18 months

Dear Collin-

Its hard to believe you are a year and a half old. But, isn't that how I start all of these posts? You're milestones are incredible to watch these days, and I can barely contain my excitement as I watch you take larger leaps into the world around you.

These days we start your mornings around 7:30 or 8 am, when I hear you talking to yourself in your crib. You spend 15 or so minutes talking to Benny the bear, just a bit of small talk I think, before greeting the world head on. You still enjoy time in your crib, and rarely ever cry, instead you greet us with a bright "Hi!" when you're ready to escape the four walls that keep you safe and sound throughout the night.
Once you're awake and ready to head out among your toys, I temporarily way-lay you to your highchair for breakfast. These days you love waffles and cream of wheat with applesauce, fruit, yogurt and milk, but spend lots of time conversing, playing with the dog or other entertaining trinkets you can get your hands on -- cookie cutters, crayons, magnets from the fridge -- whatever is available, in your reach and more fun than the fork in front of your. So, some mornings you have a hearty breakfast and talk to me about animals and songs, while others you pick like a little bird and request unlimited renditions of the wheels on the bus, the itsy bitsy spider, if you're happy and you know it and little bunny foo-foo. After breakfast we clean you up and get you dressed for a full day of toys, activities, naps, meals and new adventures.
You're an incredibly laid back toddler, who seems to take everything is stride. You don't get upset when kids take toys from you (in fact I think soon we'll have to work on being a bit more assertive), you love to share and always are will to play wiht others at school and when we're with friends. You're little life glows to me like one giant happy smile, as I can't help but look at you and feel my heart overflow with love.

As you land somewhere in the pile of your toys in your room,likely between the click-clack alligator and Little People barnyard, we sit to play and read for a bit before I head off to work. This is one of my most favorite times of day, as I get to enjoy playing with you, just the two of us, settled into a world of imagination purely created from your funiest thoughts and silliest actions.
You've taken to handing out lots of love lately, spontaneous kisses and hugs, that I really can't get enough of. It's amazing to see how you climb into my arms, even around the basketball that saddles my waist and come ever so closely to nuzzle into me for an eskimo kiss. Within the same moment you'll lean away, come back and say "hug", which is so absolutely adorable you could follow up my smashing something valuable and I'd proabably still have a smile plastered on my face.
A handful of times, while getting ready for bed and nearly being asleep in the rocking chair you've raised your little head, planted on kiss on my lips, and quietly snuggled back into sleep, as if you couldn't bear to not let me know one more time that you love us, particularly me, when snuggling to go to sleep.

Once we've been able to play for awhile, and I've set up your schedule for the day your nanny comes and you continue to play with her until its snack time, and then nap. You're naps lately have been fantastic, as you still appear to be totally my soon in the realm of sleeping, taking 3 to 4 hour naps daily. Its a precious time for us, as we prepare for the baby, and I look forward to your happiness and alertness when you awake with yet another bright smile.

After nap, daddy is home, ready to present you with another dog and pony show to get you to eat some lunch. Its typical, they say, at 18 months, for kids to be so distracted they just don't eat much, but we try our best to get you to take some sustenance in. Sometimes its more songs, sometimes its taking a break to color, sometimes its a game of fetch (daddy fetches, that is), and sometimes we just let it go and hope that you'll eat when you are hungry. Nevertheless, I worry that you don't get enough to eat and continue to hope you'll grow out of this phase soon.

By the time you are done with your late lunch you usually, if its nice, have time to play outside, or go to the park before I get home, so you and daddy play, either at home or away. You love spending time with daddy, and often the first person you ask for when you say "hi" in your crib is daddy. This melts my heart to know you have such a fantastic and strong relationship with him, as not all dads play such a close roll to their son's hearts at such a young age. Now that its winter, I'm sure you'll start spending some of that time heading to the snow hill at Parkview to sled down before it gets dark, or taking the dog for short walks in your burley, where you can stay nice and warm.

Later in the day, I arrive home, anxious to see you, as there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss you at some point throughout the day. You always greet me with such a big "hi momma!" and generally run to hug and kiss me if the toy/crayon/playdough piece you have isn't totally engaging you. We get some time to play before dinner and usually find ourselves enteraining the puppy or doing puzzles while one of us (mommy or daddy) fixes dinner for you. Before we know it the day is coming to a close, you eating dinner near 6 oclock, soon followed by bath and bedtime at 7. Your routine has worked well for our family, making you a happy baby, as you sleep well and awake rested and a perfect compromise of time with both mommy and daddy. We're incredibly fortunate to have jobs that allow for such flexibility to spend so much time with you.

At 18 months,while your routine is fairly typical, your personal achievements are anything but. You're such a silly little ham, who loves to turn on the charm for the ladies. You blow kisses often, and your vocabulary is exploding, you have at least 100 words now- probably more, as you label everything you can. You're exploring cause and effect now in more complex ways and have made leaps and strides in fine motor tasks like coloring with crayons and playing with playdough. You love being outside and clearly recognize the differnce in many oposites, hot and cold, up and down (this may be your favorite), on and off, and the list goes on. You now clearly recognize people, gram and gramps, nana and papa, and turn on the bashful face for those you don't.

As we approach the arrival of your baby brother we're trying to prepare you for the enormous changes in your life, but I really don't know how possible that is considering you're meerly 18 months olds. You love babies though, and don't get jealous when I hold other infants. You like to put the ECFE babies to bed and tuck them into the stroller for a ride, which is so very precious. We think you'll be a very helpful big brother, and hope that some of your many generous kisses and hugs rub off on the newest baby Hollman when he makes his appearance.

Its hard to believe we've come so far so quickly, and how quickly we feel like we've forgotten what it was like to have a newborn. I think we're a bit aprehensive it our aniticipation of the new baby because you've grown up so fast. I wonder often, we're you ever that small? when I fold and put away the clothes for the new baby.

So, my dear sweet Collin, we are so incredibly delighted in who you are, your personality, your genuine love of life and your persistent smile and extended happiness. I couldn't image feeling this fufilled just 2 years ago, but here we are and my heart feels like it will literally burst with love for you.

We love you, incredibly so, and look forward to the next 18 months of this portion of toddlerhood as your doting parents.

Love,
Momma and Daddy