that look on your face when you are running to your Daddy’s arms screaming, “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.” One of your favorite things to do with Daddy is SING. He will sit you in his lap facing him and sing, Joy, Joy, Joy, Jesus Loves Me, or B-I-B-L-E. When he finishes you say “gin” for again, meaning you want him to sing again. If he starts to sing the wrong song, by that I mean not the one you want to hear, then you will continue to say gin gin until he sings the “right” song.

You have a fierce determination and you KNOW what you want and you are determined to get it. Since you can talk so well, you are able to communicate your needs and wants to everyone around. On the rare occasion, that you cannot communicate to us what you need or what you do have a flair for the dramatic and it is at that moment we just call you FEMALE.

This past week your favorite phrase is “no, no.” Thanks to your brothers for teaching you how to say it on the way to Georgia. You are learning so much so quickly. “I some” (I want some),”I know” ( I don’t know), wuv you (love you), be right back, dink peez, (drink please) are just a few of your favorite phrases.

You love to color, play with stickers, play-doh and pencils. You make homeschooling Jake difficult in so many ways. Like I mentioned earlier, I am always holding you and you want to be held while I am schooling Jake. I have finally decided to do school while you are napping.

You have become quite independent. Wanting to always feed yourself with a spoon and you must have a plate. But you don’t want to play independently.

After writing all of this to you I still don’t feel that I have adequately described your personality. It is so hard to put into words who YOU are: fun, energetic, sassy and sweet all wrapped up into one little girl. OUR LITTLE GIRL!

Anna Kate, you make my heart so full some days I think it might burst. You make me laugh, you make me happy, and sometimes you make me want to pull my hair out. This first 18 months has been an incredible journey and as we look forward to two I cannot even begin to imagine how much you will change and grow.